The Laguna Del Diamante is a fairly large high altitude lake with a volcano on the far side. It is iconic of the province of Mendoza, Argentina for its breathtaking landscape. The name is due to the reflection of the volcano in the lake, a triangle reflected forming a diamond. Situated very close to the Argentina/Chile border at 3300 m of altitude, the laguna is popular with tourists, photographers, campers, and fishermen. The day we went 36 vehicles entered this Natural Reserve. The road is unpaved but generally well maintained and passable even with a small car, though the altitude, at the highest point 3700m, and terrain call for a high clearance vehicle in good condition. Because of the altitude and often rough and unpredictable weather the access road is open only for a few weeks every year, generally from mid-December to late February. It is a short window, so we were watching the weather forecast and the park rangers reports on the internet, and decided that the time was right to go. We were lucky as we got amazing conditions, mostly so the second day, with a perfectly clear sky. The best time to take THE photo is early morning at sunrise. The lake waters are calmer, and the light is better since the rising sun lights the volcano. After spending a night camping in the truck, we drove out to the viewpoint shortly after 6 a.m. I was in position by the edge of the lake, camera ready, and surprisingly alone. I stayed for over an hour but got so cold I had to go back to the truck, completely dressed and into the sleeping bag to warm up. Once the sun was up enough to warm the air we got up and made breakfast. By then people were arriving, mostly fishermen. We took the rest of the morning to hike to the different viewpoints, take more photos, and then had lunch in the sun with an amazing view. After lunch it was time to head back down and back home. It was a trip I wanted to do for a long time, and it turned out to be everything I expected and more. It is worth going to experience in person what you see on postcards! Here are some photos, and a video will follow in the next few days …
Sin Rumbo 