My Cart
Your Shopping Cart is Empty
Los Antiguos, Argentina — South America Overland Guide
|
posted by Chris Vasquez
Drive from Chile Chico: approximately 0.5–1 hr driving + border. Cross the Río Jeinimeni frontier into Argentina and keep the day light after customs, using Los Antiguos as the gateway to Ruta 40. This stage is designed around the expedition rule that we never ask the driver—or our 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series—to grind through more than six hours of actual driving in a day. The reward at Los Antiguos is Lago Buenos Aires, cherry orchards and Patagonian steppe. The route itself is part of the story: we are watching South America change through the windshield rather than flying over the difficult pieces.
Adventure & stay: Walk the lakeshore, visit a local farm in season and enjoy the sudden spaciousness of Argentine Patagonia. Our preferred stay is Local lakeside lodge or secure boutique hotel. A warm room, strong dinner and lake view are more useful than formality after the border. The idea is never luxury for luxury’s sake; it is recovery that lets us get back outside the next morning. A real bed, a hot shower, a spa or a good meal can be just as important to a long overland expedition as another night under canvas.
Land Cruiser check & daily equipment: Verify Argentine insurance and import papers, check fuel availability and inspect tires after customs/gravel approaches. For this leg we want cash, document copies, windproof jacket, full fuel tank, emergency food and a reliable satellite communicator. The 100 Series is being used exactly as Toyota intended—quiet and comfortable on pavement, full-time four-wheel drive ready when the road turns to gravel, and mechanically conservative enough that preventative checks remain more important than dramatic modifications. We leave Los Antiguos only when both the crew and the truck are ready.
0 comments