The volcanic cone
Over the plain.
Public domain · Butterfly austral — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tintainvisible — CC BY 4.0 · Jmmuguerza — CC BY-SA 4.0
Tromen is a cone-shaped volcano rising to about 3,978 metres in northern Neuquén province, inside the El Tromen provincial protected area, with the town of Buta Ranquil at its foot. Its last eruptions were between 1820 and 1828, and locals also call it Pun Mahuida, the black or cloudy mountain, in Mapuche. At its northwestern foot, at about 2,100 metres, lies Laguna Tromen, one of the rare wetlands in this dry mountain setting, where at least twenty-six species of waterbird feed and nest, among them Chilean flamingos, black-necked swans and many ducks; more than a hundred bird species have been recorded in the reserve. Around it are volcanic slopes, plains and snowy mountains. Visiting is free; check in with the reserve's rangers on arrival for guidance. Roads are gravel, and spring to autumn suits best.
Over the plain.
Flamingos, swans.
Open country.
El Tromen protected area, about 7 km from Buta Ranquil and 38 km from Chos Malal, Neuquén
At Laguna Tromen on the volcano's northwestern foot; visiting is free, checking in with rangers.