Insiders Guide to Bariloche: Hernan ‘Tito’ Franco

Bariloche local, Tito, shares his best tips for eating, partying and skiing in Argentina’s favourite ski resort.

Skiing in South America is a mix of early morning powder, afternoon siestas, late night dinners, red meat and dancing nightclubs.

Hernan Franco is known as Tito and has been skiing in Bariloche since he was three. He owns the Ski Max Bariloche Ski School, is a ski instructor, coach and examiner of ski instructors.

If you find yourself in Bariloche look him up and tell him SnowsBest sent you.

Why Bariloche?

You can do almost everything from fishing to sailing or kite surfing, to skiing, telemarking or snowboarding in winter time. Summer offers more variety,  trekking, mountain biking, or simply traveling around the lakes becomes a fantastic plan any given day.

The weather can be challenging some times, Bariloche is a quite windy city,  and it rains a lot in May but when that happens it’s time to ride on two wheels with MTB or dirt bikes.

Best place for coffee

Rapa Nui,  great place, and many tasty things to indulge yourself with.

Best place for apres

So far,  Mute, at Cerro Catedral mountain but this year a new apres opens and it looks very promising!!

Best place for breakfast

Mamushka, small, cozy and the best croissants in town,  if you wait until 11,  ask for the “minis”.. the best delicattesen sandwiches in town by far!

Special occasion dinner spot

Kandahar,  my wife loves it, me too!

Best place for sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise,  at the Limay River,  sun comes up the mountains, combine that with some fog on top of the river, and you have a great view.

Sunset….. honestly anywhere you can see the Nahuel Huapi Lake and the sun hiding behind the Andes. I do love sunsets from up the mountain.

Best place to keep the kids entertained

My mom’s house, but I don’t thing she will enjoy other kids that are not her grandsons. Now, seriously, I think that Pista Uno (ice skating) is a great choice.  Also Rapa Nui is next door, so you can go for coffee and a chocolate.

Favourite event on or off the mountain during the season

There’s a great free ride competition sponsored by Red Bull, that is great to see.  It’s in a place up the mountain that you can only access by hiking.  Peaceful, great crew and the best ones doing crazy runs at Laguna.

Where do you take out of town visitors to WOW them?

Go up Las Nubes Chairlift to the top of the mountain at Cerro Catedral, and take the high pass to Punta Nevada…. you can see everything. On a clear day, you can even see the peaks of the Chilean volcanos that are more than 200 kms away.

Secret powder stash

On a powder day,  go to La Palmera, on the western side of the mountain for  open terrain, jumps, view…. simply great. Be sure you go there early in the day as temperatures may rise quickly after a storm and as it’s low, it turns into cement in a few hours.

Best run? Anywhere where you can ski out from Las Nubes chairlift, you can’t be wrong on that.

Where do you ski the most in winter?

Mostly in Bariloche at Cerro Catedral,  because I run a Ski School but I often go to to La Parva in Chile (great snow) and to Cerro Castor in Ushuaia (best conditions all round).

Favourite Bariloche local character

Mr Alberto Gallardo,  he works at the Sextuple Express Chairlift. He has the best sense of humour and always gives you a hand with a true smile on his face.

What can you get at Bariloche you can’t get anywhere else in the world?

The chance of skiing on a great mountain with one of the best views in the world. and once you are down the slopes,  many options to end your day with great food and wine.

If you had to buy one thing in Bariloche what would it be?

Get yourself an Argentinean soccer team shirt (that will make you a local) and get chocolates, we are world famous for it.

Heading to Australia, New Zealand or South America to ski or snowboard this year? You need our Insider Guides from Locals in the Snow. 

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