Geographical context

I live near the beautiful Parque municipal Llao Llao in northern Patagonia, Argentina. It's tucked against the Andes so gets just the right amount of rain (not as much as in Chile on the other side of the mountains) so that it is lush and green all year around (yes, in winter too!) but still get a good deal of sunny days (especially in summer) to enjoy it.

The size of the park is just right to be explored in one day. There are six trails, a number of beaches and viewpoints, three lakes, two hotels and two main parkings. The trails are short, it won't take you more than two hours to complete anyone of them. Some are more demanding, such as the one that takes you to the top of the Llao Llao hill, and some are really easy and flat.

The park on Google Earth.

My motivation

I love those trails, but it drives me crazy that there is so few information available, aside from an ugly schematic map, and to see so many tourist ending up walking on the side of the road!

The official map at the entrance of some of the trails: not nearly enough information and/or clarity... and there's no internet signal inside the park! – so those who took a picture of the map try to figure it out on the fly, the other ones... well, end up most of the time hitch hiking on the road as the night falls...

Also, I'm realizing lately that I love maps: I love looking at them, discovering places I don't know and will never know... For example, I have (I don't know why) a map of the ice fields of South Patagonia and the routes people use to navigate them: I can spend hours looking at those and imagining... Google maps is fascinating to me, and so are ancient maps. I have no training whatsoever in cartography, geography or drawing but I'm getting very bored with my translator work, and need some new challenge, as one would open a window to let some fresh air in a room.

Lastly, I figured that if I managed to produce a satisfactory map, I could try and sell it to the many tourist who come each year to visit the city and the park.

 

What I'm picturing (for now)

What I aim for, as I'm just starting this project, is a map that could be used to navigate the park, with useful information (distances, places to see, what to do, transportation, etc.) AND would be aesthetically alluring so that people would want to have it as a souvenir.

 

Inspirations

Some great maps I found that inspire me:

Ken Czarnomski

I love there's so much information on this map: you can look at it for a while and still find new details. Not to mention the beautiful illustrations!

Unknown artist

Love the feel of this map. Makes me want to be there!

Karl Versterberg

I like the mixing of perspectives here: the flat 2D map contrasting with the drawings that are on a different plan. I saw that in a lot of illustrated maps. It seems counter-intuitive, but it works!

Anna Panova

Beautiful use of colors on this map.