By road, Rawson and Colonia Suiza are about 557 miles (896 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 47 min of driving.
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 | 557 mi (896 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 47 min |
| Main roads, in order | RP7 → RN25 → RN40 → RP82 → RP79 |
| Provinces on the route | Chubut, Río Negro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
What the drive from Rawson to Colonia Suiza is like
RN25 (315 mi) and RN40 (218 mi) carry about 96% of the 557 miles. It runs through 2 provinces: Chubut, Río Negro. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Rawson to Colonia Suiza
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Chubut |
| RP7 | 1–9 | 8 | Chubut |
| connecting roads | 9–12 | 3 | Chubut |
| RN25 | 12–327 | 315 | Chubut |
| RN40 | 327–545 | 218 | Chubut, Río Negro |
| connecting roads | 545–546 | 1 | Río Negro |
| RP82 | 546–550 | 4 | Río Negro |
| connecting roads | 550–551 | 1 | Río Negro |
| RP79 | 551–557 | 6 | Río Negro |
- Mile 473 of this route: Chubut → Río Negro (province line)
Where to stop on the way to Colonia Suiza
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (mile 14), Gaiman Regional Historical Museum (mile 23), Reserva El Guadal (mile 482), Lago Guillelmo (mile 526)
- Nature and outdoors: Lago Puelo National Park (mile 468), Reserva El Guadal (mile 482), Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (mile 498), Lago Guillelmo (mile 526)
- Museums and history: Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (mile 14), Gaiman Regional Historical Museum (mile 23), Museo Leleque (mile 426), Museo de Tropas de Montaña (mile 550)
Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio
Fossils of Patagonia's ancient animals and plants fill the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio in Trelew, a research and exhibition center tracing how the region changed over geological time.
Gaiman Regional Historical Museum
Housed in Gaiman's former train station, the Gaiman Regional Historical Museum is run by the municipality with support from the Welsh association Asociación Galesa de Educación y Cultura Camwy.
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.
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 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
- Esquel to Colonia Suiza
From Rawson to other places in Argentina
- Rawson to Puerto San Julián
- Rawson to San Antonio Oeste
- Rawson to Balneario El Cóndor
- Rawson to Sierra de La Ventana
- Rawson to Villa El Chocón
- Rawson to El Bolsón
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Rawson to Colonia Suiza?
About 10 h 47 min of driving without stops, over 557 miles.
How far is Colonia Suiza from Rawson by car?
About 557 miles (896 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 Rawson to Colonia Suiza?
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 Rawson to Colonia Suiza use?
In order: RP7, RN25, RN40, RP82 and RP79. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Rawson to Colonia Suiza?
Closest to the road: Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (paleontological museum, mile 14, 0.8 mi from the route); Gaiman Regional Historical Museum (museum, mile 23, 0.6 mi from the route); Lago Guillelmo (lake, mile 526, 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.