The Wayro route from San Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde, Chile is 214 miles (345 km), about 5 h 24 min of driving without stops. You cross from Argentina into Chile at about mile 80, at Paso Cardenal Samoré.
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: “There are minefields on Chile's borders with Peru and Bolivia, and Argentina in Patagonia. Stay on marked roads and trails in these areas.”
| Distance | 214 mi (345 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 24 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN40 → RN231 → U-981-T → U-55-V → U-551-V → V-830 |
| Border crossing | about mile 80, Argentina → Chile (Paso Cardenal Samoré) |
| Regions on the route | Neuquén, Los Lagos, Los Ríos |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Argentina–Chile border
The route crosses at about mile 80, at Paso Cardenal Samoré, from Neuquén into Los Lagos. 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.
On the road from San Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde
RN40 (59 mi) and U-981-T (23 mi) carry about 38% of the 214 miles. The first 80 miles are in Argentina; the last 134 are in Chile. It runs through 3 regions: Neuquén, Los Lagos, Los Ríos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: San Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Neuquén |
| RN40 | 1–60 | 59 | Neuquén |
| RN231 | 60–80 | 20 | Neuquén |
| local roads | 80–124 | 44 | Los Lagos, Los Ríos |
| U-981-T | 124–147 | 23 | Los Lagos |
| U-55-V | 147–153 | 6 | Los Lagos |
| U-551-V | 153–173 | 20 | Los Lagos |
| connecting roads | 173–175 | 2 | Los Lagos |
| local roads | 175–209 | 34 | Los Lagos |
| V-830 | 209–214 | 5 | Los Lagos |
- Mile 80 of this route: Neuquén → Los Lagos (international border)
- Mile 92 of this route: Los Lagos → Los Ríos (region line)
- Mile 103 of this route: Los Ríos → Los Lagos (region line)
Stops between San Martín de los Andes and Monte Verde
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Aguas calientes Thermal Baths (mile 103), Puyehue Hot Springs (mile 107)
- Nature and outdoors: Los Arrayanes National Park (mile 60), Puyehue National Park (mile 92), Aguas calientes Thermal Baths (mile 103), Aguas Calientes Hot Springs (mile 106), Puyehue Hot Springs (mile 107), Lahuen Ñadi Natural Monument (mile 194)
- Museums and history: Pablo Fierro museum (mile 191), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Puerto Montt (mile 199), Historical Museum of Puerto Montt (mile 200)
Los Arrayanes National Park
Covering the Quetrihué Peninsula on Nahuel Huapi Lake, 3 km from Villa La Angostura in Neuquén, Los Arrayanes National Park protects 17.53 square kilometers.
Puyehue National Park
In the Andes across the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions, Puyehue National Park takes in hot springs, volcanoes and evergreen forests. It was expanded in 1950 and 1981.
Aguas calientes Thermal Baths
In Chile's Los Lagos Region, the Aguas Calientes thermal baths (Termas de Aguas Calientes) are hot springs used for both medicinal and tourism purposes.
Aguas Calientes Hot Springs
About 76 kilometers east of Osorno near Route 215-CH, Aguas Calientes Hot Springs is a series of hot springs in Chile's Los Lagos Region.
Puyehue Hot Springs
A series of hot springs about 76 km east of Osorno along Route 215-CH, Puyehue Hot Springs sit in the Los Lagos Region of southern Chile.
Pablo Fierro museum
On the Vicente Pérez Rosales waterfront avenue in Puerto Varas, in Chile's Los Lagos Region, the Pablo Fierro museum offers free entry.
Lahuen Ñadi Natural Monument
Between Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas in Chile's Los Lagos Region, Lahuen Ñadi Natural Monument protects about 2 square kilometers of ñadi.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt Cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, stands on the city's Plaza de Armas and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Puerto Montt.
Historical Museum of Puerto Montt
Founded in 1967 as a municipal museum, the Historical Museum of Puerto Montt (Museo Histórico Juan Pablo II) has been on the city's waterfront since 1988.
When you get to Monte Verde
Monte Verde
Near Puerto Montt in Llanquihue Province, Monte Verde is a Paleolithic site whose Monte Verde II layer, dated to about 14,500 years ago, shows people reached the Americas before the Clovis culture.
More drives to Monte Verde
- Frutillar to Monte Verde
- Osorno to Monte Verde
- Valdivia to Monte Verde
- Villarrica to Monte Verde
- Pucón to Monte Verde
- Temuco to Monte Verde
More drives from San Martín de los Andes
- San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón
- San Martín de los Andes to Colonia Suiza
- San Martín de los Andes to Frutillar, Chile
- San Martín de los Andes to Chaitén, Chile
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from San Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde, Chile?
About 5 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 214 miles.
How far is Monte Verde, Chile from San Martín de los Andes by car?
About 214 miles (345 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 Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde drive cross the border?
At about mile 80, from Argentina into Chile, at Paso Cardenal Samoré.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from San Martín de los Andes 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 Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde, 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 Martín de los Andes to Monte Verde?
In order: RN40, RN231, U-981-T, U-55-V, U-551-V and V-830. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Martín de los Andes and Monte Verde?
Closest to the road: Aguas calientes Thermal Baths (hot spring, mile 103, 0.9 mi from the route); Puyehue Hot Springs (hot spring, mile 107, 0.3 mi from the route); Pablo Fierro museum (museum, mile 191, 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.