The Wayro route from Quintay to Barreal, Argentina is 272 miles (437 km), about 6 h 43 min of driving without stops. You cross from Chile into Argentina at about mile 147, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
Full advisory: Chile, Argentina. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Chile: “Secondary and mountain roads may be poorly maintained, poorly lit, and may lack guardrails.”
- Argentina: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
| Distance by road | 272 mi (437 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | F-800 → RN7 → RN149 |
| Border crossing | about mile 147, Chile → Argentina (the Cristo Redentor crossing) |
| Regions on the route | Valparaíso, Mendoza, San Juan |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Crossing from Chile into Argentina
The route crosses at about mile 147, at the Cristo Redentor crossing, from Valparaíso into Mendoza. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| Entering Chile (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for 90 days or less on a tourist passport; you get a Tourist Card valid for up to 90 days. Passport: must be valid for your whole stay. |
| Driving in Chile | A valid U.S. license works for the length of your tourist permit, usually 90 days. |
| The car, entering Argentina | Argentine customs (ARCA) registers the car's temporary entry. Bring the title or registration, liability insurance valid in Argentina and, if you don't own the car, a power of attorney signed before a notary. A rental car needs the rental company's MERCOSUR circulation authorization (ACM), and the company must be registered with Argentine customs. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026); U.S. State Department, Chile (updated July 02, 2026); ARCA (Argentine customs). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving Quintay to Barreal: the shape of the trip
RN149 (71 mi) and RN7 (54 mi) carry about 46% of the 272 miles. The first 147 miles are in Chile; the last 125 are in Argentina. It runs through 3 regions: Valparaíso, Mendoza, San Juan. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Quintay to Barreal: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| F-800 | 1–15 | 14 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 15–16 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 16–21 | 5 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 21–22 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 22–62 | 40 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 62–63 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 63–147 | 84 | Valparaíso |
| RN7 | 147–201 | 54 | Mendoza |
| RN149 | 201–272 | 71 | Mendoza, San Juan |
- Mile 147 of this route: Valparaíso → Mendoza (international border)
- Mile 240 of this route: Mendoza → San Juan (region line)
Stops between Quintay and Barreal
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (mile 94), Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (mile 147)
- Nature and outdoors: Lago Peñuelas National Reserve (mile 15), Balneario Las Salinas (mile 25), El Leoncito National Park (mile 257)
- Museums and history: Museo Palmira Romano (mile 46), St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (mile 94)
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.
Teatro Municipal
Teatro Municipal de Viña del Mar is a heritage building in Viña del Mar, in Chile's Valparaíso Region, facing Plaza Vergara.
Balneario Las Salinas
Balneario Las Salinas is a beach in Viña del Mar, in Chile's Valparaíso Region, lying just north of the neighborhood of the same name.
Teatro Municipal Juan Bustos Ramírez
Quilpué's municipal theater opened on December 7, 1940, as Teatro Velarde; the city bought it in 2012 for reconstruction, and it reopened as Teatro Municipal Juan Bustos Ramírez in 2017.
Teatro Pompeya
Teatro Pompeya is a theater on Paseo Latorre in the city of Villa Alemana, in Chile's Valparaíso Region.
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.
St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe
San Felipe Cathedral, dedicated to St. Philip, is a Catholic parish in San Felipe, Valparaíso Region, and serves as the cathedral of the Diocese of San Felipe de Aconcagua.
Christ the Redeemer of the Andes
High in the Andes at 3,832 meters on the Argentina–Chile border, Christ the Redeemer of the Andes was unveiled on March 13, 1904, to mark the peaceful settlement of a border dispute between the two countries.
El Leoncito National Park
Created in 2002 in San Juan Province, El Leoncito National Park protects Central Andean Puna and Southern Andean steppe habitats along with historical and paleontological sites.
More drives to Barreal
- Mendoza to Barreal
- Capilla del Monte to Barreal
- Villa Carlos Paz to Barreal
- Córdoba, Argentina to Barreal
- Viña del Mar to Barreal, Argentina
- Valparaíso to Barreal, Argentina
More drives from Quintay
- Quintay to Pisco Elqui
- Quintay to Villa Unión, Argentina
- Quintay to Malargüe, Argentina
- Quintay to San Agustín de Valle Fértil, Argentina
- Quintay to La Punta, Argentina
- Quintay to San José de Jáchal, Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Quintay to Barreal, Argentina?
About 6 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 272 miles.
What is the driving distance from Quintay to Barreal, Argentina?
About 272 miles (437 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.
Where does the Quintay to Barreal drive cross the border?
At about mile 147, from Chile into Argentina, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Quintay into Argentina?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. (U.S. State Department, updated July 16, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Quintay to Barreal, Argentina?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Quintay to Barreal use?
In order: F-800, RN7 and RN149. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Quintay to Barreal?
Closest to the road: Teatro Municipal Juan Bustos Ramírez (theater, mile 32, 1 mi from the route); St. Philip's Cathedral, San Felipe (cathedral, mile 94, 0.9 mi from the route); Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (statue, mile 147, 0.9 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.