The Road to Salinas Lake is One of the Toughest Tracks in the World

The Road to Salinas Lake is One of the Toughest Tracks in the World

Peru, south-america

Length

64.7 km

Elevation

4,335 m

Difficulty

extreme

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! Deep in the Arequipa Region of Peru, nestled way, way up in the Andes, lies the Laguna de Salinas – a shimmering salt lake sitting at a staggering 14,222 feet. Getting there? Buckle up, buttercup!

We're talking Ruta 34C, a 40-mile dirt track that’ll test your nerve and your vehicle's suspension. This isn’t your Sunday drive. Think hairpin turns galore, super narrow stretches (sometimes only wide enough for ONE car!), and seriously exposed drop-offs – hundreds of feet down – with zero guardrails to save you. Oh, and did I mention the tunnels?

Starting near Arequipa, one of Peru’s biggest cities, give yourself at least two hours to conquer this beast of a road, and that's without stopping to admire the killer views (if you can bear to take your eyes off the road, that is!). Confidence in your 4x4 and your driving skills is an absolute must. This one’s for the thrill-seekers!

Where is it?

The Road to Salinas Lake is One of the Toughest Tracks in the World is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -9.2382, -73.7512

Share this road

Road Details

Country
Peru
Continent
south-america
Length
64.7 km
Max Elevation
4,335 m
Difficulty
extreme
Coordinates
-9.2382, -73.7512

Related Roads in south-america

South Yungas Road is a scenically rewarding but dangerous tripextreme

South Yungas Road is a scenically rewarding but dangerous trip

🇧🇴 Bolivia

Okay, thrill-seekers, buckle up! Let’s talk about South Yungas Road in Bolivia’s La Paz Department. Nestled in the Sud Yungas region, this totally unpaved beauty stretches for about 15 miles, connecting Ruta Nacional 25 near Huancané to Ruta Nacional 40, just south of Coripata. Forget your average Sunday drive – this route boasts over 50 hairpin turns and climbs to a dizzying 6,131 feet above sea level. Oh, and did I mention the precarious creek crossing? This narrow, winding road is jam-packed with switchbacks and boasts stomach-dropping 1,830-foot drops. Navigating oncoming traffic requires a bit of finesse. Remember, uphill vehicles have the right-of-way (starting on an incline isn’t fun). And if there’s space to pass, drivers switch positions so they can gauge the distance to the edge. Pro tip: Check the rainfall forecast before you go and prepare accordingly!

The Ultimate Guide to Traveling the Chimboya Passextreme

The Ultimate Guide to Traveling the Chimboya Pass

🇵🇪 Peru

Abra Chimboya is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.114m (16,778ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary between the regions of Cusco and Puno, in Peru. It’s one of the highest roads of the country. Set high in the Cordillera de Vilcanota range, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called CU-125. 4×4 vehicle required. Remember this is a mountainous area, climbing up a high mountain, with a notorius absence of oxygen. Altitude and extreme weather are always a factor. The road is steep and runs from Santa Barbara to Corani, Fog, snow and cold are common. Road suggested by: jorge manuel gómez sánchez https://skyhighandes.com/first-ascent-and-explorations-in-the-remote-north-eastern-cordillera-vilcanota/ Abra Llamaorgo: Driving one of the highest mountain passes in Peru Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our to discover the most spectacular roads of the world Drive Us to Your Road! With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click  to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

Meseta Marcahuasiextreme

Meseta Marcahuasi

🇵🇪 Peru

Okay, so picture this: You're in the Peruvian Andes, ready for an adventure. You're heading to Meseta Marcahuasi, a plateau way up at 4,100 meters (that's over 13,450 feet!). This isn't just any plateau; it's famous for its bizarre rock formations that look like faces and animals. The road to get there? Intense! It's about 16 km of pure, unadulterated gravel, starting near Autisha. Think hairpin turns – over 20 of them! – clinging to the side of the Autisha canyon. We're talking serious drops, hundreds of meters down, with absolutely no guardrails. But trust me, the views are worth the white knuckles. Bring your camera, because you'll want to capture this. Just make sure your batteries are charged and your memory card is empty! Expect traffic, especially since it's a tight squeeze in places. A 4WD is your best friend here, and honestly, an experienced driver is a must. If you're not comfortable on narrow, unpaved mountain roads, maybe skip this one. Heights are definitely involved! Oh, and for the truly adventurous, there's a gravel road that continues up to Laguna Chanicocha, even higher at 4,513 meters (nearly 15,000 feet!). Just east of Laguna Marcahuasi itself. It's breathtaking in every sense of the word!

The dangerous road to Caranavi is not for the faint of heartextreme

The dangerous road to Caranavi is not for the faint of heart

🇧🇴 Bolivia

Okay, thrill-seekers, listen up! Deep in the Bolivian Yungas, near the infamous Death Road, lies the road to Caranavi, and let me tell you, it's an adventure! Picture this: a mostly dirt track clinging to the mountainside, barely wide enough for one vehicle, with a raging river on one side and sheer drops on the other. This isn’t a Sunday drive. We're talking serious pucker-factor here. Expect heavy traffic, blind corners, and a road that laughs in the face of rain. One wrong move and… well, let's just say you don't want to find out. Stretching for about 62 kilometers (38 miles) from Coroico to Caranavi, this section of Ruta Nacional 3 is a wild ride through breathtaking (and slightly terrifying) scenery. Mountains, cliffs, and precipices abound. Just keep your eyes on the road, because you definitely don’t want to miss the next turn!