Route 23 links the Atlantic coast of Río Negro with the Andes. Its first stretch is near the southern access to Las Grutas, it crosses the Somuncurá plateau and reaches Dina Huapi, a stone's throw from Bariloche.
Photo: Pablo Barría
Route facts
Stretch
From Route 3, 35 km south of San Antonio Oeste, to Dina Huapi, on Route 40
Distance
609 km according to Patagonia-Argentina.com. The national roads agency said 605 km in 2022
Towns
Valcheta, Los Menucos, Maquinchao, Ingeniero Jacobacci, Comallo and Pilcaniyeu
Scenery
Somuncurá plateau, next to the railway between Viedma and Bariloche
Condition
Almost entirely paved. In 2022 there were roadworks on 94.5 km between Jacobacci and Dina Huapi
What to see
It is a road of small towns and steppe, with sheep farming in the Línea Sur. Between one town and the next it is 34 to 73 km. It links Las Grutas with Bariloche without using Route 3 or Route 22.
Tips
Fill up in the bigger towns, such as Valcheta, Los Menucos and Ingeniero Jacobacci.
Check the condition of the stretch between Jacobacci and Bariloche: a Diario Río Negro article reported the poor state of the gravel section (undated when we checked).
Destinations you can reach
Las Grutas: the best-known destination on the road and, according to Diario Río Negro, the warmest-water beach resort in Patagonia. The water warms with the tides: twice a day the seabed is exposed and the sun heats it. It has about 3 km of beach, up to 1 km wide at low tide, and erosion caves up to 8 m high. In spring you can see southern right whales from the shore or on boat trips. It sits on the San Matías Gulf, and the food is fish and seafood. Punta Perdices beach is 65 km away on Route 3.
Valcheta: one of the oldest towns in the province, called the "oasis of the south". It has farmland, artisans and weavers, and a regional sheep-shearing championship.
Ministro Ramos Mexía: about 100 km past Valcheta, on the edge of the Somuncurá plateau. There are hikes and excursions.
Sierras Coloradas: a small town marked by reddish rocks, good for quiet stays.
Los Menucos: about 45 km further on. It has farm stays, mining excursions and outdoor activities.
Ingeniero Jacobacci: a town of railway origin, with an anthropological museum and dinosaur fossils nearby.
Comallo and Pilcaniyeu: quiet stops before reaching Dina Huapi.
Dina Huapi and Bariloche: Dina Huapi is on Lake Nahuel Huapi and was declared the provincial capital of fly fishing. Bariloche is about 17 km away on Route 40.
