Cycling Argentina and Chile

Hi Helen,

Flying out to Tierra del Fuego tomorrow! See www.southamericacycle.co.uk for details. Maybe we'll meet somewhere in Chile!

Dave

The very best cycling in S Chile is the southern part of the Carretera Austral south of Coihaique, especially including the southern shore of Lago Carrera (so go via P Ibanez and Chile Chico), which is best done heading west (or you'll be looking over your shoulder for the views). Then on to Villa O'Higgins and the hikers crossing to Chaltén for hiking in Fitzroy area. Make sure your plans include that.

In terms of weather and touristical crowding (the main domestic holiday season in Chile/Arg is just peaking), you will be somewhat better off in TdF in Feb and Lake District March/April than the other way around - you will find TdF busy at the moment, but the Lake District will be unbelievably busy just now. You may find booking domestic flights to the S of Chile/Arg tricky just now. You may also find getting buses in Santiago requires waiting a few days as well. On the other hand, if you don't have to wait around to book buses, you could probably get La Paz to Chile Lake District by bus in just 4 days (1 day La Paz-Arica, 2 days Arica-Santiago, 10 hours to the south). You can get buses from Santiago eg to Punta Arenas, but be aware that they will go via the paved road on the east coast of Argentinean Patagonia, so long time and expensive.

The disadvantage of doing it from the south is that you will have much more unbelievably terrible headwind riding Ushuaia-Porvenir-Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales than the other way around. Though if you are later in the season in the far south, the headwinds should be less.

To get to Ushuaia (TdF) by air from La Paz you will probably need to go via Buenos Aires. You will find there are few if any flights from Santiago to anywhere in Arg other than BAs, etc, so you have to go through the respective capital. I have a suspicion that internal flights in Arg are rather cheaper than those in Chile (you really won't like the price of internal flights in Chile), so via BAs may be rather cheaper wherever you are going by air. Except you will probably have to transfer between airports at BAs. If you find you don't fancy cycling TdF, you could fly to Calafate, though that would miss Torres del Paine if you had your heart set on that.

I think its six of one a half dozen of the other in terms of starting in Tierrra Del Fuego and heading north or starting in lake district and heading south.
Have you thought of cycling south from Salta? There is some beautiful country south of there.

You can find links to live reports from cyclists on the road right now at Cycling South America touring links

I found the scenery on Tierra Del Fuego deathly boring for the most part, but I saw dolphins leaping in the waves of the shore, spent a couple of great nights camped by the ocean, saw penguins swimming in the water, and enjoyed the mountains further south towards Ushuaia. You are going to get headwinds down there no matter which way you go so accept that.

After going south to Tierra after hiking in TDP and Los Glaciers, I flew to Trelwe - now there is a place I absolutely do NOT recommend cycling. The winds there were impossible. After chilling out for a week. I bussed to Bariloche and then via tyhe very dusty seven lakes road and Volcan Lanin great paved road headed into Chile
Then it was south to join the Carretera Austral. The best part of the ride began around Parque Pumalin and I agree with iviehoff that the views on Lago General Carrera and Lago Buenos Aires are phenomenal. The food in Chile is generally pretty crap and everything is a bit on the expensive side. They do have some good empanadas and a few other good dishes, but Argentina - the food!!!

Anyway - whatever you do, if you can afford to fly - do it if you plan to go to the very far south. at least into Argentina. You could take the train (take ejecutivo class if you do) south to the border with Argentina - then take buses. The buses in Argentina are super comfortable, but they MAKE you box or wrap carboard around your bike. take the fron wheel off and pay an extra charge. The buses in Bolivia are a nightmare - okay - not a nightmare - but a bumpy grind.

don´t miss northern Chile! The Atacama desert is amazing.

btw, Please tell us how you found cycling in Bolivia in the wet season. People are always asking about this.

Rainboy is right that NW Arg is stunning, but personally I wouldn't choose midsummer for it, as I don't function very well at 45C. But if you want to go to Patagonia, summer is the time.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your replies, they are very helpful. I´ve decided to start in Ushuaia in the south and work north. If the wind is too hard, there is always a bus to the nicer hiking areas!

As for Bolivia in the wet season - no problem at all weather-wise. We had one day with lots of snow and very wet roads going to Laguna Colorado in the far south, but the main problem was the 4 by 4s not slowing down and spraying us with mud and water as they went past. Other than that, we have had minimal rain - a few showers here and there, but nothing major, and a thunderstorm into Potosi, but as long as you have waterproofs, it doesn´t interfere at all. I think I can count the times I had to put on my jacket on one hand.

The only thing we were prevented from doing was cycling across the Salar as it was covered in water, so we had to take a day tour by car to see it which was a bit of a shame. I´ve heard that its much drier already though...

Thanks again for the advice,
Helen.

Hi Helen,

I´m in Santiago del Chile at the moment. I´ve been travelling with my bike and friends for the last 7 months - a mix between cycle touring (Tibet and Europe) and just travelling with my bike in tow and doing as much cycling as I can along the way (Australia & New Zealand). I´m off to the Andes next week for an organised mtb tour (www.mtbtours.com) with a friend from home (Ireland). My friend will be around until March 2d but after that I don´t have any definate plans. What you´re sugesting sounds right down my street but and would love to meet you for a while at least as I´m not really a fan of touring on my own.

The hiking plan also sounds good - I´love to get own to Torres del Peine at some stage.

I´m travelling with a mountain bike an am fairly fit

I´ll try sending you a personal message with my e-mail address and will also check back here.

Fona