Ruta 23 CH, a 5 stars road in the Andes

Ruta 23 CH, a 5 stars road in the Andes

Chile, south-america

Length

304 km

Elevation

4,569 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, picture this: Ruta 23 in Chile. You're cruising across a super dry, high-altitude plateau in the Andes, right in northern Chile. It's seriously stunning!

This road trip clocks in at about 304 kilometers (that's 188 miles for my American friends), kicking off in Calama, a city chilling on the Loa River in the Antofagasta region, and then taking you all the way to the Argentinian border at Paso de Sico.

Word of warning, though: this is mountain country, so you're heading way up! The air gets thin, so take it easy. And the weather? Intense! Think mild 23°C in summer, but brace yourself for a freezing -12°C in winter. It's usually cold and dry up there. The good news is the road was totally paved in 2018! The highest point is Abra El Laco, a mountain pass sitting pretty at 4,569 meters (or a whopping 14,990 feet) above sea level. Get ready for views that'll blow your mind!

Where is it?

Ruta 23 CH, a 5 stars road in the Andes is located in Chile (south-america). Coordinates: -36.5850, -70.3674

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Road Details

Country
Chile
Continent
south-america
Length
304 km
Max Elevation
4,569 m
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
-36.5850, -70.3674

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