All aboard for the ultimate 4×4 self-drive Andean adventure.
Travelling by Toyota Hilux, this six-night, seven-day journey travels through the high-altitude desert, lagoons and salt plains of northern Argentina and Chile.
Prepare for early mornings on the road and ear popping ascents over Andean Mountain passes. Drive rambling stretches of desert plains that deliver your group to Pacific waters. Following our map dotted with comfortable outposts, you will remain on your toes at every turn of this epic road trip.
This journey will start and end in northern Argentina and cross the Andes cordillera twice, featuring a line of up remarkable stays selected with the road tripper in mind.
WHEN TO TRAVEL
September – November or March – May
SUGGESTED LENGTH
Seven nights
DAY 1
Catamarca to Tinogasta
Touch down in the Argentine province of Catamarca and collect your vehicle. Start climbing the Andes with a 4-hour drive to Tinogasta.
Your expedition will begin with a drive through lush green hills which gradually give way to dusty rock faces as you start the climb towards the Andes. Stop off for a roadside empanada, which are handmade and sold by locals. At every turn, you may catch a glimpse of the wildlife that proliferates in Northern Argentina.
Arrive at Hotel Posada de las Cañas, your base for the night. Kick back in the thermal baths with a glass of locally produced Bonarda, enjoy a leisurely barbecue or dinner at the hotel’s restaurant before an early morning start.
DAYS 2-4
Crossing to Chile’s Pacific Coast
Get an early start to climb 4,800 metres as you cross the Andes into the Chilean desert at the Paso de San Francisco. Admire colorful rockfaces on the ascent, and a hinterland of salt flats and lagoons on the way down.
At the foot of the mountain, you’ll emerge into the flat white light of the Atacama Desert. Pass through the city of Copiapó, where the road becomes a rough track, before reaching Wara Nomade, where pisco sours and fire-cooked sea bass await your arrival. Both homespun and stylishly sophisticated, this luxury beachside camp will be your base for the next two nights.
The following morning, wake to the turquoise blue of Pacific waters, leaving the earth tones of the desert in the rearview for now. Your next few days will be spent as a castaway, a few miles along from where Sir Francis Drake sacked the area in 1578. Wander the Atacama coast and explore its sands by dune buggy. Enjoy the ocean with a swim, snorkel, paddleboard or kayak expedition, keeping an eye out for sea lions and the eccentrically decorated houses of local fishermen.
DAYS 5-6
Elqui Valley
Pack up and prepare for a five-hour drive down the coast, leaving the desert behind as you enter the Elqui Valley – an oasis of vineyards and waterways. Birthplace of the national poet, Gabriela Mistral, and home to some of the country’s most delicate pisco, this region is famed for its marvellously starry skies.
Stop at a roadside stall for fresh fruit and a few shots along the way, before reaching Casa Molle in the late afternoon, your home for the next two nights, where you’ll embark on a guided astronomy tour after dinner.
Choose to spend the next day exploring the valley by horseback, or enjoying some of the many activities offered at Casa Molle, like bike rides, kayaking, hiking and yoga. Those looking to kick back may choose to visit the spa or enjoy privileged views of the Andes over its heated outdoor pools. Check out a pisco distillery then rest up for tomorrow’s trip back to Argentina.
DAYS 7-8
Paso de Agua Negra
Today, begin the demanding ascent back into the mountains: an epic 8-9 hour traverse to Argentina that is the climax of the adventure.
Climbing to 4,780m above sea level, you’ll reach the border crossing at Paso de Agua Negra, where the vast frontier offers extraordinary views. Far below, engineers are building an experimental deep underground laboratory to be used for neutrino astronomy and the search for dark matter. The 287-mile journey is bumpy and dramatic, with plenty of opportunities to stop and capture some of the scenery.
Arrive, exhausted but elated, in time for a glass of something cold on the veranda of your final stop, Posada de los Patos – a special place to catch your breath after a long drive. Situated on the edge of a glistening lake, here you’ll close the journey with a picnic gazing up at the mountains you traversed.
The following morning, enjoy a final breakfast served in the splendour of the Andes before driving four hours to San Juan Airport, where you will bid farewell to the northwest.
Intrigued by this adventure? Get in touch with our travel specialists – all of our journeys are tailor-made, designed in conversation with you.
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