Paddling near Plaza Huincul, Neuquén

Plaza Huincul sits in the Patagonian steppe of Neuquén province, an oil-industry town surrounded by arid canyon country. The Río Neuquén, one of northern Patagonia's major rivers fed by Andean snowmelt, runs nearby and is known for its whitewater character, including Class III–IV rapids on its upper sections. The still waters of Laguna Colorada lie just outside town, and larger impoundments such as Embalse Ezequiel Ramos Mexía and Embalse Arroyito are within reach for flatwater paddling.