From April to Octobre one has perfect conditions for visiting the north of Argentina. Ruta 40 goes from north to south alongside the Andeans. Actually, 4x4 vehicles are not a must but what one needs is quite some ground clearance because of lane grooves. Anyway, a normal car would not do it except one uses just paved streets which do not keep back all the sights as well.
Brazil - a dream for any adventurer. Huge, enormous biodiversity, culture and lively people. We suggest to go to the south of Brazil. From the Iguazu Falls to highlands of Río Grande del Sul there are very beautiful landscapes and real hospitality. The south of Brazil is a quite wealthy part and therefore the crime rate is much smaller.
Touristically quite unknown Uruguay offers few highlights. The coasts are visited by Brazilians and Argentinians. A few colonial towns kept their charme of yesterday.
Routes course
Day 1 |
Antofagasta
This town is as beautiful as the majority of chilean towns - unfortunately that does not mean too much. Worth seeing is the old trainstation in Baquedano and the rock gate La Portada. The paved route from Antofagasta to Iquique is a good alternative to the Panamericana.
Day 2+3 |
Calama
The town itself is not really worth staying but what is interesting is the huge copper mine in Chuquicamata and small Indigo villages like Chiu Chiu or Caspana along the way to San Pedro the Atacama.
Day 4+5 |
San Pedro de Atacama
A small touristy village east of Antofagasta. With its white buildings and the colonial flair it is quite nice to stay there. But after a few days all the tourism gets annoying. Best kind of getaway is a 4x4 car to get to the geysirs of El Tatio or the Miscanti or Meninques Lagunas. Two passes to Argentina are offer great landscapes.
Day 6 |
Purmamarca
Two small towns with colonial origin – Purmamarca and Humahuanca - are situated along the street 9 which goes from Salta northern to the Bolivian border. Purmamarca is more southern than Humahuanca. The colored rocks and the big cactuses are very conspicuous. Because of its picturesque look with the mountains in the background, Purmamarca is very photogenic during sunrise. The mountains have nearly 7 different colors.
Day 7 |
Humahuaca
Humahuaca is a colonial village which is situated in an amazing area. Often there are many buses with Argentinean visitors. Small hotels and restaurants are available and there are some possibilities for excursions and hiking nearby, too.
Day 8 |
Salta
Salta is a colonial town which is nestled between the mountains. For many visitors this place is the starting point for there adventures in the North-West of the Argentinean Andes. A stroll through the city with a drive to the viewpoint Cerro San Bernando is worth doing.
The cathedral of the town is plenty decorated and owns a painting of the Virgin Mother which is carried by the people during the procession every September. For many people Salta is the most beautiful town of the country. A nice way leads over the Jama pass to San Pedro de Atacama, a town in the bordering Chile.
Day 9 |
Cachi + Quilmes
Another touristic sightseeing is Cachi, a small village situated between two mountain ranges. Even before the colonization, indigenous nations have lived here. Ruins next to the village are part of their history. Because of the dry climate the valley offers only a few building material. Therefore the roofs of the church are out of a specific type of cactus. You shouldn’t pass up the view over the valley with his cactuses and the snow-covered mountains.
The Inca ruins of Quilmes are the most impressing part of the trip through the northern Andes of Argentina. The ruins are nestled in a valley of different cactuses and mountains; therefore you can get a beautiful impression of the unreal world.
Day 10 |
Pampa
The northern plain of Argentina is famous for its cattle herds and gauchos. One of the highlights of this monotonous area is a good steak with a glass of regional wine. The pampa isn’t a scenically highlight but the endless vastness and the life of the Gauchos is very worth seeing to be discovered. The people are self-confident as well as they are very friendly after an initial reserve.
Day 11 |
Jesuit missions
During the 16th century Jesuits have founded many missions. But today there are only 20 churches and three missionary places preserved. The mostly simple but beautiful churches are situated in places between Jujuy and the Bolivian border but also in the Bolivian low lands next to Santa Cruz. The three missionary places San Ignacio Mini in Argentina, Sao Miguel in Brazil and Trinidad in Paraguay are partly good preserved. San Ignacio Mini was mostly restored until today. For the evening there are often light shows set up to music.
Day 12 |
Foz de Iguazu
The most important waterfalls of the continent can be visited from Brazil as well as from Argentina. As both countries are completely different there should be calculated one day for each side. In the surrounding area there are many other highlights like the artificial lake of Itaipu. This is one of the most important highlights of South America besides the Angel Waterfall of Venezuela. It’s higher than the Niagara Falls and wider then the Victoria Falls in Africa. In total, the 275 waterfalls are 3 km long and 80 meters high. Therefore it’s an imposing and unique spectacle of nature. The waterfalls are situated at the border triangle of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The best view you will have from Argentina. From Brazil it’s possible to book a short trip with a rubber dinghy. When you are visiting South America you should plan to visit these waterfalls!
Day 13 |
Curiciba
For many visitors the capital of the federal state Parana is part of their way to the waterfalls of Iguazú or to Sao Paulo. Even in the past the town was an intermediate stop of the cattle drives from the south. Nevertheless it’s a good idea to stop here because you can go shopping or go by train to the coast. The trip with the train is one of the most important highlights of Brazil. The way along unspoiled forests leads over many bridges and through some tunnels. On the 130 km long trip you can join a climate change from the highland to the coast. It’s worth taking the train and not always the car.
Day 14 |
Ilha do Mel
This island is situated in the Paranagua Bay. It’s an especially highlight which lies on the way. This small place it’s a paradise and offers overgrown rocks and white beaches. Therefore it’s one of the best places for a relaxing holiday. Small hotels in best vicinity invite to stay there.
Day 15 |
Santa Catarina
The middle one of the 3 southern Federal States is the holiday area for Brazilians. Almost every seaside town is formed by bath tourism. There are no mass of people in the inland. Here you can find valleys with small villages where the time seems to stand still for 100 years and green mountains with unspoiled rainforest of the Mata Atlantica. This region is one of the richest in whole Brazil. The people descend from German and Italian emigrants and have tried to maintain their cultures partly. All areas of this Federal State have there own attractions. You will go to a country with you rental car where you are the only tourist and where you will get to know the traditional hospitality of these simple persons.
Day 16 |
Blumenau
As a tourist it’s no problem to lead the effect of the town to German or Bavarian origin. Blumenau was founded before 200 years by German immigrants and is grown to one of Brazil’s most important center of commerce and trade until today. Especially the textile industry is situated here. The town hall which is a half-timbered house, the German-liked town centre and the big Oktoberfest are proofs of how the immigrants try to keep the sight of Germans. In the surrounding area of Blumenau you can find German-speaking settlements as well. In families and in schools they speak German. They have the first contact with Portuguese earliest during there Military-time or when they are on a journey to a surrounded town.
Day 17 |
Florianópolis
Florianópolis is the capital of the Federal State Santa Catarina and is situated at a strait which is formed by the island Floripa and the mainland. Here you can find the only bridges to the island with 45 golden beaches which is a paradise for surfers as well. Like in many seaside towns, hotels and high-rise buildings with apartments are situated at the seaside promenade. The town offers a good infrastructure for visitors as well as possibilities for excursions to the mountains or on Floripa. You shouldn’t pass horse trekking in the dunes and rafting or kayak tours!
Day 18 |
Ilha de Santa Catarina
This Island needs to be mentioned in a special way because it offers best conditions for campers. Like described above, the beaches of Ilha de Santa Catarina are a surfer’s paradise. Surfer, dune skiers, rider or beach visitors will find their El Dorado.
Day 19 |
Larges
Larges is a small and sleepy town with the coldest weather in whole Brazil. You can find this town in the middle of pasture land of the big Fasiendas but it isn’t a real highlight. Horse trekking is offered in the surrounding area and there are nice hotels. The people are very hospitable and like the tourists to be part of there real life and to join their traditions. Get to know the life of the Gauchos!
Day 20 |
Rio Grande do Sul
The most southern situated State of the Brazilian Federal States is famous for its Gauchos, the South American Cowboys. Until 60 years ago it was the starting point for huge cattle herds which were driven in direction of Sao Paulo. The natives are proud of there culture and maintain there behaviors and traditions. This goes only for the rural population at which town people smile a bit. Two big lagoons are situated at the coast, the Lagoa dos Patos and the Lagoa Mirim at the border to Uruguay.
Day 21 |
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul and was founded by Portuguese but it reaches more importance for the first time because of the German and Italian immigrants. It’s still the town of the Gauchos. Many restaurants which are named “Churrascorien” offer regional grilled meat. They are often “All you can eat”- restaurants. You can find museums and interesting buildings as well which should be visited.
Day 22 |
Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra
This place is almost unknown by tourists from Europe or North America and therefore it’s an inside tip. Cliffs with a high of 1000 m grow out of the hilly land. Many big gorges and waterfalls offer a breath-taking view. Small passes with some strong gradients are part of the most beautiful streets of Brazil. All sights are unexplointed and hard to find. Now a steady tourism develops which leads to sign posted streets and information points. Don´t pass this highlight of Brazilian nature!
Day 23 |
Litoral Gaucho
Two peninsulas reach along the coast to the South. Visitors from Argentina, Uruguay or Porto Alegre find a good infrastructure because of a street with ferry connections between the islands and the mainland of Uruguay. There are some hotel resorts and an infrastructure due to travellers´ needs. Nice beaches and beatiful basalt formations attract many tourists during the summer. The hotels are mostly open until March. During the colder months it’s very stormy in this region. As connection between Montevideo and Brazil it’s the best to drive over the peninsula because it’s the most directly and the best prepared street.
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