Last stop Santiago
Plaza de Armas with the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Museo Histórico Nacional and Pedro de Valdivia, the first royal governor, on his horse.
In the Museo Histórico Nacional the temporary exhibition „Un País de Tontos Graves“ presents the history of graphic and political humor in Chile.
And there are the nice views of the city from cerro San Cristóbal with the sanctuary and statue of the „Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción“.
From San Pedro de Atacama to Antofagasta
Volcán Licancabur
San Pedro de Atacama
Laguna Baltinache
Valle del la Luna
Riding along the Salar de Atacama….
I didn‘t see any ciclysts having a bath here…
(„Baden“ German for „to bath“ but Spanish for „ ford“)
Laguna Chaxa
Great spots for camping and what a view espacially at sunset and sunrise!
Peine; the last stop for water before crossing the salar and the following stretch of desert on the way to Baquedano on the Panamericana.
The Lithium mine from Rockwood Lithium (now Albemarle).
The Salar of Atacama contains according to According to LithiumMine.com 27% of the world’s lithium reserve base and and Chile provided according to the USGS in 2016 34% of the world’s mine production of lithium carbonate. According to the Guardian there are plans to triple lithium output in Chile.
Always great views of the sky, stars and galaxies at night.
The copper mine „Lomas Bayas“.
Arriving in Baquedano, on the „5“ (Panamericana) again.
The last evening in the desert.
A good description of the route I took can be found on the website of „Andes by Bike“ (just in the other direction from Antofagasta to San Pedro).
Antofagasta
The historic harbour
Copper is an important part of the economy here – As to be seen in the statueof a miner made of copper at the areal of the exhibition for mining industry Exponor.
On this Sunday the road was closed for cars – Bicylce day.
So a nice ride out of town to visit „La Portada“
Salta
Many buildings from the 19th century as the Salta police headquarters or the legislative palace, a work of the swiss architect Francesco Righetti.
San Francisco Church and Convent and Church Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de la Viña
Cerro San Bernardo
Nice views of Salta and a aerial tramway from Switzerland to get there
A poem for Salta from Emilio Viñals.
Park San Martín with a statue of Dr. Facundo de Zuviria from the argentinian sculptor Dolores Mora Vega (Lola Mora).
Cachi
Church San Jose de Cachi
Museo Arqueológico „Pío Pablo Díaz“
Nevado de Cachi, the mountain range in the west.
Passing over Paso Jama on the way back into Chile to San Pedro de Atacama. On the chilean side the Route 27 reaches an altitude of 4810 m passing by at the salar de Jama and volcán Juriques.
Curicó
The „City of wine“ with a nice Plaza
The Beaches from Caleta Pichicuy
The mystique vallys near Pisco Elqui
The vally of Río Turbio
Seeing the moon trough the Telescope of the Observatorio del Pangue
The road into the „land of observatories“ by daylight
Caleta Pan de Azucar near Chañaral
Unexpected variety of landscapes in the National Parc Pan de Azucar
The ESO Observatory on Mount Paranal
Officina Humberstone near Iquique
Once a busy workplace for the production of fertilizer
With a swimming pool (in the desert!) an a theatre
Iquique, the „Miami“ of Chile
Another country?!? By leaving Iquique on Route 1 you have to pass a „border control“ with a check of all the documents and you’ll get a nice stamp! 🙂
A nice strech of coastal road between Iquique and Tocopilla…
…but better keep your eyes on the road and don‘t overtake!
The 160 MWp photovotaic plant „Finis Terrae“ in the desert between Tocopilla and Calama. Now (March 2017) it is not the largest plant in Chile anymore. The El Romero Solar PV Plant is with 246 MWp peak capacity became operational end of 2016.
Windfarm in the „valle de los vientos“ near Calama….
… and the big man made mountains of the copper mine Chuquicamata.
Hanga Roa, Easter Island
An interesting and remote island with a mysterious and wild past. A lot of interesting information on the history of this place you can find on osterinsel.de (only in german).
Good morning to the Moais at Ahu Tongariki
Hanga Kioe
Coronacion Reina y‘Aito Tapati 2017: Final evening of the Tapati Festival at Hanga Vare Vare with music and fireworks
Coronacion Tradicional: Traditional final event of the Tapati Festival at Ahu Tahai
The Moais of Ahu Tahai and Ahu Tahin at Vinapu
A sculpture made for the Tapati Festival
Taking the road north to Anakena
Moais at Ahu Tongariki
Smile everybody! Please..
Moais at Ahu Hanga Tetenga
Along the north-east coast from Ahu Te Peu to Anakena
And back over Terevaka with nice view to Haga Roa
…to Ahu Akivi
The „Hut-Factory“ (Pukaos) of Puna Pau
Vaihu or Ahu Hana Te‘e
Crater Rano Kau at Orongo and Island Matu Nui
Rano Raraku the quarry where the Moais came from
Nice view from Rano Raraku to Ahu Tongariki
Isla de Chiloe, Ancud
Isla de Chiloe, Castro
Returning to Puerto Montt and starting cycling again
A lot of German Influence in the region „los Lagos“
But also the ever present „Chilean instant coffe“
Here he is, the Volcan Osorno
Beach View of Lago Llanquihue
Around Lago Llanquihue to Puerto Octay
Osorno
Bahia Mansa
Caleta Pucatrihue
Caleta Muicolpue and Playa Tril Tril
Returning in to the Lakes: Lago Ranco
Lago Rinihue
and Lago Panguipulli
In sight of Volcan Mocho Choshuenco and Volcan Villarrica to Conaripe
Near Conaripe at the Lago Chalafque
Always looming above: Volcan Villarrica
Beach of Lago Chalafque in Lican Ray
Pitrufquen the end of my travel by Bicycle in the south of Chile
Leaving Puerto Natales
Arriving in Puerto Montt
Puerto Natales to Rio Serrano
Passing Lago Toro on the way to Rio Serrano
Arriving at Rio Pingo and Lago Grey
Lago and Glaciar Grey
To Lago Pehoe and the Cuernos del Paine
From Lagna Azul to Lago Sarmiento
Pintura Rupestre: The „little Cueva de los manos“. With a nice view on Lago Sarmiento.
Torres del Paine
Leaving the Torres: Laguna Amarga to Lago Sarmiento
Leaving Ushuaia
Cape Hoorn
Soy el albatros que te espera en el final del mundo. Soy el alma olvidada de los marinos muertos que cruzaron el cabo de hornos desde todos los mares de
la tierra. Pero ellos no murieron en las furiosas olas. Hoy vuelen en mis alas, hacia la eternidad, en la ultima grieta de los vientos antarticos (Sara Vial, Diciembre 1992).
Wulaia Bay, Agostini Sound and Águila Glacier
And what the hell is Edward Scissorhands doing at the Águila Glacier???
Magdalena Island
Cerro Castillo and a glimpse of Torres del Paine
I’ll be back (hopefully with better weather)!
To Puerto Natales
Never met them, but I wonder where „Jules & Nikky“ are on their road.
Puerto Natales will be the most southern point for my bike since the patagonian wind changed my plans of cycling down to Ushuaia.
So as all the locals I went to see the „Carrera“ on the saturday afternoon. Seemed to me that everything with 4 wheels could take part. But there is a system of different categories in the 3 horas de Puerto Natales
An intersting history has the Frigorifico Bories and (amongst other) a nicely restored ammonia compressor from 1913 in the Museum.
Taking the easy way for a glimpse into the Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins.
Punta Arenas
No way arount him here; he’s everywhere: Fernando de Magallanes
King Penguins near Porvenir
A cinema for 460 people in a village with about 700 inhabitants: Cerro Sombrero
Ushuaia
Back in Argentina
The conflict from 1982 with Great Britain about the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) is still very present here. And on the argentinian maps the „Malvinas“ are argentinian territory. 2011 with the Ley Gaucho Rivero this conflict had some headlines in the news since two cruse ships sailing under the flag of Bermuda and Bahamas (former british colonies) were not allowed to moor in the port of Ushuaia.
„Ruta 3“ sure looks different in the last kilometres than it did in Trelew where I first cycled on this road. Since my bike has „holidays“ in Puerto Natales, on the road with a rental bike.
Question: Is there a predominant wind direction??
Lago Escondido
Since I just got a glimpse of this nice lake on the bus trip fromm Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, I had to come back by bike to see this beautiful blue lake for a bit longer.
The Islands in the Beagle Channel
A nice way to get a closer view of the islands in the Beagle Channel around Ushuaia. Only a little wind, so not much sailing but also the predicted rain came later…
