Cicle route from Florianopolis (Brasil) to Vaplparaiso (Chile)
It all started in the island of Florianopolis where we took only 50 km of BR 101, a very high traffic road. Then we got a  state road wich is gorgeous. Some nice hills with few cars and great sites. Till São Bonifacio its wall paved but from this spot untill Rio Furtuna is a gravel road. We had heavy loaded bikes and nothing happnd. Its OK.
From Rio Fortuna we got a really nice paved road that took us directly no São JOaquim, wich is just 30 km to the state of Rio Grande do Sul. We choose to take another gravel road of 80 km to the very first city in the new state, the city of Bom Jesus. That road was HARD CORE. It was rainy and pure rocks with loads of fresh mud. It was almost 3 days do it, the 80 kms.
Once we got to Bom Jesus we took BR 285, wich is GREAT, till Passo Fundo. The road is very good but we wanted some small roads inside small villages so we took BR 153 and RS 223 that took us to Ijui, back in BR 285. GRat alternative for those who want time to enjoy some nice non turistical sites.
It was about 200 km more to the boarder to ARgentina. In São Borja there is a bridge that crosses the Uruguay river to Santo Tome, a very pitorescal city. From santo tome we took our first argentinian rout where they call RUTA. It was all really, absolutly, incredibly FLAT and REALLY hot. Wev got to Paso de Los Libres and where reaaly tired. Then took a bus to Cordoba. It was to Much for us.
In the state of Cordoba,wich is incredible, we spent some 4 days in the capital (city of Cordoba) and leave to San Luis bot in a smooth rithim that we got to know all the Mountains (Las Sierras) of the state. Nice tour, i strongly advice. We got to know La Cumbre, Carlos Paz, El Condorito National Park and Mina Clavero. Its a perfect region for cycle touring. Great.
From Mina Clavero we croos it to the state of San Luis wich its nice, but kinda flat again. The capital is nice, good place to rest for like two nights or so. There are several Balnearios (place with a weird pool with LOADS of people) where you can swim for a bit or just relax reading a book. It was allright.
From San Luis we took a freeway (autopista) straight to Mendoza. This bit was hard couz there are not many villages and getteing water can get hard sometimes. Be prepered.
Mendoza is great. A nice, cozy city with loads of parks where you can rest, do pic-nics or just enjoy a good literature! There are the BODEGAS where they make wine. This is awsome as well. Great to go with bikes couze when we got to know about this wine stuff the guy from hostel said that are many tours where you pay like 100 pesos and have a bus that take you out. Its hell expensive, go with bikes. Its cheaper and you know that the knowledge of knowing places on bikes its grater the knowing with privet motorized machines called cars.
From MEndoza we cross the Andes passing trough some really nice villages. The best is Potrerillos, there is a lake from defrosted waters that melted in the summer. Its a really green water that you can see everything. Strongly advice, TUMBS UP.
THen we continued to Puente del Inca and Finally Las Cuevas, wich is the highest point of this road, 3300 mts i think.
The best part it was goind down LOS CARACOLES, a really dangerous place with sinous hills and a great view. What we took 3 days to go up, cost us 4 hours to go down. NICE.
Took us 4 days to cross the andes
Once we got in LOs ANdes we where nearly finished. Next day got in Valparaiso and finally met the Pacific ocean. NICE
The trip started 19th december of 2009 at Florianopolis and ended on the 5th of February of 2010 at Santiago do Chile. Was a nice smooth, calm rithim wich is suitable for begginer ciclists like us and people who want to crack the day-to-day routine
