Paddling near Zapala, Neuquén

Zapala sits in the arid steppe of central Neuquén Province, a gateway to the northern Patagonian Andes. The surrounding area draws paddlers to the Río Neuquén, a significant whitewater river fed by Andean snowmelt that runs class III–IV rapids on its upper stretches before easing into wide desert canyon. Nearby still waters such as Laguna Blanca and the Lagunas de Epulafquen round out the flatwater side of the local scene.