By road, Copiapó and Quintay are about 494 miles (795 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 18 min of driving.
Full advisory: Chile. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Chile: “Driving in Chile is relatively safe.”
| Distance by road | 494 mi (795 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | F-800 |
| Regions on the route | Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Copiapó–Quintay drive in a few lines
F-800 (14 mi) carries about 3% of the 494 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Copiapó to Quintay
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–431 | 431 | Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 431–433 | 2 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 433–478 | 45 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 478–479 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| F-800 | 479–493 | 14 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 493–494 | 1 | Valparaíso |
- Mile 159 of this route: Atacama → Coquimbo (region line)
- Mile 379 of this route: Coquimbo → Valparaíso (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Copiapó and Quintay
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Histórico Gabriel González Videla (mile 208), Museo Histórico-Arqueológico de Quillota (mile 441), Jardín Botánico Nacional de Viña del Mar (mile 467)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Desierto Florido (mile 15), Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park (mile 267), La Campana National Park (mile 441), Jardín Botánico Nacional de Viña del Mar (mile 467), Lago Peñuelas National Reserve (mile 479)
- Museums and history: Museo Histórico Gabriel González Videla (mile 208), Museo Histórico-Arqueológico de Quillota (mile 441), Museo Palmira Romano (mile 448), Museo Artequin Viña del Mar (mile 469)
Parque nacional Desierto Florido
This protected area in the Copiapó commune and province of the Atacama Region covers 57,107 hectares, and is officially known as Parque Nacional Desierto Florido.
Museo Histórico Gabriel González Videla
Facing the Plaza de Armas in La Serena, this history museum honors former Chilean president Gabriel González Videla, a native of the city, and shows permanent exhibits including works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró.
Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park
Near Ovalle in Chile's semi-arid north, Fray Jorge National Park shelters a fog-fed forest of species typical of southern Chile, such as olivillo and canelo. A short marked loop trail winds through it, and the park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Museo Histórico-Arqueológico de Quillota
Quillota's history and archaeology museum occupies the Casa Colonial, a building declared a National Monument, in the city of Quillota.
La Campana National Park
In Chile's coastal range northwest of Santiago, La Campana National Park protects the Chilean palm that Charles Darwin studied on his 1834 visit. Trails climb toward Cerro La Campana, and the park also holds petroglyphs and the Salto La Cortadera waterfall.
Museo Palmira Romano
Run by the municipality of Limache in the Valparaíso Region, the Museo Palmira Romano is a museum listed in Chile's museum registry.
Jardín Botánico Nacional de Viña del Mar
Covering 395 hectares in Viña del Mar, the National Botanical Garden takes in hills of scrubland and sclerophyll forest.
Museo Artequin Viña del Mar
Inside Quinta Vergara in Viña del Mar, Artequin is an educational art museum opened in 2008 that encourages children's creativity through group visits, workshops and hands-on activities.
Lago Peñuelas National Reserve
Chile's Lago Peñuelas National Reserve surrounds Peñuelas Lake, a freshwater reservoir that supplies drinking water to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
More drives to Quintay
- Reñaca to Quintay
- Coquimbo to Quintay
- La Serena to Quintay
- Vicuña to Quintay
- Punta de Choros to Quintay
- Caldera to Quintay
From Copiapó to other places in Chile
- Copiapó to San Pedro de Atacama
- Copiapó to Vicuña
- Copiapó to Pisco Elqui
- Copiapó to Reñaca
- Copiapó to Algarrobo
- Copiapó to El Colorado
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Copiapó to Quintay?
About 10 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 494 miles.
What is the driving distance from Copiapó to Quintay?
About 494 miles (795 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Copiapó to Quintay drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Copiapó and Quintay?
Closest to the road: Museo Histórico Gabriel González Videla (history museum, mile 208, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo Histórico-Arqueológico de Quillota (museum, mile 441, 1 mi from the route); Jardín Botánico Nacional de Viña del Mar (botanical garden, mile 467, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.