Touring - Touring South America

Has anyone done a tour of SA? I'm thinking a year down the road and would like to hear the good, bad and the ugly. I would like to see Peru, Chile and northen Argentina. Camp, B&B or hostel/Motel? Recommanded equipment?

I'm new to touring and would like to hear your stories, recommandations or concerns. Thanks

5more

03 Giant TCR2
Centurion 'Time Machine'
Miyata 618gt touring rig

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Island/6810/

I toured in Chile & Argentina about 10 years ago. Mostly very positive. The only negative I can think of is the minimal network of paved roads in many regions. Most of my touring was in the lake region of Chile and adjacent Argentina. The scenery of volcanoes and lakes in that area is stunning. I stayed mainly in hospedajes (basically a Bed & Breakfast). Chileans & Argentines tend to not go on holiday before January 1. My trip was in December, so finding accommodations was easy and cheap.

I spent a few days in other parts of Chile (Punta Arenas in the far south, and Valparaiso/Vina del Mar on the coast). Cyclists rave about the Carretera Austral--the route among the islands and fjords of southern Chile south of Puerto Montt, though I didn't go to that region.

I also visited Ecuador on mainly a non-cycling trip, though I went on several day rides in different parts of the country, and enjoyed the rides as well as Ecuador itself.

Culturally, there were big differences between Ecuador, Chile, & Argentina. Also differences in the Spanish spoken.

I would second the Carratera Australl, one of the best rides ever. The lake district in Argentina is also very nice. From Pucon you can zigzag your way down through the mountains, lots of scenery, dirt roads and not many people. We went all the way to Ushuaia, beware of the winds! Nothern Argentina is hard to ride. We went from Buenos Aires through Uruqauy and Missiones to Igazu Falls. Traffic is very bad, drivers are maniacs. Further west and north, a real nice ride is from Salta towards Bolivia.
Email me if you want more specific information / recommendations. We did this ride five years ago....

Has anyone done a tour of SA? I'm thinking a year down the road and would like to hear the good, bad and the ugly. I would like to see Peru, Chile and northen Argentina. Camp, B&B or hostel/Motel? Recommanded equipment?

I'm new to touring and would like to hear your stories, recommandations or concerns. Thanks

5more

03 Giant TCR2
Centurion 'Time Machine'
Miyata 618gt touring rig

I did a world tour a few years back and went thru these regions. I can't answer all questions, but I always felt small pensions/hospedaje were worth the money. Your best source of information about any civil unrest or security problems is the people on the road themselves. I put a guide to the Atacama desert on my cycling website (http://www.cyclingscholar.com) that you may find helpful.

roughstuff

I never biked there but did spend a few months in Peru, Bolivia and Chile... my only advice is to bring some warm clothes for the Andes and lots of sun protection. While day temperature are generally really nice, the night can get very cold in high altitude. The sun, because of altitude and the dry air, can also be pretty bad for your skin and eyes... and I'm not saying that because it can cause wrinkles but because it is easy to get really bad sunburns.

If you like mountainbiking, peru and bolivia offer tons of opportunities (more than you can read on a map) and in some areas, you can base yourself in a small town and explore the surrounding for a good week... and if you like hiking, these two contries are true paradise!