Cycling the Lake District of Chile & Argentina

Departures take place between October and April to take advantage of the longer, warmer days of summer. During these months, temperatures in Santiago de Chile exceed 30C (86F), while in Puerto Montt and the Lake District region they are more likely to be around 20C (68F).

In general, Chile is warmer and rainier than Argentina. But in Patagonia, you have to come prepared for anything - the weather in this part of the world is very changeable!

This trip is classified Road and Activity Level 4 (Moderate & Challenging). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

Average daily distance: 26mi (42km)

Number of cycling days: Nine

Total distance covered: Approximately 235mi (379km)

Terrain: 29% gravel road (65mi/105km) and 71% paved road (161mi/259km)

Some cycling experience and good fitness levels are recommended

Please note: On Day 4, there is a 15mi (24km) stretch between Peulla and Puerto Blest with no support vehicle, as it cannot access the national park; however, vehicle access is possible in an emergency.

Terrain and route

Approximately 72 percent paved, 28 percent unpaved roads

Some large elevation gains

Mixed cycling terrain

Variable weather conditions

Some remote locations

Most of the roads are in good condition, although there are occasional potholes and poorer conditions in some short sections. Come prepared to cycle on unpaved gravel/dirt roads.  The condition/quality of the gravel road varies greatly depending on the conditions (ie weather, traffic volume etc) at any given time, and this can make the riding difficulty more or less demanding on each particular trip. The Andes crossing day from Chile to Argentina is the toughest cycling day on the tour as the unpaved road between the lakes involves a long climb up to the border crossing, which is potentially on rough terrain depending on recent weather.

Traffic: The roads are generally free of heavy traffic until we reach towns, where we are more likely to encounter other vehicles. The traffic there will be worse during high seasons.

Itinerary: Changes in cycle route or distance may be necessary should our cycle team determine safety concerns due to increased commercial traffic and/or deteriorating road conditions pertaining to our originally advertised routes. If you're visiting at the end of November, we may need to modify Day 7/8 of the itinerary due to the Gran Fondo Siete Lagos cycling race, which follows the Seven Lakes Road. However, this is only necessary if the race date and route coincide with our itinerary, and we will notify you closer to the time if that happens.