If traveling between Chile and Argentina as part of a South America tour, you have several options for border crossings. This article briefly describes some of them so you can plan your South America travel to Chile, Argentina, and beyond.
For travelers on a South America tour through the southernmost parts of the continent, namely Chile and Argentina, it will sometime be ideal and necessary to make overland border crossings. The options for crossings are multiple but will depend on the season and of course on the specific travel program. Generally, winter weather may make certain passes in the south impassable or produce other travel delays. The following article briefly describes the most popular border crossing points.
The central region of Chile and Argentina present the most popular and common transit centers. Travelers short on time will be interested in buses between Santiago and the Argentine city of Mendoza, an approximately 6 to 8 hour trip. This route offers views of the impressive Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western and Southern Hemisphere, and the highest peak outside of the Himalayas. Heavy snows may cause this route to temporarily close, but it is usually cleared quickly.
A bit further south is a second option, excellent for travelers with a bit more time and in search of beautiful scenery. In the Lakes District of both countries, the popular Lakes Crossing goes between Puerto Varas/Puerto Montt in Chile to Bariloche in Argentina via the border town of Peulla, following a centuries-old route traced first by the region’s indigenous inhabitants and then by traders, merchants, and priests that needed to move across the Andes. Travelers will get awesome views of Osorno Volcano, the Petrohue waterfalls and other great sites.
Further into the southern reaches of Patagonia, there are more crossing. For visitors going to Mount Fitz Roy, the Perito Moreno Glacier, or Torres del Paine National Park, Puerto Natales on the Chile side provides a base for travel to Argentina or vice versa. Travelers needing to get to Ushuaia will also have to head south from Rio Gallegos, cross the Magellan Strait into Chilean Tierra del Fuego and then cross again into the Argentine section of the archipelago, heading south to Ushuaia on the banks of the Beagle Channel. Cruises between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas provide travelers with a border crossing through channels and lakes past the beautiful fjord landscape of this part of Patagonia.
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