Meseta del Lago Buenos Aires — Perito Moreno to Los Antiguos via the Patagonian Wind Plateau (Ruta Provincial 43)
Wind, basalt, hand prints, and glacial turquoise.
Ruta Provincial 43 in Santa Cruz Province is the kind of road that resets your sense of scale. Leaving Perito Moreno town, the pavement dies fast and you climb onto a wind-scoured basalt plateau where guanacos outnumber anything else moving. The road skirts the northern edge of the Meseta del Lago Buenos Aires, passing the Cueva de las Manos turnoff — a UNESCO site with 9,000-year-old hand stencils painted into a canyon wall above the Pinturas River — before dropping toward Los Antiguos on the Chilean border, where the same lake the Chileans call Lago General Carrera laps at cherry orchards fed by an unlikely microclimate. The dirt sections are deeply washboarded and the wind lateral loads your rig constantly; this is not a place to be underinflated or inattentive.
A stock AWD or high-clearance 2WD can manage this in dry conditions, but a proper 4WD gives you options when afternoon thunderstorms turn the clay sections slick. Fuel in Perito Moreno before you leave — there’s nothing reliable on the plateau. Best run October to March; the Patagonian winter closes sections and the wind gets genuinely dangerous in July. No permits required but pay the site fee at Cueva de las Manos. Dispersed camping on the meseta is tolerated on public land; the lake edge near Los Antiguos has organized campgrounds.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Overland Route, Scenic Drive |
| Surface | Dirt, Gravel, Mixed |
| Features | Camping, High Altitude, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 124 mi / 200 km |
| Duration | 1-2 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 3900 ft |
| Best season | October-March |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance AWD; 4WD preferred |
| Nearest town | Perito Moreno, Santa Cruz |
| Land manager | Provincia de Santa Cruz; Parque Nacional Patagonia (Cueva de las Manos sector) |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | Parques Nacionales Argentina — Patagonia UNESCO — Cueva de las Manos |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Hilux or high-clearance AWD handle RP-43, or do I need a dedicated 4WD setup?
A stock Hilux, Land Cruiser Prado, or similar high-clearance AWD will handle most of RP-43 without issue. 4WD becomes genuinely useful if recent rain has turned the gravel sections to clay mud — Patagonian basalt plateau soil gets greasy fast. Run all-terrain tires minimum; highway rubber on a wet ripio will humble you quickly.
When is RP-43 actually passable, and what happens if a Patagonian storm hits mid-route?
October through March is the reliable window — snow can close the plateau outside those months with zero warning. Mid-route storms are common even in summer; the plateau is fully exposed with no shelter, and wind gusts above 100 km/h are not unusual. If the sky goes grey and the gusts pick up, pull off, set your handbrake, and wait it out — driving in Patagonian wind at full strength is genuinely dangerous.
Do I need a permit for the Cueva de las Manos detour off this route?
Yes. Cueva de las Manos sits inside Parque Nacional Patagonia and entry requires a paid entrance fee collected at the site. The cave itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site and visits are guided only — you cannot walk in independently. Check current hours and fee schedules directly with Parques Nacionales Argentina before you go, as they shift seasonally.
What's the hardest section of this route and what actually makes it difficult?
The hardest section isn't a technical obstacle — it's sustained wind and corrugated ripio across the open plateau between Perito Moreno and the canyon descent toward the Río Pinturas. Washboard at speed loosens everything on your vehicle, and the relentless crosswind makes steering feel like a constant fight. Slow down on the corrugations and keep tire pressure slightly lower than pavement spec.
Is there any fuel or water between Perito Moreno and Los Antiguos on this route?
No fuel stops exist along RP-43 itself — top off completely in Perito Moreno before you leave, and carry a jerry can as backup for the 200 km run. Water crossings exist on the route but treat or filter anything you take from streams; carry your own supply as a baseline. Cell service is zero across the plateau, so if something goes wrong out there, you're solving it yourself.
Trail track
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