Stretching roughly a thousand kilometres through the Argentine and Chilean lake districts, this route connects Bariloche to Puerto Montt across one of the most visually dramatic corridors in the southern hemisphere. You ride through forests of lenga beech and arrayán, past lake after Patagonian lake — Nahuel Huapi, Todos los Santos, Llanquihue — with snowcapped Andean peaks filling the horizon in every direction.
The Andean crossing itself, which involves a combination of riding and short ferry legs between lakes, is genuinely one of the great slow-travel experiences on the continent.
Most riders take ten to fourteen days, covering between sixty and ninety kilometres daily depending on how much time you spend gawping. The terrain is rolling to genuinely hilly in places, with several sustained climbs that will test loaded tourers — expect cumulative elevation gain that adds up quietly over the days.
Road surfaces vary considerably: sealed sections around Bariloche and Villa La Angostura are comfortable, but stretches of ripio (compacted gravel) demand wider tyres, ideally 35mm or more, and a willingness to slow down. You share most roads with traffic, which is light outside summer but warrants attention on the occasional narrow section.
Accommodation is straightforward — a mix of hostels, family-run hosterías, and campgrounds thread the route. Bike hire exists in Bariloche if you want to sample a section rather than commit fully. Riding south to north, Bariloche to Puerto Montt, keeps the prevailing Patagonian wind broadly at your back, which matters enormously on exposed lake shores.
Go in November to February for stable weather; pack waterproofs regardless, because Patagonian skies change their mind without warning.