We drove 2,176 miles (3,502 km) in July 2019 which makes it a pretty high mileage month. We spent the first few hours of the month in Chile before crossing back into Argentina on July 1st so that we could catch the total solar eclipse near San Juan. We spent the remainder of July exploring the provinces of San Juan and Córdoba and ended the month back in the Uco Valley near the city of Mendoza. Take a look at what we saw during our South American road trip in July, including two national parks, a provincial park, and that spectacular total solar eclipse.
This is what the amazing 2019 total solar eclipse in Argentina looked like.
July 2019 South American road trip driving route in Chile and Argentina
We started the month of July in San Esteban, Chile but by 10:30 am on the morning of July 1 we’d crossed over the Andes and back into Argentina. This was a big relief after spending a few days stuck in Chile as snow, ice, and wind closed this high altitude border crossing between Chile and Argentina. After crossing the border we made a bee-line to San Juan, Argentina where we’d made a hotel reservation nine months earlier (a remarkable level of advance planning for us) to be sure we had a place to sleep before and after the total solar eclipse that was passing nearby. The wait, the rush, and the traffic were all well worth it as you can see in our post about our amazing first total solar eclipse.
Just another natural geological wonder in Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina.
After exploring the Andes region of San Juan Province for a few days, we headed to the desert area of Eastern San Juan province to visit Ischigualasto Provincial Park, also known as Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). This geologically fascinating area, quite similar to the National Parks in South Western Utah, is also home to some of the oldest known dinosaur fossils. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Talampaya National Park which we visited the following day. After exploring the parks, we headed to the city of Córdoba, Argentina’s second-most populous city after Buenos Aires. Córdoba is no Buenos Aires, but what it’s lacking in culture and big-city sophistication, it makes up for in nature and sites scattered throughout the surrounding Sierras Chicas.
The colors and canyons of Talampaya National Park in Argentina.
After Córdoba, we headed back toward Mendoza, stopping in the small town of Nono after quite a detour due to a road that was closed due to ice. Nono is home to the Roscen Museum, one of the most eclectic collections of, well, everything. Continuing west, we made a brief stop at Sierra de las Quijadas National Park before returning to Mendoza to visit a few more hotels. We ended the month in Vista Flores in the Uco Valley.
Our complete July 2019 road trip driving route in Argentina and Chile can be seen in our map, below:
And you can see what we saw out there on the road in Argentina and Chile in June of 2019 in our dashcam drive-lapse video, below. It was, as always, shot by our Brinno camera which is attached to our dashboard at all times.
Here’s more about travel in Argentina
Here’s more about travel in Chile
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