Chile · Andes and Cajón del Maipo

A 174 km loop from San José de Maipo

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Why this ride

High Andes scenery close enough to feel unreal. It goes by way of Embalse El Yeso, Baños Morales and Pirque. The highest point is about 3,700 m. Back roads rather than main roads, where the map allows.

Roadbook

1. San José de Maipo food

   San José de Maipo is the gateway to the Cajón del Maipo, the deep river canyon that runs from the edge of Santiago into the high Andes. Only about an hour from the capital's sprawl, the town sits at roughly 970 metres, where the valley narrows and the air turns cooler and drier. Its centre is a quiet cluster of adobe and whitewashed houses with tiled roofs, a handsome church and a plaza shaded by old trees, and weekend visitors from the city fill the bakeries and restaurants. The Maipo River, brown with snowmelt, rushes below.

   The valley has a long history of mining, and silver and copper were worked in the mountains above the town from the colonial period. The road that follows the canyon, Route G-25, climbs past villages such as San Alfonso and El Melocotón, where orchards and weekend cabins line the river, and onward to Baños Morales and the Monumento Natural El Morado, a protected glacier valley. Higher still, a road of gravel and sharp bends leads to the Embalse El Yeso, a turquoise reservoir built in the 1960s that supplies much of Santiago's drinking water, ringed by bare peaks.

   Riding here is spectacular, though the surface changes as you climb. The lower valley is paved and busy with weekend traffic, and the road narrows past the town, with tight bends, rockfall risk and sudden gusts. The upper reaches to the reservoir are gravel and dust, demanding care, especially after rain or snowmelt. Weather in the mountains shifts fast, and the road can close in winter snow. Start early to avoid the weekend crush, and bring warm layers.

   Food is part of the pleasure: empanadas de pino, grilled meats, fresh bread and local honey, all easy to find along the main street. Fuel is available in town, but fill up in Puente Alto, about twenty kilometres back, to be safe. The Andes rise around you, and in clear weather snowfields glitter on the ridges. Autumn brings gold poplars along the river, and spring brings blossom, with fewer visitors than summer.

2. Embalse El Yeso photo

   Embalse El Yeso is a reservoir in the high Andes, an hour or two above the last village of the Cajón del Maipo, and its colour alone is enough to make riders brake. The water is a shade of turquoise that seems artificial, held in a bowl of bare brown mountains with snow patches on the heights and the cone of Volcán San José standing guard at nearly six thousand metres. The dam was built in the 1960s to supply drinking water to Santiago, and the lake is still a vital source for the capital, which is why access is controlled and swimming is not allowed.

   The approach is half the pleasure. From San José de Maipo, the road follows the river upstream through a narrowing canyon, past little settlements, orchards and hot-spring resorts, with steep walls of red and ochre rock rising on both sides. After the paved section ends, the last stretch to the reservoir is a gravel track that climbs through switchbacks to around 2,500 metres. Expect washboard, loose stones and dust, and be careful when passing vehicles. It is a route better suited to an adventure bike than a road racer.

   The air at this height is thin, dry and cold, and the sun is fierce. Condors are sometimes seen riding the thermals above the ridges, and guanacos and foxes live among the scree. In summer, wildflowers colour the slopes, and the light is very clear. In winter the road closes under snow, and the whole valley is often closed to vehicles from late autumn into spring, so check conditions before you go. Entry to the reservoir area may require a permit or a guided tour, so confirm before planning a visit.

   Simple cafés in the lower valley serve empanadas and grilled meat, and weekends bring crowds from the city. Go on a weekday if you can, and aim to be back below the high ground before dark.

3. Baños Morales sight

   Baños Morales is the last village of any size in the Cajón del Maipo, the deep, glacier-carved valley that runs east from Santiago into the high Andes, and at about 1,800 meters it feels like the end of the road. The paved road, the G-25, follows the Maipo River upstream from San José de Maipo through a canyon of red and ochre rock, with sage-green scrub, poplar groves and sudden views of snowy peaks. Beyond the village, a dirt road continues toward the El Yeso reservoir and the foot of the San José volcano, which tops 5,800 meters.

   The village is small, with a handful of cabins, a modest restaurant or two and hot springs, the Termas de Baños Morales, where mineral water emerges from the mountain. A short walk leads to the El Morado Natural Monument, where a turquoise lagoon sits beneath a hanging glacier, and in summer the mountain meadows fill with wildflowers. Nearby, the old mountain hut at Lo Valdés, built in the 1930s from local stone, has long served mountaineers, and the rocks around it hold marine fossils from the Jurassic.

   For riders, the Cajón del Maipo is a favorite escape from the city. The road climbs steadily, with curves around rock buttresses and over bridges, and the scenery changes from vineyards and orchards to bare, jagged peaks. The paved surface is generally good, but rockfalls, washouts and cattle on the road are possible, and the dirt road beyond the village can be rough, with deep gravel and stream crossings. Weekends bring a crush of day-trippers from Santiago, so start early and avoid Sunday evenings, when the road back is slow.

   There are no reliable services at the top, so fill the tank in San José de Maipo or Santiago, and carry water and snacks. In summer, from December to March, the weather is warm and dry, with strong sun at altitude and cool nights; in winter, snow can close the road beyond San Gabriel, often from June to September. Condors circle over the peaks, and the air is thin and sharp. The villages along the way sell empanadas, and a hot one on the roadside is the right reward.

4. Pirque return fuel

   Pirque lies on the southern edge of Santiago, where the sprawl of the city thins out into vineyards and the Andes begin to fill the eastern sky. It is a small town with a large reputation for wine, and one of the biggest wine houses in Chile has its headquarters and original estate here. The Maipo valley, in which it sits, is Chile's classic region for Cabernet Sauvignon, and the vineyards run in neat lines toward the foothills, with the snow-capped peaks of the Andes behind them on a clear day. The setting is a lovely contrast to the busy city.

   The road from Pirque leads toward the Cajón del Maipo, a deep canyon cut by the Maipo river into the mountains, and it is the natural return route for riders coming down from the Andes. Here the road passes through a landscape of orchards, vineyards and small farms, with poplars along the edges of the fields and the river valley opening toward the plain. Santiago's air can be thick with smog in winter, and a clear day after rain gives a sharp, bright view of the mountains. Evening light on the Andes, when the peaks turn pink, is one of the great sights of central Chile.

   As a fuel stop, Pirque is practical rather than glamorous. Puente Alto, a large suburb of more than half a million people, lies about two and a half kilometres away, and its stations are numerous and open late. La Pintana and San Bernardo are also close. Fill the tank before you head back into the city or out toward the mountains, because services along the canyon are limited.

   The ride into the canyon from here has gentle curves at first, then tightens as the walls close in, with tunnels, waterfalls and river views. In summer the road is busy with weekend visitors, and in winter, snow can close the upper sections. Take care on corners, where gravel and sand accumulate, and watch for stray dogs and animals on the road.

   Wine tasting is an option, though a rider should treat it as a small sip and not a meal. Many estates open to visitors by appointment, and the cellars and gardens are worth a look. For a quieter pause, small cafés and bakeries in town serve empanadas, fresh bread and coffee.

   The city is close enough that lights begin to glow on the horizon as you return. Keep a layer for the cool evening air that comes down from the mountains.

5. Back to San José de Maipo finish

   Back at San José de Maipo. That is the ride.

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