Road Trips in South America
Few continents reward the road-tripper like South America. Distances are vast, the landscapes shift with almost cinematic speed, and the great highways - the Carretera Austral, Ruta 40, the Pan-American - have a mythology all their own. Behind the wheel you can climb from Pacific desert to Andean altiplano to Patagonian ice in the space of a few days, stopping in colonial towns, high-altitude salt flats, and wine valleys along the way. This is a place built for the open road, where the journey routinely outshines the destination.
The classics run the full spectrum of difficulty. Some, like Argentina’s Lake District and Chile’s Ruta del Vino, are smooth, well-serviced drives suited to any rental car. Others - Bolivia’s infamous Death Road, the gravel of the Carretera Austral, the trackless expanse of the Salar de Uyuni - demand a sturdy vehicle, good tires, and often a local guide or a 4x4 with a driver. Fuel stops can be hundreds of kilometers apart, and altitude adds its own complications, so planning fuel, water, and acclimatization is essential.
Renting and crossing borders takes forethought: many companies restrict one-way rentals and international crossings, and paperwork for taking a vehicle between countries can be involved. Where self-driving is impractical, well-run tour operators offer guided overland trips that handle the logistics while still delivering the freedom of the road. Whichever way you go, build in extra days - South America’s most memorable moments tend to happen when you pull over for something unplanned.
The Great South American Road Trips#
Carretera Austral, Chile Chile’s legendary Route 7 threads more than a thousand kilometers of Patagonian wilderness, much of it gravel, past hanging glaciers, temperate rainforest, and turquoise rivers. It’s a rugged, slow-going drive that rewards patience with some of the emptiest, most beautiful country on Earth. Ferries fill the gaps where the road meets fjords, adding to the sense of expedition. Drive it in the austral summer, allow at least a week, and fuel up at every opportunity.
Ruta 40, Argentina Argentina’s answer to Route 66 runs the entire length of the country along the Andes, more than 5,000 kilometers from the Bolivian border to Patagonia’s tip. It strings together wine country, desert, Andean passes, and glacier towns in one epic ribbon of asphalt and gravel. Long, lonely stretches mean fuel and provisioning need careful thought. Most travelers tackle a segment rather than the whole thing, and any piece of it is worth the drive.
Yungas Road (Death Road), Bolivia The old road from La Paz to Coroico earned its grim nickname honestly, clinging to sheer cliffs as it plunges from high Andean passes into steamy jungle. Since a new highway opened, the original route has become a bucket-list ride - most famously by mountain bike, but also by cautious 4x4. The vertical drops and cloud-forest scenery are unforgettable. Whether on bike or in a vehicle, go with an experienced operator and respect the road’s history.
Salar de Uyuni Circuit, Bolivia No road trip on Earth looks quite like the drive across the world’s largest salt flat, a blinding white expanse that becomes a perfect mirror after rain. The classic multi-day 4x4 loop continues into the surreal high-altitude desert of the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, past flamingo-filled lagoons and steaming geysers. This is not a self-drive route - hire a reputable operator with a solid vehicle and driver. The altitude and isolation are extreme, and the payoff is otherworldly.
Seven Lakes Route, Argentina The Ruta de los Siete Lagos links San Martin de los Andes and Villa La Angostura through the heart of the Argentine Lake District. Smooth pavement winds past a string of glacial lakes framed by araucaria forest and snow-capped peaks. It’s one of the continent’s most scenic yet easiest drives, doable in a day but far better savored over several. Bariloche makes a natural base at the southern end.
Colombian Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero), Colombia The green, folded hills of Quindio, Risaralda, and Caldas make for a gentle, joyful road trip through coffee fincas, wax-palm valleys, and brightly painted towns like Salento and Filandia. The roads twist and climb, so distances feel longer than the map suggests, but every bend brings another postcard view. Stop at a working farm for a tasting and a night in a hacienda. It’s an easy, welcoming introduction to South American driving.
Atacama Desert Loop, Chile From the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, roads fan out across the driest desert on Earth to salt flats, flamingo lagoons, the El Tatio geysers, and the surreal Valle de la Luna. The stark, otherworldly landscapes and clear night skies make even short drives feel epic. Altitude is a real factor, as many sights sit above 4,000 meters. A sturdy vehicle and an early start for the geysers are both wise.
Ruta del Vino (Colchagua Valley), Chile Just a couple of hours from Santiago, the Colchagua Valley offers a relaxed wine-country drive between grand bodegas, boutique vineyards, and the terracotta town of Santa Cruz. The roads are easy, the tastings generous, and the Andes form a constant backdrop. It’s the perfect antidote to the continent’s more demanding routes. Line up designated drivers or a guided tour if the tasting flights get ambitious.
Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina In the far northwest, Ruta 9 climbs through a UNESCO-listed canyon of banded rock that glows in impossible reds, ochres, and purples. Colonial villages like Purmamarca and Tilcara, set beneath the Hill of Seven Colors, punctuate the drive with markets and Andean culture. The altitude climbs steadily, so pace yourself. It links naturally to the Salinas Grandes salt flats and the wine town of Cafayate.
Peru’s Sacred Valley Circuit, Peru A drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas strings together Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, and Moray amid terraced hillsides and the snow-capped Andes. The roads are good and the distances short, making it an easy, rewarding self-drive or private-car loop from Cusco. Inca ruins, salt terraces, and vibrant markets fill every stop. Give yourself time to acclimatize to the altitude before setting out.
Ruta 3 to Ushuaia, Argentina For those chasing the very end of the road, Ruta 3 runs down the Atlantic coast of Patagonia to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city. The drive crosses windswept steppe, penguin colonies, and the Strait of Magellan into Tierra del Fuego. It’s long and lonely, with fierce winds and sparse services, but the sense of reaching the bottom of the Americas is unmatched. Wildlife stops break up the vast distances.
Chapada Diamantina Loop, Brazil In Brazil’s Bahia interior, roads wind through the tableland scenery of Chapada Diamantina, a landscape of flat-topped mountains, waterfalls, and old diamond-mining towns. The base town of Lencois anchors a network of drives to caves, natural pools, and clifftop lookouts. It’s a greener, more tropical road-tripping experience than the Andean classics. A high-clearance vehicle helps on the rougher access tracks.