
How long is Ruta 3N?
Peru, south-america
22 km
N/A
extreme
Year-round
Okay, thrill-seekers, buckle up for Carretera 3-N in Ancash, Peru! This road is a total beast, and not for the faint of heart. We're talking serious pucker-factor with drops that plunge a dizzying 1,000m straight down.
Hidden in northern Peru, the road is mostly dirt, and the real fun starts with a 22km stretch leading to the tiny town of La Pampa. "Challenging" doesn't even begin to cover it.
Imagine navigating hairpin after hairpin, each one seemingly carved by hand out of the mountainside. Seriously, these turns are tight! Forget about two cars passing easily; it's a game of chicken with the Andes. Expect to share the road with plenty of trucks, too. Add in some rain or snow, and you might find yourself stuck. The road is rough—think washboard surfaces and plenty of rocks.
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 22 km
- Difficulty
- extreme
Related Roads in south-america
hardHow to get by car to Lake Junin in central Peru?
🇵🇪 Peru
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Let's talk about Lago Junín, a ridiculously stunning lake chilling way up in the Peruvian Andes at a lung-busting 13,720 feet. We're talking Junín Region, in the west-central part of Peru—seriously high altitude vibes here! Now, the road hugging the western shore of Lago Junín (also called Lake Chinchaycocha) is all dirt, so buckle up for a bumpy ride! Most of the time, it's passable in a vehicle with decent clearance, but after a good rain, things get interesting. You might want to bring a 4x4. This epic stretch of road runs for about 36 miles through the Reserva Nacional de Junín, connecting Vicco and Junín. The views? Absolutely unreal. Keep an eye out for Puente Upamayo, a bridge crossing the lake that'll definitely get your heart pumping — let's just say it's not for the faint of heart.
Salar de Uyuni Road
🇧🇴 Bolivia
# Driving Across Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience Ready for a drive that'll mess with your head in the best way possible? The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, and it's absolutely mind-bending. We're talking 10,582 square kilometers of pure white nothingness sitting at 3,656 meters up in the Bolivian Altiplano, and there's literally nothing quite like it anywhere on the planet. Hit it during the dry season (May through November), and you'll be rolling straight across an endless white expanse of hexagonally cracked salt that stretches to every horizon. It's trippy—your brain genuinely struggles to comprehend the scale and emptiness surrounding you. But here's where it gets *really* wild: come back between December and April during the wet season, and the whole thing transforms into the world's largest natural mirror. A thin film of water covers everything, reflecting the sky so perfectly that you can't tell where earth ends and atmosphere begins. It's the kind of place that breaks Instagram. Most people start from the town of Uyuni and drive across to Isla Incahuasi—this rocky little island topped with massive cacti that juts out of the white plain like something from a fever dream. From there, the adventure usually continues into the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, where you'll encounter otherworldly colored lagoons, steaming geysers, and natural hot springs tucked into a volcanic landscape.
moderateA truck powered by solar energy sets altitude record: it has climbed a volcano in Chile
🇨🇱 Chile
Forget waiting for better batteries – check out this *solar-powered truck* that just conquered a volcano! Seriously, the Gebrüder Weiss Peak Evolution team took the Terren solar truck all the way up to 6,500 meters (that's over 21,000 feet!) on the Ojos de Salado volcano in Chile, the highest *active* volcano on the planet. This custom ride is based on an Aebi VT450 Transporter but kitted out with a solar-powered electric system designed by DPP Innovations. The cool part? They want to sell this as a retrofit kit for existing trucks. The Terren packs two Bosch electric motors cranking out a combined 320 horsepower and is linked to a special transmission that seriously boosts efficiency. It was running a 90 kWh battery pack (good for about 200 km of range while climbing), though the production kit is supposed to have a beefier 140 kWh battery. To make it to the top, the team had to get creative. They lightened the body with composites, added rear-wheel steering, slapped on some gnarly off-road tires, and even rigged up some hydraulic winches for extra grip. It's a wild build showcasing the power of innovation for eco-friendly adventures!
moderateIs the road to Cruz del Cóndor paved?
🇵🇪 Peru
Okay, picture this: you're in Peru, high up in the Andes in the Department of Arequipa. You're headed to Mirador Cruz del Cóndor, a spot that sits at a whopping 3,794m (12,447ft)! This place is *the* place to be if you want to witness the legendary Andean Condor soaring through the sky. The drive itself? Mostly smooth sailing on paved roads (we're talking AR-109, baby!), but keep an eye out for some unpaved sections to keep things interesting. It's a 22km (13.67 miles) hop from Pinchollo to Cabanaconde, winding through incredible mountain scenery. Seriously, this is one of Peru's top spots for a reason. You're not just looking at a canyon (one of the deepest in the world, by the way), but also breathtaking views of the whole region. And, of course, the condors! Get there early (7-9am is prime time) to beat the crowds and get the best views of these magnificent birds. You'll find a cross marking the spot, and a small wall for safety. Hit it up between May and November for the best weather. Plus, you're near Oquepuño Pass and Patapampa Pass, some of the highest paved roads and passes in South America, so you can make a real adventure of it!