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Epic Cycling Tour in Chile and Argentina

Discover the thrill of gravel riding in South America and experience the boundless natural beauty and vast landscapes of the Great Divide in Patagonia, Chile and Los Andes. Perfect for adventure seekers, nature lovers and travelers, the ride will take you from Chile across the Andes into Patagonia and back on the gravel loop ride. Immerse yourself in epic landscapes, embrace the camaraderie of the road and relax with warm hospitality from your hosts in Chile and Argentina!

Key information

  • Trip type: Guided
  • Lodging: Point to Point
  • Terrain: Gravel
  • Starts and ends in Pucón
  • Difficulty level: Challenging (Cyclist needs to have high level of fitness, must be an active rider, the terrain includes really challenging climbs/or 46-80 or more miles per day)
  • Total Distance: 337 Miles / 543 Kilometers (elevation: 6,900 meters)
  • Type of bike: Gravel bike (not included)
  • E-bike: Available to rent (Giant Revolt E-bike: All Road Electric)
  • Group tour / a maximum of 4 participants

Meet the instructors

Ariel
Read more

Highlights

  • 6 riding days: average 76 kilometers, 5 hours riding daily
  • Full ride support from a professional guide team and support vehicle
  • Visit the great lakes of Patagonia
  • Cycle across the border from Argentina to Chile
  • Sleep in the heart of the rainforest and camp on the shores of Lago Curruhué
  • Soak up views of the Volcan Villarrica & Volcan Lanín
  • Taste food cooked on a traditional Argentinian parilla
  • 7 nights accommodation with full board meals provided

Skill level

  • Advanced

6 days with instruction
Group size: Maximum of 4 participants
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Accommodation

Check-in Time:
11:00

Rakau Lodge

A luxurious lodge run by owners with a vision of merging accommodation and gastronomy, Rakau Lodge is located 15 kilometers away from Pucón in the lake region of Araucanía. Stay deep in ancient native woodlands by the Trancura River

Cabañas Rukanto del Bosque

Stay in rustic but comfortable cabins in Rukanto.

Hotel Nothofagus

An architectural marvel and fabulous hotel, Nothofagus hotel is in the heart of the Huilo Huilo nature reserve. The building is crafted from natural materials and each room offers stunning views over the Patagonia forest.

Loi Suites

Stay in the only 5-star hotel in San Martín de los Andes, a true refuge to experience the magic of Argentine Patagonia in all its splendor. Located in the Chapelco Golf & Resort complex, the hotel is integrated into the impressive natural setting framed by the Andes Mountains. Take advantage of the indoor pool and spa to prepare for the second half of the trip!

Camping Playa Curruhué Grande

Enjoy a unique night staying on the shores of the Lago Curruhué. This pristine campsite is the perfect spot to fully immersive in the incredible natural surroundings. Everything you need will be provided for a night under canvas.

San Huberto Lodge

A traditional family-run lodge, San Huberto Lodge is located on a 24,000-acre cattle ranch on the Malleo River. Founded in 1976 by Carlos and Carmen Olsen, San Huberto Lodge boasts the title of a pioneer in ranch lodging in Northern Patagonia. It has always been family-owned and is now operated by Carlos & Carmen’s sons Ronnie and Gustavo, and their daughter Karin. Expect warm hospitality and a night to remember!

Ni-Newen Lodge

On the slopes of Rucapillán, lost in the remote forest, a magical place emerges nestled in Los Nevados. Enjoy nature, the comfort of the lodge, and unique architecture.

Program

Riding Skill Suitable for This Tour: Advanced

Rated 3 out of 4, this advanced cycling tour is designed for people who ride regularly and want back-to-back challenging days on the bike. Riders should be confident riding in a small group, comfortable on extended climbs (at your own pace), and have good bike handling skills on corners and descents. E-bikes are available on this tour. Rides are over 100 kilometers with over 1,000 meters of climbing.

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Chile

Enjoy a warm welcome from your guides at our first hotel in Pucón. Get to know everyone over a welcome lunch and in the afternoon get the bikes set up and enjoy a short warm-up ride along the River Pucón.

  • Eat: Welcome lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Rakau Lodge
  • Cycle: Bike set-up and warm-up ride

Day 2: Pucon - Coñaripe (76 kilometers / 47 miles - 1,350 meters)

Head out through small villages around Palguin Bajo, and begin the long gradual climb through Villarica National Park with views of Volcán Villarrica. The ride ends with a long descent from 1,300 meters to Coñaripe.

  • Eat: Breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Cabañas Rukanto del Bosque
  • Cycle: Pucon - Coñaripe
  • Distance: 76 kilometers / 47 miles
  • Elevation: 1,350 meters

Day 3: Coñaripe - Huilo Huilo Nature Reserve (53 kilometers / 33 miles - 1,240 meters)

Today is a rolling ride across undulating terrain. Ride alonside the Lago Neltune. The last climb of the day is 12 kilometers up to the spectacular Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve.

  • Eat: Breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Nothofagus, Huilo-Huilo
  • Cycle: Coñaripe - Huilo Huilo
  • Distance: 53 kilometers / 33 miles
  • Elevation: 1,240 meters

Day 4: Ride across the Border to Argentina (69 kilometers / 43 miles - 1,300 meters)

Start the day with a 2.5-hour ferry ride across the Lago Pirihueico. The ride takes you up to the border crossing to Argentina. Ride along Lago Lácar with a time of pause and soak up the incredible views at Playa de Yuco. Arrive triumphant from your first border crossing in the Argentinian town of San Martín de los Andes.

  • Eat: Breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Loi Suites
  • Cycle: Huilo Huilo - San Martín de los Andes
  • Distance: 69 kilometers / 43 miles
  • Elevation: 1,300 meters

Day 5: San Martín de los Andes - Lago Curruhué (70 kilometers / 43 miles - 960 meters)

Enjoy 70 stunning kilometers soaking up the spectacular landscapes typical of Patagonia. You roll along Lago Lolog and the shores of Lago Curruhue to tonight's resting place - a stunning campground Playa Curruhué Grande.

  • Eat: Breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Camping Playa Curruhué Grande
  • Cycle: San Martín de los Andes - Lago Curruhué
  • Distance: 70 kilometers / 43 miles
  • Elevation: 960 meters

Day 6: Lago Currhué - San Huberto (85 kilometers / 53 miles - 750 meters)

Start the day with a gravel climb out of the camping and then enjoy 40 kilometers of gravel descent back to San Junín de los Andes. Hit the tarmac for the flattest kilometers on the trip, north to the town of Erasmo Painefilu, and then west to our resting place for the night.

  • Eat: Breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Family Lodge
  • Cycle: Lago Currhué - San Huberto
  • Distance: 85 kilometers / 53 miles
  • Elevation: 750 meters

Day 7: Across the Border at Paso Tromen (100 kilometers / 62 miles - 1,300 meters)

Today is the last big ride of the trip! Ride 35 kilometers of a false flat uphill to cross the border at Paso Tromen. Back to Chile, descend with views of Volcan Lanín, and follow the Trancura River to your final lodge

  • Eat: Breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal
  • Sleep: Ni-Newen Lodge
  • Cycle San Huberto - Pucón
  • Distance: 100 kilometers / 62 miles
  • Elevation: 1,300 meters

Day 8: Departure from Pucón

Plan your onward travel from Pucón.

  • Eat: Breakfast
  • Sleep: -
  • Cycle: -

Full Support

Enjoy small group sizes and professional, personal support all week from your guides and support vehicle:

  • The Eat Sleep Cycle team works with an industry-leading guide-to-guest ratio - expect up to 4 guests per guide on the trip with guides leading the way on the road and a support vehicle close by at all times. Note that for groups of 4 riders or less, this tour is run as a guided trip without a support vehicle.
  • The ride support vehicle is stocked with natural ride nutrition, electrolytes and water, as well as a full set of tools to resolve any mechanicals.
  • Eat Sleep Cycle guides are experienced riders from all walks of life united by a love of cycling who’ll help to keep the group safe, motivated, and savoring the trip of a lifetime.
  • All guests will receive access to a digital Road Book and routes, giving everyone the flexibility to ride at their own pace.

Bike Hire

It is recommended that you bring your own bike but if you wish to rent a bike, these are models available for this trip:

Cannondale Supersix Evo Cx: Gravel Race

An evolved race bike ready for the rough and tumble of grass crits, mud ruts or open gravel tracks. Enjoy a lightweight, durable carbon frameset with ample tire clearance and an SRAM Force 1 11-speed groupset.

Wilier Rave Slr: Gravel Race

The Rave is perfect for all-road, perfect for gravel, and is designed for speed. Enjoy a lightweight carbon frame with racey geometry and an electronic SRAM Rival XPLR groupset for full gear range and precision shifting.

Giant Revolt E-bike: All Road Electric

A versatile drop bar e-bike for road, gravel and mixed terrain adventures. A lightweight aluminum frame, smooth-riding tubeless tires, and a comfortable D-Fuse seatpost give you the ability to ride any road, any route. The 500 W battery delivers long-distance pedaling support and is seamlessly integrated into the frame. The bike is simple to activate - press the on/off button and you're ready to go!

Instructors

Ariel

Location

Occupying the southernmost point of Argentina and Chile on the continent of South America, Patagonia is home to the Andes mountains, stunning lakes, fjords, rainforests, glaciers, deserts and wide open plains. A place to immerse yourself in nature, discovering this unique part of the world by bike is an experience not to be missed.

Patagonia is a one-in-a-lifetime destination to discover. From the plains of Argentina to the high mountains of the Andes and the lush rainforests of Chile, Patagonia is teeming with wildlife and stunning landscapes. A destination to connect deeply to nature and gain a new perspective on the world.

The Andes Mountains

Stretching north to south, the mighty Andes mountains form the border between Argentina and Chile.

Huilo Huilo Nature Reserve

Nestled in the heart of Chile's Patagonian Forest and surrounded by the majestic Andes Mountains, the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve is a unique project in the world for its commitment to the conservation of natural heritage and local culture.

Volcano Lanín

The national symbol of the Argentine Neuquén region, the ice-clad Volcano Lanín is thought to have erupted in the last 10,000 years. It forms part of the two national parks of Lanín in Argentina and Villarrica in Chile.

The Great Divide

The Great Divide, also known as the Continental Divide of the Americas, is a majestic and predominantly mountainous range that, in its totality, stretches from the Bering Strait between the USA and Russia, to the Strait of Magellan on the southernmost tip of Chile. It follows the line of high peaks along the Rocky Mountains and the Andes and encompasses a variety of landscapes and terrains that offer endless possibilities for gravel adventures, but none more so than those lying between Chile and Argentina.

Gravel Cycling in Chile, Los Andes and Patagonia

The opportunities for gravel cycling in Chile, Los Andes and Patagonia are limitless. Starting in Chile, these boundless and unparalleled landscapes captivate visitors year after year. The country may only be 350 kilometers wide (at its widest point, east to west), but what it lacks in breadth it makes up for in natural wonders, from the dry deserts in the north, to dense forests in the south, crystalline rivers and lakes and the towering Los Andes mountain range.

Gravel Cycling in Los Andes

Los Andes form a natural border between Chile and Argentina and are the longest mountain range in the world, with an average height of around 4,000 meters. The gravel roads that crisscross over these peaks boast challenging ascents that will test not only your physical endurance but your mental stamina, too.

By way of example, the road to Portillo, a popular Chilean ski resort, is a mountain stage that takes you up into the heart of the Andes. The renowned Portillo road is part of the main highway connecting Santiago (Chile) and Mendoza (Argentina), so not strictly gravel, but an arduous ascent nonetheless. This 85 km climb features the grueling “Los Caracoles” (the snails) section, with 29 hairpin turns and gradients of up to 14%, considered by many to be one of the world’s toughest cycling climbs.

Gravel Cycling in Patagonia

Gravel cycling in Patagonia is next level, with endless tracks and trails that guide you through its vast wilderness and untouched landscapes. From windswept plains to the jagged peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park, every pedal stroke reveals more of this region’s raw, natural beauty. Expect a mix of challenging climbs, awe-inspiring views and a humbling sense of nature’s grandeur, with spectacles such as the Perito Moreno Glacier, the Fitz Roy massif, and the stunning landscapes of Tierra del Fuego.

Road Conditions along the Great Divide

As might be expected in such a wild landscape, road conditions along the Great Divide through Chile, Los Andes and Patagonia vary between paved highways, well-maintained gravel roads, and more rugged and remote paths. After all, the beauty of gravel is in being able to tackle pretty much any terrain, and riding on with confidence as the sound of your tires on smooth tarmac is suddenly transformed into a crunchy symphony of dusty gravel.

It’s important to have previous experience riding on all types of roads, paths and surfaces, and come prepared with a sturdy gravel or mountain bike and the appropriate gear to tackle the sometimes-challenging terrain. Handlebar and top-bar storage for snacks, spare inner tubes, tools, extra layers, gloves, and any other essentials you want to bring along will help keep your body free and flexible to maneuver over and through these wild landscapes.

Food

You will be provided with natural ride nutrition, electrolytes and water, as well as full board meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). On selected days, the support crew will serve a delicious picnic lunch in a scenic location en route. Enjoy local foods chosen to keep you feeling energized and healthy.

The following meals are included:

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Drinks

The following drinks are included:

  • Water

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

  • Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

What's included

  • Full ride support from a professional guide team and support vehicle
  • 7 nights accommodation in 4* hotels, campings and rural lodges
  • Full board: breakfast, lunches and evening meals

What's not included

  • Transfers
  • Bike rental (available on request, but you are recommended to bring your own bike)

How to get there

Recommended Airports

Arrival by airplane

You need to fly in to and out from Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago de Chile. From there, you need to make your own way to the meeting point in Pucón. The meeting time is 11:00 on Day 1. Speak to the Eat Sleep Cycle team about your travel plans!

Cancellation Policy

  • A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
  • The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
  • The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
8 days / 7 nights
from --
Sunday December 1, 2024
(8 days / 7 nights)

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