Argentina / Chile Northbound

This portion of the route was prepared by Jeanne Maly & Ron Lussier. Please contact them if you have any suggestions for the northbound route through Chile and Argentina.

After spending Christmas and New Year's in Tierra del Fuego, we'll start north, quickly crossing into Chile. Our route north will wiggle back and forth across the border to take in the best that each country has to offer.



Day:	Destination:	Km:	Comments:
			After spending Christmas and New Year's Day in Ushuaia, it's time to head north.
2 Jan	Rio Grande	234	Drive north to the largest settlement in Tierra del Fuego, pop. 35,000.The gymnasium has free hot showers for men. We'll try to find a place to park for the night. If we haven't already done so, we should also make reservations for the ferry to Punta Arenas. Reservations are available from Agencia Broom (T 218100.)
3 Jan	San Sebastian	100	Driving north, we'll cross into Chile at San Sebastian, the only legal frontier crossing between the Chilean and Argentinian parts of Tierra del Fuego. No fruit, vegetables, dairy, or meat are permitted across the border. There are actually two settlements named San Sebastian, on either side of the border and 14 km apart. We'll spend the night on the Chilean side. If the border crossing goes easily, we may continue on today to Porvenir.
3 Jan	Porvenir	142	Porvenir is the only real town in Chilean TdF, with a population of 4,500.
4 Jan	Punta Arenas	ferry	We'll take the ferry to Punta Arenas. Punta Arenas is the home of La Polar, the most southerly brewery in the world. We'll try to camp at Camping Pudú, 10.5 km north on Route 9. As a backup, we may stay at the Reserva Forestal Magallanes, 7 km north of town. At the very least, we should try to visit this park.
5 Jan	Puerto Natales	247	Heading north out of Punta Arenas, we'll drive along the Chilean side of the Argentine border to this small town (pop. 15,000) which is very popular with tourists in the summer. We should stock up with food here for our stay in the Parque Nacional (see next two days.) We'll try to stay at the Cisne de Cuello Negro, a guest house for meat buyers at a disused meat packing plant 5 km from town at km 275 near Puerto Bories.
6 Jan	Torres del Paine	145	A drive through winding mountain roads takes us to the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, known for its wildlife and spectaclar scenery. We'll find camping somewhere in the park.
7 Jan	Torres del Paine		A second day in the park, relaxing.
8 Jan	El Calafate	307	A long day's drive (including a border crossing back into Argentina) brings us to El Calafate on the south short of Lago Argentino. About 40 km into Argentina we'll pass salt flats with flamingos, and condors & guanacos are often seen along this route. We'll try to stay in the Parque Nacional los Glaciares at the Hostería Helsingfors, 40km west of Calafate. Another option is to camp within the parque.
9 Jan	El Calafate		Since we'll probably arrive late on our first day, we'll stay a second day in El Calafate, allowing us to take an excursion to the Ventisquero Moreno or the Upsala Glacier (the largest in South America.)
10 Jan	Tres Lagos	202	We'll stop for the night in this small town between El Calafate and Gobernador Gregores.
11 Jan	Gobernador Gregores	174	We'll stay in the municipal campsite. Gobernador Gregores supposedly has a good mechanic in town, and all grades of fuel available.
12 Jan	Parque Nacional Perito Moreno	218	At the end of a 90 km long road in bad condition is this lake-filled park below glaciated mountains. We'll try to stay at the Estancia La Oriental, which has horses for hire and camping (T 0966 2445.)
13 Jan	Perito Moreno	317	A long day's drive along dirt roads brings us to the small town of Perito Moreno (pop. 1,700). We'll try to stay at Telken, a sheep station owned by the Nauta family, if we can find it!
14 Jan	Chile Chico	62	A much shorter day's drive across a pass and border crossing returns us to Chile. After the crossing, we'll settle into this quiet and friendly border town. Tonight, we'll try to stay at the Casa Quinta No me Olvides (Manor House Don't Forget Me) which offers camping and hot showers as well as honey, eggs, and produce for sale.
15 Jan	Cochrane	176	Today we'll drive southwest to Cochrane. Our drive will follow the shore of Lago General Carrera. This region is supposed to have the best climate in Chile, and much of the chilean fruit is grown here. After getting supplies in Cochrane, we'll try to camp in the Reserva Nacional Tamango (some guidebooks call it Reserva Nacional Rio Simpson), northeast of Cochrane. We need to ask directions at the Conaf office in the town square (T 422164.) The South American Handbook says: [...] lenga forest, a few surviving huemul deer as well as guanaco, foxes, and lots of birds including woodpeckers and hummingbirds. The views from the reserve are superb, over the town, the nearby lakes and to the Campo de Hielo Norte to the west.
16 Jan	Coihaique	343	A long day's drive brings us north again to the small city of Coihaique. We'll try to stay at Camping Alborada, km 1-2 on the road to Puerto Aisén (T 231989.) Hot showers!
17 Jan	Coihaique		Another day in town to rest, relax, and de-stress.
18 Jan	Puyuhuapi	251	We'll try to stop for the night in this small town. If there is time, we can take a boat trip to the nearby Termas de Puyuhuapi, natural hot spring baths. We'll try to stay at the Res Alemana or the Hostería Ludwig, both reputed to be excellent.
19 Jan - 21 Jan	Chaitén	196	Today we'll continue north to Chaitén, and we'll try to stay at the Los Arrayanes campsite 4 km north of town. Not only is it close to the sea, but it has hot showers. Since the ferry to Quellon only sails on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we may have to wait a few days for the Monday sailing. There may be a Saturday sailing... the guidebook isn't clear.
Loop of Golfo de Ancud
22 Jan	Quellón	ferry	Today starts a lazy clockwise loop of the Golfo de Ancud. We'll take the ferry at 9am for the 5 hour crossing. Ferry cost is ~US$90 per vehicle. We'll try to spend the night at Cabañas y Camping Las Brisas, located in Puta de Lapa, 7 km west of Quellón.
23 Jan	Castro	101	Driving north on the Isla Grande de Chiloe, we'll stop for the evening at Castro, the capital of the province. We'll try to stay at Camping Pudú, on Ruta 5, 10 km north of the city (T 635109.)
24 Jan	Puerto Montt	115 ferry 55	Today we'll drive north to Ancud, and then up to the ferry crossing at Chacao. There are supposed to be about 24 crossings a day, and each crossing takes 30 minutes. The cost per vehicle is US$10. After taking the ferry we'll continue north from Pargua to Puerto Montt. The small fishing village of Angelmó, 2 km west of Puerto Montt, is supposed to have many thandicraft shops and seafood restaurants. The local speciality is picoroco al vapor, a giant barnacle that tastes like crab. Yum! We'll try to stay the night at Camping Anderson, an American-run campground 11 km west of town. They have hot showers and a private beach.
25 Jan	Puerto Montt		This second day in Puerto Montt is a 'buffer' so that we can sync up with the ferry schedule on Ruta 7 south to Chaitén. We may or may not stay an extra day here.
25 Jan	Chaitén	242 ferries	We'll drive south from Puerto Montt to Chaitén along the Carretera Austral, also known as Ruta 7. This portion of the road is 'camino ripio' (paved with stones) and the scenery should be fantastic. This trip involves two ferry crossings. Arrangements and reservations must be made in Puerto Montt at the Transmarchilay office in Angelmó (T 254654.)
26 Jan	Trevelín	218	Today we head south to Villa Santa Lucia, and then inland to Puerto Ramirez. At Puerto Ramirez the road divides... we'll follow the northern branch to Futaleufú, where we'll cross again into Argentina. We'll continue on Ruta 259 to Trevelín in Argentina, where we'll spend the night. We'll try to stay at La Granja Trevelín, 3 km outside of town towards Esquel. They feature macrobiotic meals and good italian cooking, and some supplies are sold. Bungalows are ~US$15 per day. Hot showers, and horses available for hire.
27 Jan	Bariloche	260	Explore Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, the oldest national park in Argentina. Take the 'Circuito Chico' loop to Llao Llao, hiking, fishing, white-water rafting. Bariloche is renowned for it's chocolate, and local wines are also good. The local chocolate speciality is 'Papas de Bariloche' and there are several places in town to sample them and watch chocolates being made. The tourist office has list of campsites. Petunia on Bustillo at km 14.9 has hot showers and is protected by trees, but there are many other places to stay.
28 Jan	San Martin de los Andes	155	A very short day's drive north on the paved Bariloche / San Marin highway brings us north through the melodically-named Confluencia to San Martin de los Andes (pop. 14,000.) The South American Handbook calls San Martin "lovely but expensive." There are reputedly good views 6 km from town at Mirador Bandurrias. There is a good camping spot 15 km north of town at the almost undeveloped Lago Lolog.
Chile - Lakes District
29 Jan	Entre Lagos	220	Today we'll drive southwest though the 'Ruta de Los Siete Lagos' (Ruta 234), turning westwards at the Villa La Angostura and crossing the Puyehue pass into Chile. The border crossing is supposed to take 15 minutes for private cars. We'll continue into the southern lakes district of Chile, stopping for the night at the small town of Entre Lagos (pop. 3,350.) We'll stop to camp at Playa Los Copihues, km 56.5 on the south shore of Lago Puyehue.
30 Jan	Valdivia	160	One of the most important centers of Spanish colonial control over Chile, Valdivia was founded in 1552, lost due to insurrection, briefly taken over by dutch pirates, and then refounded in 1645 as a walled city. Valdivia is the only Spanish mainland settlement in Chile south of Rio Biobio. We'll splurge on a hotel while we're here. The Hospice Turístico at Henriquez 745 sounds nice (T 2500856), as does the Hostal Centro Torreón at Plaza Rosales 783 (T 212622.)
31 Jan	Valdivia		Another day to explore this old city, and rest.
1 Feb	Villarica	125	We'll take the indirect route north, detouring to Lago Villarica. There are several campsites along the wooded lake, one of the most beautiful in the region. Fishing in the lake is supposed to be excellent.
2 Feb	Temuco	121	Continuing north, we'll stop at the city of Temuco (pop. 225,000.) 20,000 Mapuche Indians live in area around Temuco. The area is known for its textiles, pottery, woodcarving, and jewelry.
3 Feb	Los Angeles	185	Today we'll drive north on the Pan American highway. We'll stop for the night at the Cabañas El Rincón, 10 km north of town (Panamericana Sur km 494, Cruce La Mona 1 km east (T (09) 441-5019.) Highly recommended, english spoken. No doubt they offer hot showers! 25 km north of Los Angeles are the Salto El Laja, where the Rio Laja plunges 47 km onto rocks. 90 km east of Los Angeles is the Parque Nacional Laguna de Laja. Along the road to the park are the impressive rapids of the Rio Laja. We'll make a trip to the park if we have time.
4 Feb	Termas de Chillán	193	We'll continue north on the Pan-American to Chillán, where we'll turn east through Pinto to Termas de Chillán. There are hotels, hot springs, and the largest ski area in southern Chile. We'll settle in take hot mud bath.
5 Feb	Termas de Chillán		Skiing and snowboarding today, or just soaking in the hot springs. Other options include a day trip to Chillán and the Feria de Chillan - one of Chile's most colorful markets, with a great selection of crafts (leather, basketry & weaving) and mountains of fresh produce.
6 Feb	Radal Siete Tazas	350	Today brings us to this small city (pop. 104,000.) 65 km outside of town east of Molina is the Area de Protección Radal Siete Tazas, a series of 7 rock bowls in the Río Claro, each with a pool emptying into the next by a waterfall. There is also a canyon 15 meters deep and only 1.5 meters wide, ending in a cliff and waterfall. There is camping at Parque Inglés, 9 km past the Area de Protección Radal Siete Tazas, at the Hosteía La Flor de la Canela (T 491613.) Good food, probably hot showers.
7 Feb	Santiago	265	Today we arrive in Santiago, capital of Chile, 5th largest city in South America (pop. 5 million) and one of the most beautifully set. The city sits in the middle of a wide plain, and is filled with well-kept public gardens. The snow-capped Andes are visible from much of the city. We'll try to find a nice hotel in town which also offers parking.
8 Feb	Valparaíso	102	We'll head west to Valparaíso, one of South America's most distinctive cities, featuring sinuous cobbled streets and 16 ascensors (funiculars) to hillside neighborhoods. Nearby is Viña del Mar, a premier (and expensive) beach resort even though the ocean is too cold for swimming. We'll try to find camping in Valparaíso or nearby.
9 Feb	Puente del Inca	221	We'll head up from the coast to the mountains today, driving to the border crossing and ski town of Portillo. The road follows the Aconcagua valley for 34 km to the village of Río Blanco, climbs to Junca, and then zig-zags through 29 hairpin turns to Portillo. The 4 km long border crossing tunnel is open 0800-1800 Chile time. On the opposite side is Las Cuevas, home of the famous Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue, erected in 1904. Unfortunately, seeing the statue involves a 6 1/2 hour hike. We'll finally stop for the night at Puente del Inca, 16 km into Argentina. This sports resort features hot springs and a huge natural bridge. 2 km from the resort is the Parque Provincial Aconcagua, which features free camping and excellent views. We'll try to spend the night here. Note that even though we're in Argentina, we will not yet have gone through entry formalities. These are dealt with at Punta de Vacas, about 14 km further down the road.
10 Feb	Mendoza	203	A pleasant small city at the foot of the Andes, Mendoze was totally destroyed by fire and earthquake in 1861. The current city has no high-rises, and is thickly planted with trees and gardens. While here we'll go wine tasting. There are two wineries which sound interesting. The first is Bodega Toso, which is small, old-fashioned, and has excellent wines. Located at at JB Alberdi 808 (T 380244). The other is Bodega Rural. We'll try to stay at Camping Suizo, which features a pool and hot showers (T 302576.) Camping is also available in Parque General San Martin.
11 Feb	San Juan	166	A short day's drive brings us to this city of 122,000 founded in 1562. The area is famous for its wine; 'to be between Mendoza and San Juan' is an argentine expression for having drunk too much. We'll try to camp at Chimbas, 7 km north of town.
12 Feb	San Jose de Jachal	157	Heading north on Ruta 40 through San Juan, we'll stop for the night at this small town. San Jose de Jachal is a wine and olive-growing center. We'll try to find camping and/or accomodation at San Martín on Juan de Echegaray 387 (T 20431.)
13 Feb	Chilecito	252	Today we'll stop at this town of 20,000, in a region famous for wine, olives, and walnuts. We'll try to find camping at Santa Florentina, 6 km northwest of town.
14 Feb	Belén	210	Continuing north on Ruta 40 brings us to Belén, a small town of 8,800 surrounded by mountains. The area around Belén is famous for weavings, ponchos, and rugs. We may stay at Turismo, which the South American Handbook calls 'cheap and good'.
15 Feb	Cafayate	266	Ruta 40 continues north, largely unpaved, through Santa María to the small town of Cafayate. Surrounded by vinyards in the Andean foothills, this is the home of several renounded bodegas (vineyards.) We'll try to stay at the municipal campsite Lorohuasi on the South access road to town (T 21051.) It has hot water, a pool, and there are bungalows to rent for those who need to get out of the van. There is also a private campsite north of town, opposite the ACA hosteria.
16 Feb	Salta	205	After a morning visit to one or two vinyards, we'll take Ruta 68 north to Salta, located in a mountainous and 'strikingly beautiful' district. Founded in 1582, Salta is still well-preserved with fine colonial buildings and churches. While resting here, we'll try to stay in a hotel. The Res Elena is quiet, charming, and safe. We should call ahead for reservations. Located on Buenos Aires 254 (T 211529.) The Res San Jorge on Esteco 244 y Ruiz de los Llanos 1164 is also highly recommended (T 210443.)
17 Feb	Salta		It's been a long time since we've had a rest day, so we'll spend 2 full days exploring Salta and vicinity.
18 Feb	Salta		Second day in Salta. Get a tune-up!
19 Feb	Purmamarca	158	A short day's driving brings us to through San Salvador de Jujuy (pronounced Hoo-hooey) to Purmamarca, a small but very popular village. In the rock strata overlooking the town, seven colors can be distinguished, especially when the sun is in the east. We'll try to camp at Ranchito del Rincón on Sarmiento, highly recommended.
20 Feb	Iruya	129	From the Panamericana, an unpaved road runs northeast 8 km to Iturbe, then over the 4,000 meter Abra del Cóndor before dropping steeply into the Quebrada de Iruya. Iruya is a beautiful walled village wedged into a hillside. We'll try to stay at Hosp Tacacho on the plaza.
21 Feb	La Quiaca	186	Driving back out of the Quebrada de Iruya we'll return to the Panamericana and continue west and north on Ruta 9 to the border town of La Quiaca. Camping is allowed at the ACA service station about 300m from the border. There are several other places to stay.
22 Feb			Today we'll cross into Bolivia.
Total kilometers:		8134

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last modified July 27, 2000