Road B-245
Chile, south-america
176 km
4.565 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, adventurers, buckle up for the B-245 in northeastern Chile, a seriously epic high-mountain road trip through the Andes! This isn't your average Sunday drive – it's 176 km of pure, unadulterated 4x4 gravel track magic, linking Ruta 21 near San Pedro to the awesome San Pedro de Atacama.
Prepare to be wowed by insane views of volcanoes and shimmering lakes, but heads up: this road is REMOTE. Pack accordingly! And seriously, stick to the marked track, folks – you do NOT want to wander off (minefield, no joke!).
The climb is a BEAST, topping out at a lung-busting 4,565 meters above sea level. The air gets thin up there, and trust me, you'll feel it. Most people start feeling the altitude sickness around 2,500-2,800 meters, so take it slow, drink lots of water, and listen to your body. Oh, and one last thing: if the weather turns nasty, bail. This road is not for tackling in a storm.
Where is it?
Road B-245 is located in Chile (south-america). Coordinates: -37.6506, -72.4165
Road Details
- Country
- Chile
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 176 km
- Max Elevation
- 4.565 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- -37.6506, -72.4165
Related Roads in south-america
moderateA wild road to Laguna de Paton in the Andes
🇵🇪 Peru
Alright, adventure seekers, buckle up for Laguna de Patón! This insane lagoon sits way up in the Peruvian Andes, like, 13,615 feet high! You'll find it in the province of Oyón, Lima. The road, mostly concrete and called LM-18, is surprisingly decent, taking you from the town of Oyón eastward to the PA-100 road. Don't let that fool you, though. This 27-mile (43.5 km) stretch is a beast! Think hairpin turns and switchbacks galore. But hey, you're rewarded with breathtaking scenery at every twist and turn. This isn't just a drive, it's an experience! Just keep your eyes on the road, because those views can be seriously distracting!
hardLaguna Llancanelo: Driving the Challenging Ruta 186
🇦🇷 Argentina
Alright, adventurers, listen up! Deep in the south of Argentina's Mendoza Province lies the otherworldly Laguna Llancanelo (Llancanelo Lake), a high-altitude, salty gem just begging to be explored! Perched at a cool 1,280 meters (that's nearly 4,200 feet!), this lake isn't just stunning; it's an ecological treasure. The gateway? Ruta Provincial 186 (RP-186), a gravel road stretching 87 kilometers (about 54 miles) from the paved RN40 (south of Malargüe) to the unpaved RP180, near the tiny village of Agua Escondida. The road surface is ripio (think gravel), and usually it's in decent shape – mostly sandy with a few bumps along the way. Stick to the 60 km/h speed limit, and you should be fine in a regular car if it's dry. But, and this is a big but, this is semi-desert country! Rain turns that gravel into a muddy, slippery mess. So, after a downpour, you'll definitely want a 4x4 to tackle those tricky sections. After a storm, this road can be impassable. And why brave this remote road? Because Laguna Llancanelo is a Ramsar Site – a wetland of global importance. This salty lake is a haven for wildlife, especially flamingos and other migrating birds. So, grab your camera, pack your binoculars, and prepare to be amazed by the unique beauty and incredible biodiversity of Laguna Llancanelo!
hardCerro Blanco
🇦🇷 Argentina
Alright, adventure junkies, buckle up for Cerro Blanco in the wild Argentinian Andes! We're talking about a whopping 4,174 meters (13,694 feet) above sea level in the Catamarca Province. The road in? Pure sand, baby! This isn't a Sunday drive; you NEED a 4x4. You'll kick things off from Ruta Provincial 43 and grind it out for 96.3 km. Cerro Blanco sits pretty on the Robledo caldera's southern edge, surrounded by cool pumice deposits. Heads up: this track gets seriously muddy and slick after rain. Like, "maybe impassable even with 4x4" kind of slick. And since you're out in the boonies, be prepped for anything. Expect a high desert climate, scorching sun, and super dry conditions. But the views? Totally worth it.
extremeTejos Refuge is one of the highest roads of South America
🇨🇱 Chile
# Refugio Tejos: The Ultimate High-Altitude Adventure Tucked away in Chile's Copiapó Province at a jaw-dropping 5,800m (19,000ft), Refugio Tejos isn't just a mountain hut—it's one of the world's highest motorable destinations. Perched in the Atacama region near the Argentine border, this legendary pit stop serves climbers tackling Ojos del Salado, the Andes' most impressive peak and the planet's tallest volcano. The hut itself is pretty humble: an L-shaped structure with six beds, a gear room, and a poignant history. A Chilean mining company left it behind as a memorial to a helicopter pilot who lost his life in these brutal mountains. Getting here? That's where things get serious. The unpaved road is absolutely relentless—steep, rocky, and unforgiving. Only experienced 4x4 drivers should even attempt it. The terrain climbs to rank among South America's highest roads, and those vertical cliff faces hundreds of meters high? Yeah, they're real, and they're terrifying. One wrong move and you're staring into dizzying valleys below. Weather up here doesn't play nice either. Even in summer, sudden snowstorms can materialize out of nowhere, with temperatures plummeting without warning. Wind is your enemy too—gusts can be genuinely dangerous given the exposed cliff edges and minimal margin for error. This isn't a scenic Sunday drive. Refugio Tejos demands respect, skill, and nerves of steel. But if you're a true adventure seeker? It's unforgettable.