The Wayro route from Esquel to Colonia Suiza is 183 miles (295 km), about 3 h 49 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: Argentina. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Drivers should prepare in advance when taking long road trips and make sure to have adequate insurance coverage.”
| Total distance | 183 mi (295 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 3 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN259 → RN40 → RP82 → RP79 |
| Provinces on the route | Chubut, Río Negro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
On the road from Esquel to Colonia Suiza
RN40 (164 mi) and RN259 (6 mi) carry about 93% of the 183 miles. It runs through 2 provinces: Chubut, Río Negro. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Esquel to Colonia Suiza
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Chubut |
| RN259 | 1–7 | 6 | Chubut |
| RN40 | 7–171 | 164 | Chubut, Río Negro |
| connecting roads | 171–172 | 1 | Río Negro |
| RP82 | 172–176 | 4 | Río Negro |
| connecting roads | 176–178 | 2 | Río Negro |
| RP79 | 178–183 | 5 | Río Negro |
- Mile 99 of this route: Chubut → Río Negro (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Esquel and Colonia Suiza
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Serrano (mile 101), Reserva El Guadal (mile 109), Lago Guillelmo (mile 153)
- Nature and outdoors: Lago Puelo National Park (mile 94), Parque Serrano (mile 101), Reserva El Guadal (mile 109), Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido (mile 122), Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (mile 125), Lago Guillelmo (mile 153)
- Museums and history: Museo Leleque (mile 52), Museo de Tropas de Montaña (mile 176)
Museo Leleque
Near kilometer 1440 of Ruta Nacional 40 in Leleque, Chubut, this history museum opened in 1998 in the steppe at the foot of the Andes, about 100 m from the tracks of La Trochita.
Lago Puelo National Park
Covering 276.74 square kilometers in northwestern Chubut, Lago Puelo National Park is an Argentine national park in Patagonia.
Parque Serrano
Parque Serrano is a municipal protected natural area in El Bolsón, in Argentine Patagonia, covered by the Andean Patagonian forest ecoregion.
Reserva El Guadal
Near Mallín Ahogado and El Bolsón, Reserva El Guadal is a protected forest reserve created to preserve native woodland and support research on sustainable resource management.
Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido
Near El Bolsón, in the Bariloche department of Patagonia, the Río Azul - Lago Escondido protected natural area covers Andean Patagonian forest.
Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas
About 30 km north of El Bolsón, east of Route 40, the Cipresal de las Guaitecas protected area lies within Patagonia's Andean forest ecoregion in the Bariloche department.
Lago Guillelmo
Inside Nahuel Huapi National Park in Río Negro's Bariloche department, Lago Guillelmo is a glacial lake ringed by Andean Patagonian forest that drains into Lake Mascardi.
Museo de Tropas de Montaña
Founded in 1975, Museo de Tropas de Montaña is an Argentine Army military museum in Bariloche, housed within the garrison at the Military Mountain School.
In Colonia Suiza itself
Lago Moreno
Lago Moreno is a lake of glacial origin in the Bariloche department of Río Negro Province, Argentina.
Parque municipal Llao Llao
Located in the Bariloche department of Río Negro, the Llao Llao municipal park protects the area's natural landscape and the region's genetic diversity.
Laguna Negra
Inside Nahuel Huapi National Park, high in the Andes, Laguna Negra is a lake of about 13 hectares that lies under a thick layer of snow in winter.
More drives to Colonia Suiza
- San Martín de los Andes to Colonia Suiza
- Villa El Chocón to Colonia Suiza
- Neuquén to Colonia Suiza
- San Antonio Oeste to Colonia Suiza
- Viedma to Colonia Suiza
- Rawson to Colonia Suiza
From Esquel to other places in Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Esquel to Colonia Suiza?
About 3 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 183 miles.
What is the driving distance from Esquel to Colonia Suiza?
About 183 miles (295 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 Esquel to Colonia Suiza drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Esquel to Colonia Suiza use?
In order: RN259, RN40, RP82 and RP79. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Esquel and Colonia Suiza?
Closest to the road: Parque Serrano (park, mile 101, 0.7 mi from the route); Reserva El Guadal (park, mile 109, 1 mi from the route); Lago Guillelmo (lake, mile 153, 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.