A five-week descent from the Pacific to the end of the road. We leave Lima for desert oases and Nazca skies, climb into the Colca Canyon, trace the shores of Lake Titicaca into Bolivia, swing east to Brazil’s Pantanal, cut through little-visited Paraguay, and return to the high country for the Salar de Uyuni before the long Patagonian run via Chile’s Carretera Austral to Torres del Paine and a finish in Ushuaia.
We started in Lima and followed the Peruvian coast via Paracas and the vineyards near Ica to Nazca, where we viewed the Nazca Lines from light aircraft. From simple coastal towns and the Panamericana we climbed into the Colca Canyon and spent our first nights at altitude, before descending again to the ocean and crossing into Chile at Arica. Long, empty stretches through the Atacama Desert led us to Iquique and on to a Dakar-style off-road stage through dunes and gravel tracks towards San Pedro de Atacama.
From San Pedro we turned inland, crossed into Bolivia and drove via the high plateau to the Salar de Uyuni. Following a GPS track some 75 kilometres straight across the salt flat, we ended the day in a hotel built entirely from salt blocks. From there the route swung east: along the shores of Lake Titicaca, into Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands and across little-visited parts of Paraguay, where long days, minimal infrastructure and carefully prepared fuel logistics defined this central section of the journey.
Re-entering the Andes, we returned to Argentina via the northwest. Purmamarca, Salta and Cafayate marked the transition to wine country, historic mining towns and some of the most varied driving of the trip. We crossed Parque Nacional Los Cardones, followed the Ruta 40 through Quebrada de las Flechas and explored the pumice fields of Campo de Piedra Pómez. Further south we combined industrial heritage around Chilecito and the fossil landscapes of Ischigualasto with gravel roads near Barreal and the historic Villavicencio pass, before pausing in Mendoza for maintenance and a short reset between the vineyards.
The final weeks took us through Patagonia: long, straight pampa roads, lakes and volcanoes, and, where possible, sections of Chile’s Carretera Austral with its fjords and glaciers. We continued via Torres del Paine and then back into Argentina for the approach to Tierra del Fuego. After crossing the Magellanic waters we drove the last kilometres over the island to Ushuaia, the southernmost city of Argentina and the end of the road – closing a continuous, southbound line from Lima to the very edge of the continent.
The entire CarChallenge team is deeply saddened by the tragic consequences of a serious accident during The World Challenge from Lima to Ushuaia. In a serious single-vehicle accident in broad daylight, Jean Vincent lost his life. His wife Caroline was taken to hospital with severe injuries and is no longer in a life-threatening condition.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Jean’s family, his loved ones and friends. Jean and Caroline were participating for the first time. Jean was extremely enthusiastic, always cheerful, and his positive attitude was infectious to everyone around him. He will be greatly missed.
Our condolences go out to everyone who knew Jean.
If you have any questions following this message, please contact CarChallenge.
Thom, Jan Willem and the entire CarChallenge team.