Plan on about 5 h 3 min of driving for the 263-mile (424 km) trip from Los Ángeles to Pichilemu, before any stops.
Full advisory: Chile. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Chile: “Use caution when walking or driving at night, especially if alone.”
| Distance | 263 mi (424 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 5 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | K-40-J → J-60 → J-70-I → I-70-J → I-72 → I-502 |
| Regions on the route | Bío-Bío, Ñuble, Maule, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Los Ángeles to Pichilemu drive plays out
K-40-J (20 mi) and I-72 (18 mi) carry about 14% of the 263 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Bío-Bío, Ñuble, Maule, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Los Ángeles to Pichilemu
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–173 | 173 | Bío-Bío, Ñuble, Maule |
| K-40-J | 173–193 | 20 | Maule |
| J-60 | 193–198 | 5 | Maule |
| J-70-I | 198–210 | 12 | Maule, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| I-70-J | 210–222 | 12 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| I-72 | 222–240 | 18 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| connecting roads | 240–246 | 6 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| I-502 | 246–263 | 17 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
- Mile 40 of this route: Bío-Bío → Ñuble (region line)
- Mile 101 of this route: Ñuble → Maule (region line)
- Mile 208 of this route: Maule → Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Pichilemu
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Laja Falls (mile 21), Cáhuil Lagoon (mile 254)
- Nature and outdoors: Laja Falls (mile 21), Cáhuil Lagoon (mile 254), Museum of the Rural Child (mile 257)
- Museums and history: Murales de Siqueiros y Guerrero (mile 70), Museo Marta Colvin (mile 71), St. Ambrose Cathedral, Linares (mile 131), Museo de Arte y Artesanía de Linares (mile 131), Museo de Bomberos de Talca (mile 162), Museum of the Rural Child (mile 257)
Laja Falls
Beside Ruta 5 about 25 km from Los Ángeles, the Laja River pours over four cascades up to roughly 35 meters high, cut into basalt left by ancient lava flows from the Antuco volcano.
Murales de Siqueiros y Guerrero
Mexican artists David Alfaro Siqueiros and Xavier Guerrero painted this set of murals in Chillán's Escuela México, which faces Plaza Héroes de Iquique.
Museo Marta Colvin
On the Fernando May campus of the Universidad del Bío-Bío in Chillán, Museo Marta Colvin presents the life and work of local sculptor Marta Colvin. It opened on July 15, 2011.
St. Ambrose Cathedral, Linares
Linares Cathedral, dedicated to St. Ambrose, is the Catholic cathedral and seat of the Diocese of Linares in Chile's Maule Region.
Museo de Arte y Artesanía de Linares
Founded in 1962 with works donated by Chilean artists, this museum in Linares, in Chile's Maule Region, specializes in art and crafts.
Santuario de María Auxiliadora
Run by the Salesian order, the Sanctuary of María Auxiliadora is a Catholic church and shrine in Talca, in Chile's Maule Region, opened in 1915.
Museo de Bomberos de Talca
Housed inside the headquarters of the Talca fire corps, the Benito Riquelme Fire Museum in Talca, Maule Region, belongs to the commune's firefighters.
Cáhuil Lagoon
Cáhuil Lagoon (Laguna Cáhuil) is a body of water just south of Cáhuil in Chile's O'Higgins Region, at the mouth of the Nilahue estuary.
Museum of the Rural Child
The Museum of the Rural Child (Museo del Niño Rural) is a museum in the village of Ciruelos, in the Pichilemu commune of the O'Higgins region.
Once you reach Pichilemu
Laguna Petrel
Facing the old Pichilemu railway station, Petrel Lagoon is a coastal lagoon on Pichilemu beach whose water is largely seawater; it was once one of the town's main attractions.
Laguna El Perro
Laguna El Perro (Laguna del Perro) sits on the southern edge of Pichilemu in the O'Higgins Region, covering roughly 28 hectares with a maximum depth of about 11 meters.
Laguna El Ancho
On the outskirts of Pichilemu in the O'Higgins Region, Laguna El Ancho (also called Tranque El Ancho) is a body of water created by building a wall to store drinking water for the town.
More drives to Pichilemu
- Santiago, Chile to Pichilemu
- Los Andes to Pichilemu
- Coquimbo to Pichilemu
- La Serena to Pichilemu
- Chillán to Pichilemu
- Concepción, Chile to Pichilemu
From Los Ángeles to other places in Chile
- Los Ángeles to Pelluhue
- Los Ángeles to Curicó
- Los Ángeles to Santa Cruz, Chile
- Los Ángeles to El Colorado
- Los Ángeles to Valle Nevado
- Los Ángeles to Los Andes
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Los Ángeles to Pichilemu?
About 5 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 263 miles.
What is the driving distance from Los Ángeles to Pichilemu?
About 263 miles (424 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 Los Ángeles to Pichilemu drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Los Ángeles to Pichilemu?
In order: K-40-J, J-60, J-70-I, I-70-J, I-72 and I-502. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Los Ángeles to Pichilemu?
Closest to the road: Laja Falls (waterfall, mile 21, 0.4 mi from the route); Murales de Siqueiros y Guerrero (historic monument, mile 70, 1 mi from the route); Cáhuil Lagoon (river, mile 254, 0.5 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.