Bei dieser Variante handelt es sich um eine Alternative für Eilige, die so schnell als möglich nach Süden gelangen möchten. Die Gesamtstrecke bis Las Grutas, Etappe 1, ist 1.070 km lang. Die Fahrzeit beträgt laut Google Maps ca. 12,5 Stunden

Danach ergibt sich eine weitere Etappe von nochmals 302 km bis Trelew. Unser Ziel ist es, diese 1.372 km am ersten Tag zu absolvieren mit nochmals 3 Stunden Fahrzeit. Andernfalls übernachten wird in Las Grutas.

Ab Trelew bis Perito Moreno sind es nochmals 760 km, die wir gemütlich angehen wollen, d.h., wenn wir morgens gegen 9:00 Uhr in Trelew aufbrechen möchten wir gegen 19:00 Uhr in Perito Moreno ankommen, was aufgrund der Bewegung nach Westen ca. 18:00 Uhr in Buenos Aires entspricht.

Nun, auf alle Fälle eine Herausforderung, mal sehen ob wir diese schaffen.

Buenos Aires – Las Grutas auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen

Fahrtstrecke – Beschreibung

1. Von Cerrito nach Süden Richtung Acceso A Cerrito starten                                                   500 m

2. Weiter auf Lima                                                                                                                       1,3 km

3. Links halten auf Au. 25 de Mayo – teilweise gebührenpflichtige Straße                                 9,1 km

4. Weiter auf Au. Luis Dellepiane – gebührenpflichtige Straße                                                 11,5 km

5. Weiter auf Au. Teniente General Pablo Ricchieri – gebührenpflichtige Straße                    33,0 km

6. Die Ausfahrt nach Au. Ezeiza – Cañuelas nehmen

7. Weiter auf RN 205 – gebührenpflichtige Straße                                                                      3,7 km

8. Die Ausfahrt nehmen                                                                                                                110 m

9. Im Kreisverkehr die dritte Ausfahrt auf die RN 3 nehmen                                                        450 m

10. Auf RN 3 – Gebührenpflichtige Straße                                                                                    950 m

11. Nach links abbiegen, um auf RN 3 zu bleiben – Gebührenpflichtige Straße                            170 m

12. Rechts halten auf RN 3 – Teilweise gebührenpflichtige Straße                                             3,2 km

13. Rechts halten, um auf RN 3 zu bleiben – Teilweise gebührenpflichtige Straße                     240 km

14. Im Kreisverkehr erste Ausfahrt (RN 226) nehmen – Gebührenpflichtige Straße                 33,6 km

15. Weiter auf RP 51                                                                                                                94,3 km

16. Weiter auf RP 76                                                                                                                69,4 km

17. Bei Gabelung rechts halten                                                                                                  110 km

18. Nach links abbiegen, um auf RP 76 zu bleiben                                                                        72 m

19. Nach rechts abbiegen, um auf RP 76 zu bleiben                                                                 45,1 km

20. Nach rechts abbiegen, um auf RP 76 zu bleiben                                                                 39,4 km

21. Links halten bei RN 33                                                                                                        64,0 km

Bahia Blanca                                                                  Total   760 km

22. Rechts halten bei Camino Parque Sesquicentenario                                                           2,8 km

23. Rechts halten bei Av Acceso A Alem                                                                                       88 m

24. 1. rechts auf Camino Parque Sesquicentenario nehmen – Den Kreisverkehr passieren      4,6 km

25. Bei RN 3 rechts abbiegen – Den Kreisverkehr passieren                                                    22,9 km

26. Weiter auf RN 22                                                                                                                 167 km

27. Bei RN 251 links abbiegen                                                                                                   204 km

28. Geradeaus auf RN 3                                                                                                            11,2 km

Las Grutas                                                                       Total 413 km

Trelew                                                                                                

30. Im Kreisverkehr dritte Ausfahrt nehmen, um auf RN 3 zu bleiben                                        4,5 km

31. Im Kreisverkehr erste Ausfahrt nehmen, um auf RN 3 zu bleiben                                        372 km

Comodoro Rivadavia                                                         Total 377 km

32. Weiter auf Güemes                                                                                                                350 m

33. Weiter auf Av Hipólito Yrigoyen                                                                                         1,2 km

34. Bei Gabelung rechts halten                                                                                                  5,9 km

35. Weiter auf RN 3                                                                                                                    70 km

Caleta Oliva                                                                      Total  77 km

36. Links halten bei Leandro Alem                                                                                              450 m

37. Rechts halten bei Av San Martin                                                                                           900 m

38. Rechts halten bei Independencia                                                                                         700 m

39. Weiter auf Bartolomé Mitre                                                                                                  500 m

40. Im Kreisverkehr dritte Ausfahrt (RP 12) nehmen                                                                52,5 km

Pico Truncado Total                                                          Total  55 km

41. Bei RP 43 rechts abbiegen                                                                                                  78,6 km

Las Heras                                                                                            

42. Links halten, um auf RP 43 zu bleiben                                                                               18,3 km

43. Bei Gabelung rechts halten                                                                                                  140 km

44. Weiter auf RN 40                                                                                                                11,6 km

Perito Moreno                                                                  Total 170 km

45. Bei Av San Martin links abbiegen                                                                                         1,0 km

Hotels in Las Grutas, San Antonio del Oeste

Weitere Hotels:
http://www.interpatagonia.com/lasgrutas/alojamientos.html

Hotels in Trelew

Hotel Amancay,
Paraguay 953 – Trelew, Chubut – Patagonia Argentina. Tel.: (02965) 425192
http://www.hotelamancaytrelew.com/pag/tarifas.asp

Weitere Hotels:
http://www.interpatagonia.com/trelew/alojamientos.html

Hotels in Comodoro Rivadavia

http://www.interpatagonia.com/comodororivadavia/alojamientos.html

Hotels in Pico Truncado

http://www.interpatagonia.com/picotruncado/alojamientos.html

Hotels in Perito Moreno

Hotel Belgrano, Av. San Martin 1001, Tel.: 0297-43-2019

http://www.interpatagonia.com/peritomoreno/alojamientos.html

On Nov. 16, 2009 at 16:00 h (4:00 pm) a cold front from south hits Buenos Aires with 44 mm (1-3/4 in.) rainfall in only 15 minutes. After a couple of years it was the first time that this happened.

The following satellite imagery (taken from NASA) shows the development from 14:00 h (2:00 pm) to 22:00 h (10 pm).

First some clouds came up and the temperature was around 30 °C (  °F). At 15:30 h (3:00 pm) the first rain drops fall down. At the peak of this event at 16:00 h (4:00 pm) the amazing videos were taken. People were hurrying to find a dry place. The were flooded up to 40 cm (15-1/2 in.) and some trash was swimming in the streets. Only some brave people with their cars were still driving on the streets. Many others were waiting for “better weather”.

Many of the people that we have met in Buenos Aires asked this question answered: Oh, it is because of the good airs (Spanish: buenos aires) that we have, isn’t it?

Actually it’s not because of the good air we have. We will find the truth in the history of this city.

In 1516 the Spanish seaman Juan Díaz de Solís discovered the Río de la Plata. In 1535 Pedro de Mendoza sailed on the Río de la Plata and landed on February 2, 1536 at the banks of the Río de la Plata in a district of Buenos Aires that today is called San Telmo. It is located near the Casa Rosada (Arg. President Palace) in Buenos Aires downtown. Here they were attacked by the natives and later they left. In 1541 they give up the settlement. Some sailed on the river and settled in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, others including Mendoza sailed back to Spain, where he never arrived, because he died earlier.

On the journey in 1536 they had very fair winds and sailed very fast crossing the Atlantic Ocean. That motivated the catholic Mendoza to call the place, where they landed, Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre (literally "City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds") to thank God for the good conditions they had during sailing. In 1580 arrived Juan de Garay from Asunción to settle the place a second time. He named the settlement “Santisima Trinidad" and gave the port de name "Puerto de Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires." (literally "Port of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds").

Today’s official name of this city is: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (literally “Autonomous City of Buenos Aires”).

Today we like to discover the enormous extensions of Argentina travelling from East to West by car. East to West means in this case from Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires on the banks of Río de la Plata to the capital of the province of Mendoza, the city Mendoza, just below the mountains of the Andes or Cordillera.

And the landscapes you can experience are varying from the skyline of a megacity, pampas and steppes and vineries  to mountains.

The distance is about 1080 km (675 mi) and starting not later than 8:00 am you can do this trip in one day  to feel the enormous extension and observe the landscapes cruising through Argentina. Cruising by car in Argentina is always a big thing. It is inexpressible, you must experience this.

Well, for the trip Argentina offers two different alternatives:

1. Ruta 8 – Leaving Buenos Aires by following the Pan-American Highway for a short way and then heading west passing several villages and small cities of Pilar, Arrecifes, Pergamino, Venado Tuerto and Rio Cuarto and to Villa Mercedes in the Province of San Luis.

2. Ruta 7 – Leaving Buenos Aires by following the Highway “Acceso Oesto” passing the villages and cities of Lujan, Junin, Rufino, Laboulaye, Vicuña Mackenna to Villa Mercedes.

View Discover Argentina Buenos Aires – Mendoza in a larger map

Both routes join in Villa Mercedes and form the Ruta 8 passing the capital of the Province of San Luis, the city San Luis, to Mendoza

Both roads are in good conditions. I personally prefer the second alternative (Ruta 7). It is faster because you never enter into the cities/villages and it is less used.

The Start

A classic start of such a trip has to begin in Buenos Aires down town driving a round around the 57 m (187 feet) high Obelisk at the junction of Av. 9 de Julio and Av. Corrientes. For me it is a must to feel one more time the pulse of this vibrant megacity before cruising through the wide land. The traffic, the people, the sound of the cars, busses, motorcycles, all this gives Buenos Aires its unique charm.

Photo: Toyota Hilux with Obelisk:

Heading south on the worlds broadest Avenue, the Av. 9 de Julio, we enter into the Autopista 25 de Mayo that leads us west out of Buenos Aires. A last view on downtown and we drive on the Autopista through the city. Later we turn right on Acceso Oeste and pass the toll station. Now the buildings are lower and on the right side we see the Soccer Stadium of Velez Sarsfield in the district of Liniers. Here we cross the Highway General Paz. This highway forms the limit between Capital Federal and Province of Buenos Aires.

Traffic rules

Keep in mind that new traffic rules have to be respected. This is until today something special in Argentina. Every province has it’s own traffic rules. And Argentina has a federal law for traffic. Maybe, one day they will change this.

Province of Buenos Aires

In the province of Buenos Aires the buildings are just lower as in Capital Federal but initially the traffic is the same and the highway has more lanes than in Capital Federal. After some kilometers/miles we pass another toll station and now the traffic becomes less. You will see more and more trucks. Trucks are the only transport system in Argentina that works and you can see modern and old trucks, for example the old Mercedes 1114 (Built from 1959 to end of the 1990) that is still running on the roads of Argentina.

After passing a second toll station we note a change of the landscape. The buildings disappear and the real Argentina, the Pampa, begins.

Then, after one hour the signs of Lujan are coming up. Lujan is the first city and we take the opportunity to visit the biggest Cathedral from Argentina. It is only 5 minutes away from the highway.

Photo: Cathedral Lujan, Argentina:

After coming back on the highway it changed into a road and cruising through the enormous extension to the west of Argentina begins. Until the limit of the Provinces Buenos Aires and Santa Fe we see flat land and fields with different grains and cattle or cattle and grains (It depends of what you want to see first).

Argentina is an important exporter of soy beans, wheat and vegetable oil products, as well as meat. The steaks are marvelous. A tip: Eat a lomo al punto (medium cooked) with fries and a simple mixed salad and if you are not the driver, with a good red wine from Mendoza. That would one of the best meals you ever eat.

Driving, sorry cruising, you’ll note that the land is very, very flat and the road goes straight, straight ahead for kilometers/miles. We will tell you a small secret. We entered into a region were the creeks and rivers have no access to the ocean. That means, the precipitations only can evaporate or trickle away into the soil where they built up during many thousands of years a very big reservoir of ground water. It is one of the biggest reservoirs of the world. All the lakes and lagoons you see are a product of the precipitations.

Photo: Laguna de Gomez:

Now the road has no turn and heads straight ahead. It seems that it is going directly to heaven.

Province of Santa Fe

Some kilometers/miles ahead we reach “Laguna La Picasa” on a new road. The old road was destroyed by flooding caused by enormous precipitations in 2002/2003, when the level of the laguna was elevated for some 3 meters/yards. Today we can observe many birds beside the road. Between many other birds we saw a flamboyance of flamingos.

Video Laguna La Picasa:

Province of Cordoba

Photo: Sign at border between the provinces of Santa Fe and Córdoba:

Then we enter into the Province of Cordoba and we just have travelled half of the way from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. Here, at the border we stopped for another coffee break. This time beside the road. This is not too dangerous because on the road is not so much traffic and

the green beside the road is up to 50 m/yards broad.

Province of San Luis

Back on the road we head to the Province of San Luis. This province is a province of Argentina, but its Governor called it “another country”. The road changed and is now a highway. During the night it is illuminated with 17 lights every kilometer. In the city of Mercedes you see a lot of industry. This is the product of a different style of politics. The governors are all from the family Rodriguez Saa and they said, transform this province into a tax paradise and the industry will come. That happened many years ago and today the industry is there and the people have jobs. This province right now offers Wi-Fi for free in all cities and villages to all people that like to use is.

A tip: Don’t forget refueling in Mercedes. On the long way to Mendoza Mercedes is the last city with a petrol station beside the highway. If you don’t do that, you have to leave the highway in the city of San Luis or if you are sure about the fuel you have, you can go ahead until the village La Paz in Mendoza, some 120 km (72 miles) from the city of San Luis.

On the way to the city of San Luis you can see the wonderful thunderstorms of the Argentine Pampas. They were not very big, but they had deep black clouds and formed a lot of rainbows.

Photo: Thunderstorm with rainbow in the pampas of San Luis:

After the first thunderstorm once again we headed west, passing the Sierras of San Luis and the Capital of the Province of San Luis, the City San Luis.

Photo: Las Sierras of San Luis:

Province of Mendoza

At the border to the Province of Mendoza the highway changed back into a road and a border control awaits you.

A tip: Eat all the fruit that you transport. The limit between the provinces of San Luis and Mendoza is a fito sanitary barrier and it is not allowed to pass fresh fruits, etc. to Mendoza. They control all: Every suitcase, bag, cooling box. Everything! The reason is, that the Province of Mendoza is declared as free of the fruit fly and the Government protects its province. After some 22 kilometers (14 miles) we pass the village of La Paz. Here we find a petrol station to refuel, if you didn’t in Villa Mercedes or the city of San Luis. Right now the road changes back into a highway that leads us until the city of Mendoza.

As the night was coming up we arrived in Mendoza, were we stood in the Hotel “Cervantes” in Mendoza downtown.

It is very easy to find. Straight ahead from the end of the highway four blocks, a right turn into Avenida San Martin, three more blocks and another right turn into Amigorena Street and you see the Hotel “Cervantes” on the right hand beside the big YPF-Petrol station. The hotel has an own parking area and it is very comfortable, silent and offers a very good restaurant. And it is one stone’s throw away from “Paseo Sarmiento” (Pedestrian area), where you can go to shopping and you’ll encounter many restaurants with different cuisine to enjoy the city of Mendoza.

With its 2.780.403 km² (1,068,300 sq mi) Argentina is the 8 biggest country on the world. A state like Texas enters 4 times and a country like Germany enters 7.8 times into Argentina. In this big country live some 40 million habitants. Some 14 million of them are living in the region of Gran Buenos Aires and form a vibrant megacity at the shores of the Rio de la Plata.

Outside of Buenos Aires you feel the enormous dimensions of this country. Travelling is possible by air, by bus and car and in some cases by train.

Discover Argentina means you need time

If you really want to feel the dimensions of Argentina you have to discover this great nation by car, not in a hurry like in the Megacities of the world. No, take your time, soon you will learn cruising and enjoy the landscapes, the Pampa with the cows or the grain fields. In the western part before reaching the Andes the landscape changes into steppes and sometimes into desserts. In the north eastern part you will find the province of Misiones with its famous Falls of Iguacu and hundreds of other small waterfalls. In the south, in Patagonia, are the steppes. You drive kilometers and kilometers (miles and miles) and meet nobody. But it is beautiful to feel this cruising on the roads of Argentina.

As we know nearly all parts of this fantastic country of Tango, Soccer and Steaks, we started to prepare a series of articles to present you Argentina and the Patagonia.

Argentina – Its enormous extensions

View Extensions of Argentina in a larger map

The extensions of Argentina are enormous. From north to south 4300 km (2700 mi) and from east to west 1300 km (800 mi).

To travel from north to south, from La Quiaca at the border to Bolivia to the most southern city of the World, Ushuaia, Argentina offers three alternatives:

From east to west the distance from Buenos Aires to Mendoza is some 1080 km (674 mi), then you have to drive some 160 km (100 mi) more to the Chilean border. For this trip Argentina offers two alternatives:

1. Ruta 8 from Buenos Aires following the Pan-American Highway for a short way and then heading west passing several villages and cities as Pilar, Arrecifes, Pergamino, Venado Tuerto and Rio Cuarto and then passing Villa Mercedes, San Luis on Ruta 7/8 to Mendoza

2. Ruta 7 from Buenos Aires passing for Lujan, Junin, Rufino, Laboulaye, Vicuña Mackenna and then passing Villa Mercedes, San Luis on Ruta 7/8 to Mendoza

Travelling from Buenos Aires to the Falls of Iguacu means leaving Buenos Aires and heading north east. There are no alternatives:

• You only follow the “Ruta del Mercosur” some 1287 km (804 mi) on Ruta 9 to Zarate turning right on Ruta 12 and later on Ruta 14 passing the cities of Gualeguaychú, Concordia, Paso de los Libres and Posadas. Here you follow once more Ruta 12 to Port of Iguacu.

In the next article we will lead you first from Buenos Aires to Mendoza and then we head south into the northern part of Patagonia to show you some beautiful places.

- Discover Argentina -

I always enjoy driving on the Pan American Highway in Buenos Aires. It is a very broad highway with four to six lanes and offers a nice view on the neighborhoods in the “Zona Norte” of Buenos Aires like Don Torcuato, San Isidro and Florida.

This seven minutes clip shows you the Pan American Highway to Buenos Aires over a distance of 14.4 kilometers (9 miles) from Don Torcuato to exit ramp Calle Pelliza, Florida, in the province of Buenos Aires. Until the Obelisk in Buenos Aires you have to drive some 19 kilometers / 12 miles more.

View Pan American Highway – Access to Buenos Aires in a larger map

The original Pan American Highway begins at the border of Mexico and United States and ends in Puerto Montt (Chile) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Map of the original Pan American Highway in Wikipedia.

During the time many new sections were added. Find more information on Wikipedia.