Esquel to San Martín de los Andes is about 278 road miles (447 km): roughly 6 h 23 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Argentina. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
| Distance | 278 mi (447 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 23 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN259 → RN40 → RN237 → RP63 |
| Provinces on the route | Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Esquel to San Martín de los Andes
RN40 (200 mi) and RP63 (41 mi) carry about 87% of the 278 miles. It runs through 3 provinces: Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Esquel to San Martín de los Andes
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Chubut |
| RN259 | 1–7 | 6 | Chubut |
| RN40 | 7–191 | 184 | Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén |
| RN237 | 191–220 | 29 | Neuquén, Río Negro |
| RP63 | 220–261 | 41 | Neuquén |
| RN40 | 261–277 | 16 | Neuquén |
| local roads | 277–278 | 1 | Neuquén |
- Mile 99 of this route: Chubut → Río Negro (province line)
- Mile 190 of this route: Río Negro → Neuquén (province line)
- Mile 211 of this route: Neuquén → Río Negro (province line)
- Mile 216 of this route: Río Negro → Neuquén (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Esquel and San Martín de los Andes
- 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), Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi (mile 177), Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia (mile 177)
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.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi
Close to Nahuel Huapi Lake, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi is the main Catholic cathedral of San Carlos de Bariloche, set amid gardens on a large plot.
Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia
Set in the Civic Center of Bariloche, the Francisco P. Moreno Museum of Patagonia covers natural history and cultural anthropology.
When you get to San Martín de los Andes
Lanín National Park
Forests of lenga and Araucaria cover Lanín National Park in Neuquén Province, home to Lanín volcano and the Huechulafquen, Aluminé and Lácar lakes.
More drives to San Martín de los Andes
From Esquel to other places in Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Esquel to San Martín de los Andes?
About 6 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 278 miles.
How far is San Martín de los Andes from Esquel by car?
About 278 miles (447 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.
Is it safe to drive from Esquel to San Martín de los Andes?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Esquel to San Martín de los Andes?
In order: RN259, RN40, RN237 and RP63. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Esquel to San Martín de los Andes?
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.