We'd had a wonderful 2.5 months driving around Argentina, Chile and Patagonia in Vdos, a motorhome that we'd hired in Buenos Aires. Over that time, we drove several really rugged, rough, and isolated roads, through some of the world's most spectacular scenery. This is a summary of the more interesting of those roads, in the order in which we drove them.
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| Various segments of Route 3, Argentina |
We started out on Argentina's Route 3 (RN3). This road runs down the eastern side of Argentina for 3,045 km (1,892 m), and we drove drove around 2,090 km (1,298 m) of it. We picked it up near Monte Hermoso on the Atlantic coast south of Buenos Aries and carried on south, leaving it in Argentinean Patagonia near the Border with Chile and the Magellan Strait.
Much of this road runs between the wind-plagued Argentinian Desert, and the turbulent Atlantic Coast. The high-velocity winds, dust storms, irregular road surface, animals, lack of centre line, and absence of fuel stations, make it a difficult drive.
But there is plenty to see with interesting cities, beach towns, fishing villages, UNESCO sights, and sea-life.
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| Parts of Route Y-290, Chilean Patagonia |
After leaving the Magellan Strait, we crossed over to the other side of South America to Chilean Patagonia and drove north, where our next tricky drive was on Chile’s Route Y-290. We picked it up off Route CH-9, around 100 km out of Puerto Natales. The Y-290 takes you through Torres del Paine National Park via the Serrano entrance, and on to Grey Glacier.
It is a mountain road of around 70 km (43 m) in length, through a very remote area. It has a dirt and gravel surface with many potholes. When we were there, a lot of the road was washed out, making it hard to make progress.
However, the scenery is absolutely spectacular, and well worth the challenging drive.
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| Photos of the legendary Route 40, Argentina |
Our next challenge was Argentina's legendary Route 40, one of the longest and most spectacular highways in the world. It stretches 5,224 km (3,246 m) from Argentinian Patagonia in the south, to Argentina's border with Bolivia in the north, running parallel to the Andes Mountains all the way.
We initially picked it up in Argentinian Patagonia and criss-crossed from it into Chile and back several times. We were also off and on it to visit local sights, finally leaving it in Cafayate in north-western Argentina.
It is known as a test of endurance, being largely unsealed and very remote, particularly in the far south and far north. But it's also known for its spectacular scenery that includes wild animals, ancient forests, lakes, mountains, glaciers, deserts, and wine routes.
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| El Paso de las Llaves, Chilean Patagonia |
After we left Route 40 on a drive through the Argentinian Desert, we crossed the border into the Chilean town of Chile Chico. From there, we drove across 124 km (77 m) of the captivating and ruggedly beautiful but dangerous road called the El Paso de las Llaves (Route CH-265). It's known as one of the world's most dangerous but beautiful road trips.
The road started life many years ago as a narrow track. It's not much wider now, being a narrow dirt road, squeezed between a mountain range and Lago (Lake) General Carrera, the biggest lake in Chile.
This is a tough drive. There are many hills and troughs with several troughs ending in a sharp blind corner, there are steep drop-offs with no guard-rails, and landslides and animals often block the road. But for almost the whole route, there are great views of the Lago General Carrera and the snow-capped mountains behind. The experience and the scenery are well worth the difficult drive.
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| Carretera Austral (CH-7), Chilean Patagonia |
At the end of the El Paso de las Llaves, we turned onto Chile's famous Carretera Austral (Route CH-7). This road runs for 1,240 km (770 m) through rural Chilean Patagonia providing access to remote glacial and mountainous areas in the region.
The Austral is a very challenging road. It is very poorly made, and almost entirely dirt or gravel, you may have to take a ferry past washed out areas, and it is very isolated with very few villages or services along the way. However, the scenery is spectacular, with lush forests, glaciers, rivers, and mountains.
We were on and off this road for sightseeing until we reached Villa Santa Lucía, in the Los Lagos region of Chile, when we turned east, to cross the border back into Argentina.
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| Ruta de Valle Exploradores, Chilean Patagonia |
One of our side trips off the Austral was a day trip along the wild Ruta de Valle Exploradores (Route X-728), to see the Exploradores Glacier. It’s located in Chile’s Laguna San Rafael National Park (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve), on the north-eastern slope of Monte San Valentine (4,058 mtr / 13,313 ft).
We entered it at the northern edge Puerto Rio Tranquilo village. The road is not sealed and very narrow. A large motorhome would completely fill the road, and there is a narrow bridge that may be a challenge for large motorhomes. Our small motorhome Vdos made it across very slowly.
The road runs alongside the Rio (River) Norte for much of the way, and although it’s not a long road, it is very scenic, passing mountains with glaciers snaking through them, waterfalls, and lush bush.
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| The Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass Andes border crossing, northern Patagonia |
We crossed the border between Chile and Argentina several times on this trip. One of our more spectacular border crossings was through the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass from the lakes district of Argentina, to the lakes of Chile.
The route goes over the Andes Mountains reaching 1,314 mtr (4,311ft) above sea level at its peak. Although we were travelling in November, there was quite a bit of snow on the forest trees, and lining the winding mountain road. Backed with the snow-tipped mountains, it was a very scenic drive.
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| Paso Los Libertadores Andes border crossing, Chile to Argentina |
Another border crossing through the Andes Mountains, was the Paso Los Libertadores (aka Paso del Cristo Redentor). We entered it east of Santiago in Chile, and left it in Uspallata, near Mendoza in Argentina.
The road from the Chilean side has about 29 tight hairpin bends layered up a steep mountain-side, that over a very short distance gets you to 2,800 mtr (9,186 ft) above sea level. The road gets to 3,175 mtr (10,417 ft) at the Cristo Redentor Tunnel and about half way along this 3,080 mtr (10,104 ft) long tunnel, you cross the border.
The rest of the drive through the Andes is very picturesque, with stunning-coloured mountains, remote buildings, views of Aconcagua (highest mountain in the Americas), and winding rivers. The descent into Argentina is almost more colourful, and much more gentle.
This is a very demanding drive. It is paved but rough in places, and dangerous with blind corners, and no guardrails. You take it slowly.
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Abra del Infiernillo, north-west Argentina |
Leaving the wine area of Cafayate in the Salta region of north-west Argentina, we found our way to the Abra del Infiernillo (Ruta 307). This is a poorly sealed, very narrow and winding road that takes you 3,056 mtr (10,026 ft) above sea level.
It travels between the Tafí and Calchaquíes valleys, through four different and difficult yet picturesque environments, that include cloud covered mountains, dry semideserts, verdant valleys, and salt marshes. There were also many animals on this road, making it a slow drive.
There were plenty of other roads of course, but those above were the most interesting. We loved it.
After all of the driving, we dropped our motorhome back to Buenos Aires, where we hired it from, then caught a flight to Antarctica, and our next adventure.
The above blog is part of our 4-month tour of South America. The first blog on this tour is called "Buenos Aires here we come".