Plan on about 4 h 27 min of driving for the 176-mile (283 km) trip from San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón, before any stops.
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.”
| Distance | 176 mi (283 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 4 h 27 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN40 → RP63 → RN237 |
| Provinces on the route | Neuquén, Río Negro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
On the road from San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón
RN40 (105 mi) and RP63 (41 mi) carry about 83% of the 176 miles. It runs through 2 provinces: Neuquén, Río Negro. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect San Martín de los Andes and El Bolsón
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Neuquén |
| RN40 | 1–17 | 16 | Neuquén |
| RP63 | 17–58 | 41 | Neuquén |
| RN237 | 58–86 | 28 | Neuquén, Río Negro |
| RN40 | 86–175 | 89 | Neuquén, Río Negro |
| local roads | 175–176 | 1 | Río Negro |
- Mile 62 of this route: Neuquén → Río Negro (province line)
- Mile 67 of this route: Río Negro → Neuquén (province line)
- Mile 88 of this route: Neuquén → Río Negro (province line)
Places worth a stop between San Martín de los Andes and El Bolsón
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Lago Guillelmo (mile 124)
- Nature and outdoors: Lago Guillelmo (mile 124), Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (mile 152), Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido (mile 155), Reserva El Guadal (mile 168)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi (mile 100), Bariloche Paleontological Association (mile 100)
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.
Bariloche Paleontological Association
Founded in 1977, the museum of the Bariloche Paleontological Association is a nonprofit that preserves and shares local and provincial fossil heritage in San Carlos de Bariloche.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In El Bolsón itself
Parque Serrano
Parque Serrano is a municipal protected natural area in El Bolsón, in Argentine Patagonia, covered by the Andean Patagonian forest ecoregion.
More drives to El Bolsón
- San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón
- Neuquén to El Bolsón
- Comodoro Rivadavia to El Bolsón
- Trelew to El Bolsón
- Rawson to El Bolsón
- Puerto Madryn to El Bolsón
From San Martín de los Andes to other places in Argentina
- San Martín de los Andes to Colonia Suiza
- San Martín de los Andes to Frutillar, Chile
- San Martín de los Andes to Chaitén, Chile
- San Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde, Chile
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón?
About 4 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 176 miles.
How far is El Bolsón from San Martín de los Andes by car?
About 176 miles (283 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 San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón?
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 San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón use?
In order: RN40, RP63 and RN237. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Martín de los Andes and El Bolsón?
Closest to the road: Lago Guillelmo (lake, mile 124, 0.4 mi from the route); Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (park, mile 152, 1 mi from the route); Reserva El Guadal (park, mile 168, 1 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.