National Route 40, also known as RN40 or "Ruta 40", is a route in western Argentina, stretching from Cabo Vírgenes near Río Gallegos in Santa Cruz Province in the south to La Quiaca in Jujuy Province in the north with approximately 5194 km in length. The route parallels the Andes mountains.
RN40 is the longest route in South America and one of the longest in the world alongside such routes as U.S. Route 66, Canada's Trans-Canada Highway, and Australia's Stuart Highway, more than 5,000 kilometres long. At its traditional southern end near the city of Río Gallegos, it starts at sea level. It then crosses 20 national parks, 18 major rivers, and 27 passes in the Andes. Route 40's highest point is 5,000 m in Abra del Acay in Salta Province.
The Atuel Canyon is a narrow canyon and popular tourist attraction within Valle Grande, Argentina. The canyon is popular location for adventure sports, including river rafting, hiking, climbing, horse riding and mountain biking.
The Atuel River flows through the base of the canyon and contains several rapids, which are used for rafting and canoeing. Those rapids are classified between class II (novice) and IV (advanced) in the International Scale of River Difficulty.
The surrounding area includes many hotels, camping sites, country clubs and other lodging facilities.
Las Leñas is a ski resort in Argentina, located in the western part of Mendoza Province. It has reliable powder snow and climate for extreme and off-piste skiing. Construction of the ski center began January 1983, and by July 1983, it opened with a 300 bed hotel.The ski area has a good diversity of slopes ranging from very easy to extreme, including a good range of off-piste areas apt for extreme skiing.
The skiable area base starts at an altitude of 2,240 m above mean sea level and goes up to 3,430 m for a total drop of 1,190 m. Far away from large cities, the center is seldom crowded except during weekends, making the lines on the lifts usually shorter than in other ski centers of Argentina.
The Reserva Provincial La Payunia is a natural reserve located in the Malargüe Department in the southern part of Mendoza Province, Argentina, about 160 km away from Malargüe city. It was declared as nature preserve in 1988 and has an area of 4,500 km2. La Payunia is home to the many volcanic cones, being noteworthy the Payún Matrú volcano.
Colonia Suiza is a village in Rio Negro. It is picturesquely situated near the Lago Perito Moreno, about 24km from Bariloche.
The village was founded in the late 19th century by Camilo and Felix Goye and Maria Felley. They were originally from the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, but had previously lived for 10 years in Chile. They came for a purpose: According to the ley de hogar, the settlers land law, they were offered a plot of land free of charge under the condition that they develop it within 10 years or it would fall back to the state. More immigrants followed: Mermoud, Cretton and Jacquards, as well as Pothoff and Neu.
Today the place - which had originally been barren pampa - is a village with swiss-style chalets, many shady trees and it mainly caters for tourists from nearby Bariloche.
San Carlos de Bariloche (from the Mapuche name Vuriloche, meaning "people from the other side of the mountain"), commonly known simply as Bariloche, is the largest city in the Argentine province of Río Negro and the seat of the department of the same name. It is located in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes on the southern shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake, near the border with Chile. With a population of 135,755 according to the 2022 census, Bariloche is a mid-sized city by national standards but holds significant regional importance,[3] being not only the most populous city in its province but also the largest in the Patagonian Andes, and the third largest in the entire Argentine Patagonia following Neuquén and Comodoro Rivadavia.
Bariloche's economy is heavily centered on tourism, making it the country's third most visited destination after Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata, as well as the most popular destination in all of Patagonia. It attracts visitors year-round for its scenic natural setting including Nahuel Huapi National Park and other reserves, offering a range of activities such as skiing in winter and water sports and hiking in summer, alongside diverse accommodations and dining options.
