From the Chilean capital Santiago, it’s an enjoyable drive through the Aconcagua Valley towards the dreaded Los Caracoles.
Driving through the Maipo Valley from Santiago
You don’t have to drive too far out of Santiago for the landscape to start getting hillier. The south-eastern route, through the Maipo Valley, starts off relatively gentle, but the transition from suburbia to proper countryside becomes fairly obvious fairly quickly. Everything becomes a little more ramshackle, roadside cafés have rudimentary signs and no printed menu, and the road fills up with cows every now and then.
While the Chilean capital may give off a prosperous first world vibe, the rural areas not that far away fit the Latin American stereotypes much more easily. The Maipo Valley may be where a lot of Chile’s most famous wineries are based, but away from the vineyards, it’s men in big hats on horseback, trying to steer two hundred head of cattle up a relatively narrow road, and causing chaos in the first place.
Into the Andes
In the initial stages of the drive, you’re left expecting more. These are the Andes, the highest mountain range outside of Asia, and they rise up pretty much directly from the Pacific Ocean. Surely there’s going to be more drama than a pretty meadow with a river running through it and a few relatively gentle slopes to the side?
But this is just impatience. The spectacular is yet to come. Further down the road, as the cafés become more sporadic, the mountains start to rise. Then, at one point, you’re suddenly threading a gap between three humungous volcanoes, the tarmac turns to dirt, and there’s just an intimidating Andean wall ahead.
Heading out into the mountains is always an appealing way to spend a day. And while there are many cities around the world – Vancouver, Salzburg, Denver – that have mountains relatively close to hand, Santiago has the height advantage.
Spotting Aconcagua
Indeed, if you choose to head north-west instead, you get a glimpse of Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia. The beast is just over the Argentine border, 6,982 metres high. And getting to that border requires an awful lot of climbing.
If the road through the Maipo Valley stays relatively low altitude and gradual, the road through the Aconcagua Valley dispenses with such subtleties. It goes to considerably higher altitude, and doesn’t mince about on the way. One extraordinary section essentially zig-zags upwards as quickly as possible, with 29 switchbacks climbing their way up the mountainside, occasionally passing through rickety-looking tunnels on the way.
Tackling Los Caracoles on the way to Portillo
The fun of taking this on is added to considerably by the fact everything else doing it is a big truck transporting cargo to or from Argentina. There really isn’t much margin for error on what is known as the Los Caracoles (Snail’s) Pass. And it takes you up from 800 metres above sea level to 3,200 metres in a very short distance.
For much of the year, the road is covered in snow, which is why, before reaching the Argentine border, is the high altitude ski resort of Portillo. Olympian level skiers from all over the world, including the US, use this for off-season training. But turn up before the snows properly arrive, and there’s just a lonely hotel that serves lunch and gives off distinct The Shining vibes.
And, at the back of the hotel, is a gleaming Alpine lake, surrounded by the lofty, intimidating Andes that divide the continent. It’s a sight well worth taking on those switchbacks for.
More Santiago travel
Other Santiago travel stories on Planet Whitley include:
- A review of the Vinolia wine-tasting experience.
- A review of Santiago Airport.
For other Santiago activities and experiences, select from the options here.
