The Wayro route from Valle Nevado to Quintay is 117 miles (189 km), about 3 h 5 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: Chile. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Chile: “Use caution when walking or driving at night, especially if alone.”
| Total distance | 117 mi (189 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 3 h 5 min |
| Main roads, in order | G-251 → G-21 |
| Regions on the route | Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Valle Nevado to Quintay drive plays out
G-21 (19 mi) and G-251 (9 mi) carry about 24% of the 117 miles. It runs through 2 regions: Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Valle Nevado to Quintay, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-251 | 0–9 | 9 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| G-21 | 9–28 | 19 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| local roads | 28–117 | 89 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso |
- Mile 89 of this route: Región Metropolitana de Santiago → Valparaíso (region line)
Places worth a stop between Valle Nevado and Quintay
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Ralli, Santiago de Chile (mile 35), Casa Museo Eduardo Frei Montalva (mile 39), Laguna Carén (mile 52)
- Nature and outdoors: Apoquindo Waterfall (mile 25), Rosaleda del Parque Araucano (mile 34), Laguna Carén (mile 52), Lago Peñuelas National Reserve (mile 99)
- Museums and history: Museo de la Chilenidad Benjamín Mackenna Besa (mile 31), Museo Ralli, Santiago de Chile (mile 35), Casa Museo Eduardo Frei Montalva (mile 39)
Apoquindo Waterfall
Fed by snowmelt from Cerro San Ramón and Cerro Provincia, Apoquindo Waterfall lies in Aguas de Ramón Natural Park on the east side of Santiago, near Apoquindo.
Santuario de la Naturaleza El Arrayán
El Arrayán Nature Sanctuary (Santuario de la Naturaleza El Arrayán) is a privately owned protected area open to the public in the Lo Barnechea commune of Santiago.
Museo de la Chilenidad Benjamín Mackenna Besa
Housed in La Llavería at the Santa Rosa de Apoquindo estate in Las Condes, Santiago, this museum's three galleries explore how the horse, the land and its people shaped Chilean identity.
Rosaleda del Parque Araucano
Inside Santiago's Parque Araucano, this 2,000-square-meter rose garden displays a range of rose species and varieties.
Museo Ralli, Santiago de Chile
Located in Santiago, the Museo Ralli is a museum of contemporary Latin American art.
Casa Museo Eduardo Frei Montalva
For the last four decades of his life, Eduardo Frei Montalva lived in this house on Hindenburg Street in Providencia, Santiago, which is now a museum in his memory.
Teatro Caupolicán
Opened in 1936 on San Diego street in Santiago, Teatro Caupolicán is a theater and music venue.
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.
Lago Peñuelas National Reserve
Chile's Lago Peñuelas National Reserve surrounds Peñuelas Lake, a freshwater reservoir that supplies drinking water to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
More drives to Quintay
- Reñaca to Quintay
- Coquimbo to Quintay
- La Serena to Quintay
- Vicuña to Quintay
- Punta de Choros to Quintay
- Copiapó to Quintay
From Valle Nevado to other places in Chile
- Valle Nevado to Pisco Elqui
- Valle Nevado to Punta de Choros
- Valle Nevado to Villa Unión, Argentina
- Valle Nevado to Malargüe, Argentina
- Valle Nevado to San Agustín de Valle Fértil, Argentina
- Valle Nevado to La Punta, Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Valle Nevado to Quintay?
About 3 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 117 miles.
How far is Quintay from Valle Nevado by car?
About 117 miles (189 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 Valle Nevado to Quintay drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Valle Nevado to Quintay use?
In order: G-251 and G-21. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Valle Nevado and Quintay?
Closest to the road: Museo Ralli, Santiago de Chile (private museum, mile 35, 0.7 mi from the route); Casa Museo Eduardo Frei Montalva (history museum, mile 39, 0.8 mi from the route); Laguna Carén (lagoon, mile 52, 0.7 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.