The Wayro route from San Juan, Argentina to Pichilemu, Chile is 449 miles (722 km), about 10 h 22 min of driving without stops. You cross from Argentina into Chile at about mile 231, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
Full advisory: Argentina, Chile. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Chile August 19, 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.”
- Chile: “Secondary and mountain roads may be poorly maintained, poorly lit, and may lack guardrails.”
| Distance by road | 449 mi (722 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 22 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN40 → RP87 → RP84 → RN7 → E-57 → G-60 → G-62-I → I-62-G → I-80-G |
| Border crossing | about mile 231, Argentina → Chile (the Cristo Redentor crossing) |
| Regions on the route | San Juan, Mendoza, Valparaíso, Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Getting across the Argentina–Chile border
The route crosses at about mile 231, at the Cristo Redentor crossing, from Mendoza into Valparaíso. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| The car, entering Chile | Foreign-plated cars entering Chile need SOAPEX, Chile's mandatory accident insurance for foreign vehicles, unless an international agreement covers the car. Keep the certificate with the car's papers. |
| 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, Chile (updated July 02, 2026); U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026); CMF Chile (financial regulator). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving San Juan to Pichilemu: the shape of the trip
RN40 (112 mi) and RN7 (103 mi) carry about 48% of the 449 miles. The first 231 miles are in Argentina; the last 218 are in Chile. It runs through 5 regions: San Juan, Mendoza, Valparaíso, Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: San Juan to Pichilemu
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | San Juan |
| RN40 | 2–114 | 112 | San Juan, Mendoza |
| connecting roads | 114–116 | 2 | Mendoza |
| RP87 | 116–121 | 5 | Mendoza |
| RP84 | 121–126 | 5 | Mendoza |
| RN7 | 126–229 | 103 | Mendoza |
| local roads | 229–270 | 41 | Mendoza, Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 270–273 | 3 | Valparaíso |
| E-57 | 273–277 | 4 | Valparaíso |
| connecting roads | 277–278 | 1 | Valparaíso |
| local roads | 278–326 | 48 | Valparaíso, Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| connecting roads | 326–327 | 1 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| local roads | 327–365 | 38 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| G-60 | 365–383 | 18 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| connecting roads | 383–385 | 2 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| G-62-I | 385–395 | 10 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| I-62-G | 395–411 | 16 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| I-80-G | 411–427 | 16 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
| local roads | 427–449 | 22 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
- Mile 52 of this route: San Juan → Mendoza (region line)
- Mile 231 of this route: Mendoza → Valparaíso (international border)
- Mile 287 of this route: Valparaíso → Región Metropolitana de Santiago (region line)
- Mile 397 of this route: Región Metropolitana de Santiago → Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Pichilemu
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo del Área Fundacional (mile 103), Teatro Independencia (mile 104), Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (mile 230), Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los Andes (mile 278)
- Nature and outdoors: Laguna Carén (mile 322)
- Museums and history: Museo del Área Fundacional (mile 103), Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo Cerrillos (mile 327), Museo del Carmen de Maipú (mile 329), St. Joseph's Cathedral, Melipilla (mile 364)
Museo del Área Fundacional
Founded in 1993, this museum in the city of Mendoza displays items of historical and archaeological value from the surrounding region.
Teatro Independencia
For live performances in Mendoza, Argentina, Teatro Independencia is the city's premier performing arts venue.
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.
Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los Andes
Pilgrims come to the Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los Andes in Rinconada, Valparaíso Region, to venerate the relics of Saint Teresa of the Andes, Chile's first saint. The shrine was built to receive thousands of the faithful.
Laguna Carén
Laguna Carén is a man-made freshwater lagoon and wetland in Pudahuel, west of central Santiago, forming part of Parque Carén, a University of Chile property of about 2,525 acres.
Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo Cerrillos
Housed in the old modernist terminal of Los Cerrillos airport in Santiago, this contemporary art center opened in 2016 for temporary exhibitions and Chilean art from 1967 onward.
Museo del Carmen de Maipú
In the Maipú district of Santiago, Museo del Carmen de Maipú is a private museum of history, religion and art that preserves and exhibits pieces of Chile's cultural heritage.
St. Joseph's Cathedral, Melipilla
St. Joseph's Cathedral in Melipilla, Chile, is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Melipilla.
When you get to 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 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.
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.
More drives to Pichilemu
- Santiago, Chile to Pichilemu
- Los Andes to Pichilemu
- Coquimbo to Pichilemu
- La Serena to Pichilemu
- Chillán to Pichilemu
- Los Ángeles to Pichilemu
More drives from San Juan
- San Juan, Argentina to Tunuyán
- San Juan, Argentina to San Rafael
- San Juan, Argentina to Villa Carlos Paz
- San Juan, Argentina to Amaicha del Valle
- San Juan, Argentina to Tafí Viejo
- San Juan, Argentina to Viña del Mar, Chile
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from San Juan, Argentina to Pichilemu, Chile?
About 10 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 449 miles.
What is the driving distance from San Juan, Argentina to Pichilemu, Chile?
About 449 miles (722 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 San Juan to Pichilemu drive cross the border?
At about mile 231, from Argentina into Chile, at the Cristo Redentor crossing.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from San Juan into Chile?
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. A valid U.S. license works for the length of your tourist permit, usually 90 days. (U.S. State Department, updated July 02, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from San Juan, Argentina to Pichilemu, Chile?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from San Juan to Pichilemu?
In order: RN40, RP87, RP84, RN7, E-57, G-60, G-62-I, I-62-G and I-80-G. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Juan and Pichilemu?
Closest to the road: Museo del Área Fundacional (museum, mile 103, 0.1 mi from the route); Teatro Independencia (theater, mile 104, 0.9 mi from the route); Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los Andes (convent of discalced carmelite nuns, mile 278, 0.6 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.