Like the legendary Route 66 in the United States, Route 40 is a symbol of Argentina. It is the longest road in the country, running from the Bolivian border to Tierra del Fuego along the Andes mountain range.
Sometimes a highway, as at the entrance to Mendoza, sometimes a rough gravel track, Route 40 crosses vast untouched expanses, runs alongside turquoise lakes and the largest field of volcanoes in the world, passes through national parks, crosses major rivers and mountain passes, and winds through valleys and renowned vineyards.
The road passes major sites such as El Calafate, the Perito Moreno Glacier, Lake Puelo, and the towns of El Bolsón, San Carlos de Bariloche, and Villa La Angostura. It forms part of the Ruta del Vino (Wine Route) in Mendoza. It leads to the dinosaur fossil beds in San Juan Province, the hot springs of Catamarca, Tafí del Valle, the magnificent Calchaquí Valleys, the Quebrada de Humahuaca World Heritage Site, and the Puna plateau.
