One of Patagonia's best-known road trips is getting two new stops. Neuquen is expanding the route traditionally known as the Seven Lakes Route to include Meliquina and Lolog, creating what the province calls the Paseo de los Nueve Lagos.
The change is being built around new road connections rather than simply a new name. Meliquina is being incorporated first, with Lolog following as infrastructure improves the links between the lakes, San Martin de los Andes and the existing corridor.
The original route is already one of Argentina's signature scenic drives. It connects San Martin de los Andes with Villa La Angostura through Andean forest, mountains and glacial lakes and has become a standard part of longer Patagonia itineraries.
Meliquina changes the geography of the trip because it brings another destination into the corridor instead of adding only another roadside viewpoint. Lolog does the same outside the classic sequence, offering beaches, the Quilquihue River and the Puerto Arturo area as reasons to stop and stay rather than drive through.
Neuquen officials say the new connections are intended to improve circulation and safety while strengthening tourism and local economic activity. The province has been investing in paving and other road works that make the two lakes easier to incorporate into the larger circuit.
For visitors, the appeal is practical. The Seven Lakes Route has always rewarded travelers who stop frequently and stay overnight, but established itineraries tend to concentrate visitors on the same destinations. A more connected circuit gives smaller communities a better chance of becoming part of the main Patagonia trip.
The traditional seven lakes remain the backbone of the route: Correntoso, Espejo, Escondido, Villarino, Falkner, Hermoso and Machonico. The new name describes a wider regional circuit rather than a replacement for the original drive.
Lake Lolog is particularly well placed to benefit. It already attracts campers, anglers and day visitors but sits outside the classic Seven Lakes sequence. Bringing it into the broader circuit makes it easier for travelers to combine it with San Martin de los Andes instead of treating it as a separate excursion.
Meliquina follows the same logic. Better road access should make the lake and surrounding settlement easier to reach for travelers moving through the region, and provincial planners see those road projects as tourism infrastructure as much as transport infrastructure.
The transition will be gradual. Road projects and new connections are being incorporated in stages, so travelers should check current conditions instead of assuming every proposed link is already operating as a finished scenic loop.
The direction, however, is clear. One of Argentina's most recognizable road trips is becoming a broader regional itinerary, adding two quieter lakes to a route that already defines Patagonia for many international visitors.
Source: Neuquen provincial and local tourism reporting, September 2 to 7, 2026.