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TourSur – Info – Chile-NP Route
Introduction
This page gives detailled information for other cyclists about the route we took in April 2014 from Arica up to Putre and Lago Chungará, and then all the way south on the chilean side - crossing Parque Nacional Lauca, Monumente Nacional Salar de Surire and Parque Nacional Volcán Isluga. Finally reaching Colchane at the bolivian border. 400 kilometers in total, half of it on gravel road.
WARNINGS:
- be fully acclimatized. do not underestimate the altitude. you will always be between 4.000 and 4.500 meters.
- carry always enough water and food. do not rely on a single supply point! after Putre there is no single possibility to buy something.
- there have been just 2-4 cars a day, so be self sufficient. do not rely on quick help from other people.
- we had bad experience with the unmotivated CONAF people (park rangers). unreliable or wrong information, nearly all stations closed.
We got information from the following 2 websites. Thank you very much for your effort!
On this website, additional information about this route can be found here:
Description
Please note that i have taken all information carefully. But nevertheless i will take no responsibilities for any wrong information or mistakes. The situation can also change during the time. Check carefully with locals before heading off.
NOTE:
- the given altitude is most likely not exact in absolute terms, but should help in relative terms
- when written "supposed to be", then it means we got the information from above external webpages, but did not check out by ourselves
- when written "water is drinkable", then we ourselves drank the water without any problems
Situation in April 2014
| point no. | point | km | km total | altitude (m) | road no. | road condition | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arica | 0,0 | 0,0 | 15 | CH-5 | excellent pavement | big city. Head for direction of Tacna/Peru on the Panamericana. |
| 2 | roundabout | 11,0 | 11,0 | - | CH-11 | excellent pavement | Turn right for Putre. During the first 42 km some shops and villages with basic supplies |
| 3 | solar plant | 60,0 | 71,0 | - | CH-11 | excellent pavement | kilometers not exact (estimated). got water from the security guy. location marked accurate on |
| 4 | tourist cafe | 34,0 | 105,0 | - | CH-11 | excellent pavement | kilometers not exact (estimated). Overpriced tourist place. Water. location marked accurate on |
| 5 | Zapahuira | 11,0 | 116,0 | - | CH-11 | excellent pavement | kilometers not exact (estimated). Some restaurants, including basic shop |
| 6 | Putre | 34,0 | 150,0 | 3500 | A-149 | excellent pavement | shops, hotels (all with WiFi), bank (ATM does not work, cash change USD, EUR possible), tourist information, internet, no gas station. take main road out of town. |
| 7 | left turnoff | 1,5 | 151,5 | 3590 | A-149 | not paved, good gravel | we turned left for shortcut, some steep sections ahead |
| 8 | join with main road | 6,0 | 157,5 | 4020 | CH-11 | excellent pavement | we kept left (straight) for Lago Chungará |
| 9 | military base (active) | 1,2 | 158,7 | 4100 | CH-11 | pavement | probably good for water (?) |
| 10 | right turnoff for direct access of NP Lauca | 12,2 | 170,9 | 4420 | CH-11 | pavement | we went straight for Parinacota and Lago Chungará |
| 11 | top of ridge | 2,9 | 173,8 | 4470 | CH-11 | pavement | first total view at Volcán Parinacota |
| 12 | Chucuyo | 12,7 | 186,5 | 4240 | CH-11 | pavement, sometimes bad | 2-3 restaurants (including very small „shop“), maybe all closed |
| 13 | top of ridge | 11,9 | 198,4 | 4500 | CH-11 | pavement, sometimes bad | |
| 14 | CONAF base – Lago Chungará | 6,1 | 204,5 | 4435 | CH-11 | pavement, sometimes bad | rooms, camping, water (often closed, then no water and rooms) |
| 15 | Chungará (border post with Bolivia) | 6,5 | 211,0 | 4430 | A-95 | gravel, bit of sand | no village, border only. Ignore border stuff, turn right 200 m behind border buildings for NP. Water from police |
| 16 | top of ridge | 6,5 | 217,5 | 4560 | A-95 | gravel, bit of sand | entering Reserva Nacional Las Vicunas |
| 17 | Termas Chirigualla | 4,5 | 222,0 | 4330 | A-95 | gravel, stony | very small outdoor pool, larger pool in small building. Stream beside termas supposed to be drinkable |
| 18 | join with main road (from point no. 10) | 11,5 | 233,5 | 4240 | A-235/A-95 | good gravel | keep straight (left) |
| 19 | Ancuta | 11,5 | 245,0 | 4135 | A-235/A-95 | good gravel | small village, probably good for water (?) |
| 20 | Guallatiri | 9,5 | 254,5 | 4170 | A-235/A-95 | good gravel | village. Water at church, police, CONAF (maybe closed), small hospedaje (maybe closed) |
| 21 | Vislubio | 6,9 | 261,4 | 4040 | A-235/A-95 | good gravel | 2 houses. probably good for water (?) |
| 22 | broken bridge | 1,3 | 262,7 | 4010 | A-235/A-95 | good gravel | |
| 23 | Puente Rio Lauca | 3,2 | 265,9 | 4000 | A-235/A-95 | good gravel | |
| 24 | top of ridge | 26,0 | 291,9 | 4265 | A-95 | good gravel | first view on Salar de Surire |
| 25 | Quiborax station (salt mining) | 5,7 | 297,6 | 4200 | A-397/A-95 | good gravel | probably good for water and sleeping (?) |
| 26 | CONAF base – Salar de Surire | 7,9 | 305,5 | 4215 | A-397/A-95 | good gravel | Rooms, water (if open), otherwise the stream behind the station is drinkable. camping for free |
| 27 | junction | 9,1 | 314,6 | 4220 | A-251 | good gravel | main road goes right, we kept straight for Termas Polloquere |
| 28 | Termas Polloquere | 10,9 | 325,5 | 4225 | A-251 | good gravel | great, natural thermal pool! No drinkable water! |
| 29 | small road to the right | 0,2 | 325,7 | 4235 | A-251 | good gravel | ignore, go straight |
| 30 | crossroads – no signs | 3,5 | 329,2 | 4250 | A-257 | good gravel | take most right option (kind of straight) up the hill on road A-257 |
| 31 | top of ridge – bolivian border | 2,8 | 332,0 | 4435 | A-257 | stones, small road | border crossing to bolivia (no customs), go down on „main“ road |
| 32 | chile border | 3,7 | 335,7 | A-257 | steep down, rocks, sandy | no customs. marked by a fence with clothes on it and a „Bolivia“ marker to the right | |
| 33 | join with main road (from point no. 27) | 3,4 | 339,1 | 4265 | A-95 | lot of washboard. loose gravel, sandy or stony | keep straight, use better tracks in parallel to main track |
| 34 | river crossing | 7,1 | 346,2 | 4255 | A-95 | lot of washboard. loose gravel, sandy or stony | water is drinkable |
| 35 | Villacollo | 5,6 | 351,8 | 4245 | A-95 | lot of washboard. loose gravel, sandy or stony | we saw no people around, but obviously inhabited |
| 36 | left turnoff to Chichillane | 4,7 | 356,5 | 4260 | A-385 | lot of washboard. loose gravel, sandy or stony | turn left for the hot water of Chichillane (not indicated, supposed to be 3 km away). we kept straight |
| 37 | junction | 2,1 | 358,6 | 4215 | A-385 | lot of washboard. loose gravel, sandy or stony | turn right for Mauque and the geysires of Puchuldiza. we kept straight. |
| 38 | junction | 17,4 | 376,0 | 3950 | A-385 | lot of washboard. loose gravel, sandy or stony | road from Mauque joins (see point no. 37). keep straight |
| 39 | Enquelga | 2,6 | 378,6 | 3925 | A-385 | gravel | first „real“ village. shop, water, hostal. road improves now. |
| 40 | Isluga | 10,6 | 389,2 | 3835 | A-385 | gravel | we saw no people around, but obviously inhabited |
| 41 | junction | 6,5 | 395,7 | 3775 | CH-15 | excellent pavement | right for Iquique, we turned left for Colchane |
| 42 | Colchane | 5,6 | 401,3 | 3760 | CH-15 | excellent pavement | village with about 2 shops (maybe closed), 2 hotels (one has WIFI), limited electricity. Not really much. 2 flat kilometers to the bolivian border and Pisiga (better supplies). |
