By road, Santa Cruz, Chile and Vicuña are about 443 miles (713 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 51 min of driving.
Full advisory: Chile. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Chile: “Driving in Chile is relatively safe.”
| Total distance | 443 mi (713 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 51 min |
| Main roads, in order | D-201 |
| Regions on the route | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso, Coquimbo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Santa Cruz to Vicuña: the shape of the trip
D-201 (4 mi) carries about 1% of the 443 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso, Coquimbo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Santa Cruz to Vicuña
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–402 | 402 | Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso, Coquimbo |
| connecting roads | 402–403 | 1 | Coquimbo |
| local roads | 403–415 | 12 | Coquimbo |
| connecting roads | 415–416 | 1 | Coquimbo |
| D-201 | 416–420 | 4 | Coquimbo |
| local roads | 420–443 | 23 | Coquimbo |
- Mile 76 of this route: Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins → Región Metropolitana de Santiago (region line)
- Mile 149 of this route: Región Metropolitana de Santiago → Valparaíso (region line)
- Mile 232 of this route: Valparaíso → Coquimbo (region line)
What to see on the way from Santa Cruz to Vicuña
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Basílica de Santa Ana, Rengo (mile 40), Buin Zoo (mile 92), Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo Cerrillos (mile 107), Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio (mile 108), Basilica of Lourdes, Santiago (mile 112), Museo Arqueológico, La Serena (mile 403)
- Nature and outdoors: La Campana National Park (mile 172), Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park (mile 344)
- Museums and history: Basílica de Santa Ana, Rengo (mile 40), Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo Cerrillos (mile 107), Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio (mile 108), Basílica del Salvador (mile 111), Basilica of Lourdes, Santiago (mile 112), Museo Arqueológico, La Serena (mile 403)
- With kids: Buin Zoo (mile 92)
Basílica de Santa Ana, Rengo
A Catholic church in the city of Rengo, the Basílica de Santa Ana is one of Chile's nine minor basilicas, with roots going back to the colonial period.
Buin Zoo
Buin Zoo is a bioparque in the commune of Buin, Santiago Metropolitan Region, and a member of the Latin American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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 Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio
Chile's Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio is a national museum dedicated to sharing the country's aviation heritage with visitors.
Basílica del Salvador
At Huérfanos and Almirante Barroso streets in Santiago's Barrio Brasil, the Basílica del Salvador is a neo-Gothic church designed by German architect Teodoro Burchard.
Basilica of Lourdes, Santiago
The Basilica of Lourdes is a church in Santiago, standing across from Quinta Normal Park.
La Campana National Park
In Chile's coastal range northwest of Santiago, La Campana National Park protects the Chilean palm that Charles Darwin studied on his 1834 visit. Trails climb toward Cerro La Campana, and the park also holds petroglyphs and the Salto La Cortadera waterfall.
Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park
Near Ovalle in Chile's semi-arid north, Fray Jorge National Park shelters a fog-fed forest of species typical of southern Chile, such as olivillo and canelo. A short marked loop trail winds through it, and the park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Museo Arqueológico, La Serena
Founded on April 3, 1943, as a municipal museum, La Serena's Archaeological Museum focuses on local prehistory and archaeology and sits in the city center.
Once you reach Vicuña
Entomological and Natural History Museum of Vicuña
Opened in 1994, this private museum in Vicuña holds about 26,000 specimens, mostly insects, mollusks and birds, from Chile and other parts of Latin America, along with fossils.
More drives to Vicuña
- Copiapó to Vicuña
- Caldera to Vicuña
- Reñaca to Vicuña
- Algarrobo to Vicuña
- Valparaíso to Vicuña
- Viña del Mar to Vicuña
From Santa Cruz to other places in Chile
- Santa Cruz, Chile to Valle Nevado
- Santa Cruz, Chile to Pisco Elqui
- Santa Cruz, Chile to Punta de Choros
- Santa Cruz, Chile to Malargüe, Argentina
- Santa Cruz, Chile to La Punta, Argentina
- Santa Cruz, Chile to San José de Jáchal, Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz, Chile to Vicuña?
About 8 h 51 min of driving without stops, over 443 miles.
How far is Vicuña from Santa Cruz, Chile by car?
About 443 miles (713 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Santa Cruz to Vicuña drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Santa Cruz to Vicuña?
Closest to the road: Buin Zoo (zoo, mile 92, 0.1 mi from the route); Basilica of Lourdes, Santiago (basilica, mile 112, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Arqueológico, La Serena (museum, mile 403, 0.3 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.