BIkepacking Argenitna
Argentina is a dream destination for a lot of people and is definitely bucket list material. It is a huge country with high biodiversity, many different ecosystems and fascinating geology. You could spend months and months exploring this country without getting bored. And it is accessible to every kind of traveler, of all ages. The north of Argentina is home to the Atacama desert which it shares with Chile and Bolivia. The Pampa, meaning ‘plains’ in Quechua, is home to the Gauchos and stretches over an area of 800.000m2. The Andes, with its many border crossings to Chile, stretches along the length of the country and offers some amazing hikes, cycling routes, national parks, and of course Patagonia. Carnivores and wine lovers can eat (or drink) their heart out in this country, where barbeque (asado) and drinking wine is a national sport. Same goes for camping. Wild camping is easy and loved by the Argentians as well. There are also tons of free or cheap campsites with basic amenities.
Cycling in Argentina
Of all the regions we cycled in Argentina, which is just a fraction of what Argentina has to offer, we loved the north the most. The people were genuinely friendly and the towns were authentic and yet to be discovered by mass tourism. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t like the other parts of Argentina. On the contrary. We felt at home in Argentina and wished we had more time to discover this amazing country by bicycle. Which we will definitely do one day.
The most famous road is probably ‘Ruta 40’ which stretches the entire length of Argentina. Most parts cross the Pampa and can be a little bit boring. Especially in the southern part of the Ruta Quarenta will the wind be a factor to keep in mind. Going across the Andes, there are dozens of border crossings with Chile. Some are hardly ever visited by tourists and can be difficult to reach by bike which makes it a proper adventure. A fair bit of the roads in Argentina are unpaved and undiscovered, which means dirt -, double – and singletrack lovers will have a great time. On top of that, it is not difficult to find remoteness in a country as big as Argentina. Even on some asphalt roads will there be days where you hardly see or meet anyone.
The Andes is not as high as in Peru and Bolivia, which makes it accessible for a wide variety of cyclists. Untrained, you can go on a multiweek cycling trip in Argentina. Especially if you stick to asphalt. For dirt road touring it is better to have some form of fitness.
OUTDOOR TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
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