Túnel del Cristo Redentor

The Túnel del Cristo Redentor (officially the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores) is a 3,080-meter-long international road tunnel through the Andes Mountains connecting Argentina (Mendoza Province) and Chile (Valparaíso Region) at an elevation of roughly 3,200 meters above sea level. Opened in 1980, the national border between Argentina and Chile lies directly at the midpoint of the tunnel. It is the main transport route between Chile’s Valparaíso Region and Mendoza Province in Argentina.

Our initial plan was to visit the old border crossing where the Christ the Redeemer of the Andes statue is located at the pass of La Cumbre, the highest point on the old road between Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago de Chile. The road climbs 1 km over 9 km from Las Cuevas to the pass. The road is only accessible in the summer months when there is no snow and unfortunately we were too early in the season and the road was still closed. Winter temperatures can reach -30 °C. The road is now principally used as a tourist route to visit the statue, with the main route between the two countries now using the Cristo Redentor Tunnel at the foot of the climb which then became our focus.

Argentina Border Control and Toll Booths

The border crossing was very relaxed and it was possible to walk around and take photos. It was however really cold with a strong wind which penetrated the clothing we were wearing.