After a few rain soaked days in El Calafate, Argentina I made my way to Punta Arenas, Chile, and yet another border crossing. I would start on Ruta 40 then onto Ruta 3, then cross over into Chile on Ruta 255 and finish on Ruta 9.
The border crossing was only a hundred miles away, so I was hoping there would be no lines and I could get on my way into Chile without too much fuss.
The closest town to the border on the Argentinian side is many miles from the border of the ADUANA – Paso de Integración Austral and on the Chilean side is Punta Delgada.
Although the trip total was 336 miles (541 kilometers), it is mostly paved. I started Ruta 40, and the whole trip took me just over 8 hours.
Everything is in the one building here. So you do both Argentina to Chile, Chile to Argentina in one building. If you look like a biker, they will direct you after each of the four steps.
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is a city near the tip of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region. Located on the Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it’s often used as a base for excursions to the surrounding wilderness and Antarctica. The Plaza Muñoz Gamero has a memorial to explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and the Museo Nao Victoria features a replica of one of his galleons.(from Wikipedia)