Revised Route Outline and Timetable
as as 21 September 2000

The outline below is provisional and subject to change. The distances given refer to the main Reliability Trial route. Note that pre-1950 cars will in places have a different itinerary to that shown below, with shorter daily distances and/or easier roads, different overnight rest halts, and driving during some rest days; while the 4x4 Adventure Drive participants will have the option of undertaking Explorer Sections on rougher roads through remote and scenic areas.

Friday 5 October: Rio de Janeiro Participant Registration and Vehicle Inspection at Copacabana Fort, on a headland looking out at Copacabana Beach and the Sugar Loaf. Rally HQ is the adjacent Sofitel Rio Palace, right by the beach. DAY 1: Saturday 6 October: Rio de Janeiro - Ouro Prêto (590km) Early morning start from Copacabana Fort. Spectacular drive through the curiously shaped rocky peaks of the Parque Naçional Serra dos Orgãos to Teresópolis, then Rally and 4x4 Explorer Sections through the green hills of Minas Gerais province. Overnight in a holiday complex in the hills near Ouro Prêto. DAY 2: Sunday 7 October: sightseeing day, Ouro Prêto. We drive in convoy to be received in the splendid main square of this beautifully preserved colonial mining city, a World Heritage Site. The rest of the day is free to explore its fine baroque churches, steep narrow streets and traditional restaurants. DAY 3: Monday 8 October: Ouro Prêto - Campos de Jordão (574km) Through hilly green farming country with frequent wide views to lunch at the picturesque village of Tiradentes. In the afternoon, Rally and Explorer Sections to the surprising mock-Alpine hill resort of Campos de Jordão, with its hotels like giant chalets. DAY 4: Tuesday 9 October: Campos de Jordão - Londrina (805km) After early Rally and Explorer Sections in the hills, this is an easy day mostly on fast main roads, skirting São Paulo and taking us westwards to Londrina, named after London. DAY 5: Wednesday 10 October: Londrina - Foz do Iguaçu (529km) A lap consistency test at Londrina's race circuit kicks off a shorter run, to get to one of the world's greatest waterfalls by lunchtime, in plenty of time to marvel. Overnight in a lovely colonial-style hotel within sight and earshot of the Falls. DAY 6: Thursday 11 October: Foz do Iguaçu - Corrientes (687km) Across the International Bridge to Argentinaand a longer day mainly on asphalt roads (but with a Rally Section on good dirt), through lush low-lying Misiones province, including a lunch stop at the impressive Jesuit ruins at San Ignacio Miní. Overnight at the sweaty river port of Corrientes, whose waterfront is lively with cafés and evening strollers. DAY 7: Friday 12 October: Corrientes - Jujuy (860km) 600km of ruler-straight 2-lane blacktop across the great Chaco, low lying marshy cattle country rich in birdlife, which in summer records South America’s highest temperatures. Towards the Andes foothills, there's a short gravel detour en route to overnight in the old city of San Salvador de Jujuy. DAY 8: Saturday 13 October: Jujuy - Potosí (Bolivia) (664km) In the real Andes now, climbing on new asphalt up into the crystal clear air of the Altiplano, past Technicolor cliffs to the Bolivian border. The real rallying begins here, with a tough 400km gravel section. DAY 9: Sunday 14 October: Potosí - Sucre (164km) A day of two World Heritage Sites. The historic colonial city of Potosí claims to be the world’s highest (4,090m/13,420ft), and the silver mines of Cerro Rico, the mountain that dominates it, once made it the world’s richest. There's time to for a stroll before a later start to a short day's motoring, with less than three hours of good asphalt road to Bolivia’s official capital, the colonial city of Sucre, founded in 1538. Even with a short Rally Section, we arrive in time to explore its wealth of historic buildings and to visit the amazing dinosaur footprints nearby. Pre-1950 cars stay in Potosí. DAY 10: Monday 15 October: Sucre - La Paz (590km) Rally and 4x4 Explorer sections through remote Andean landscapes, home of colourful Indian llama herders, with some dizzying abysses, before a main road run to the scenic descent into the world's highest capital, La Paz. Pre-1950 cars have an easier route from Potosí to La Paz. DAY 11: Tuesday 16 October: La Paz - Puno (Peru) (307km) A shorter day, mainly on asphalt, starts with a run across the Altiplano (and a test on Bolivia's only race circuit plus brief but beautiful lakeside Rally Section) before crossing the brilliantly blue Lake Titicaca on the wooden punts of the world’s highest car ferry. We enter Peru; our main hotel at Puno is on an island in the lake. DAY 12: Wednesday 17 October: Puno - Cusco (393km) More superb scenery on the newly asphalted road over La Raya pass, to wonderful Rally and Explorer Sections in the Inca heartland, to finish with a great civic welcome in Cusco's superb main square DAY 13: Thursday 18 October: sightseeing day, Cusco A day off to explore this ancient capital of the Incas, rich not only in their amazing buildings of irregular close-fitted stone blocks, but also in Spanish colonial architecture, including the superb cathedral with its lavishly gilded interior. Pre-1950 crews have the option of the Machu Picchu trip this day, as they leave the following morning DAY 15: Saturday 20 October: Cusco - Ayacucho (570km) This day and the next are the toughest of the event, taking you on amazing gravel mountain roads through some truly stunning landscapes. These roads were at the heart of the original London - Mexico World Cup Rally of 1970, when John Brown set a time allowance of just 25 hours for the whole stretch from La Paz to Lima - and it was cleaned by most of the works cars! The section from Cusco to Huancayo was run as a Prime, or special stage, with a set time of 11 hours - see adjacent box. DAY 14: Friday 19 October: day trip to Machu Picchu An early start for the train ride to one of the true wonders of the planet: the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, hidden until 1912, perched high above a bend of the Urubamba river. Pre-1950 crews get on the road for a head start, with a night halt at Andahuaylas (235km).
	Copacabana beach
	Day 1: Copacabana Fort
	Day 1: Minas Gerais village
	Day 2: Ouro Preto Street
	Day 3: Plaza Tiraentes
	Day 4: Campos do Jordao MC
	Day 4: Small Town Brazil incarnate
	Day 5: Iguazu Falls
	Day 5: Hotel das Cataratas

Even at our very much lower speeds, these roads are challenging, and those who prefer will be able to take an easier route to Lima. Day 15 consists of a series of descents into deep river valleys and climbs back out, at first on asphalt and then on gravel.

DAY 16: Sunday 21 October: Ayacucho - Huancayo (350km) The main classic car route goes via Huancavelica, on spectacular little mountain roads through remote rural communities. The 4x4s branch off to the mining town of Huachocolpa, to take the highest motorable truck road in the Americas (5,059m/ 16,600ft).

DAY 17: Monday 22 October: Huancayo - Lima (389km) We cross the world’s highest main road pass, at Ticlio (4,843m/15,890ft), before the long final tortuous asphalt descent back to sea level , arriving mid-afternoon.

DAY 18: Tuesday 23 October: Rest day, Lima A chance to explore this great city, or to work on your car; as elsewhere, we will arrange workshop facilities and set up contact with the main 4x4 dealers. Or you can relax by the pool at our parkland resort hotel in the hills outside the city's smog zone.

DAY 19: Wednesday 24 October: Lima - Nasca (477km) Most of the day is a run down the Pacific coast on the asphalt Panamerican Highway, ending with a gravel Rally Section. The 4x4s have a starkly beautiful desert detour through a desert shore nature reserve, before stopping the night at Ica.

DAY 20: Thursday 25 October: Nasca - Arequipa (574km) There's time for an early morning light plane flight over the famous Nasca Lines - the best way to see this famous earth mystery and come to your own conclusions: were the lines made by Indians or by aliens? The Panamerican Highway then takes us painlessly through impressive desert scenery to a daunting Rally Section into Arequipa, a beautiful city surrounded by spectacular volcanoes.

DAY 21: Friday 26 October: Arequipa - Colca Canyon - Arequipa (462km) A pre-dawn departure to a superb day’s loop run on mainly gravel roads past great volcanoes to the stunning viewpoint of the Cruz del Condor, perched 1,200m (4,000ft) straight up from the Colca river. The early start gets us here in time to see great condors at close quarters, rising up from the cliffs below on the morning thermals. The run home is a great Rally Section.

DAY 22: Saturday 27 October: Arequipa - Arica (Chile) (475km) The first half of the day’s run is on back roads through dramatic mountains, before rejoining the Panamericana for a fast drive across the Chilean border to a beachside control at the resort of Arica.

DAY 23: Sunday 28 October: Arica - Calama (705km) A long day’s run on fast asphalt roads through the stunning Atacama Desert - the driest place on earth. There are spectacular views as we drop down to green valley bottoms; then we follow the spectacular shoreline road from Iquique to Tocopilla before heading inland to the vast opencast copper mine at Chuquicamata and on to Calama.

DAY 24: Monday 29 October: Calama - Salta (Argentina) (613km) We call at the characterful adobe village of San Pedro de Atacama, then climb past soda lakes and great volcanoes to cross the Paso Sico (4,092m/13,430ft) back into Argentina, before a long drive on scenic gravel roads down to the fine colonial city of Salta.

DAY 25: Tuesday 30 October: Salta - Catamarca (647km) After a circuit test at Salta, we head through the curious rock formations of the Quebrada de Cafayate, and into some of Argentina’s (and the world’s) finest wine growing country. The final sections include a steep gravel climb up an endless succession hairpins, and a tough run along a ranching valley.(an all-asphalt alternative is available).

DAY 26: Wednesday 31 October: Catamarca - San Juan (725km)

There's a Rally Section up the spectacular asphalt Portezuelo hillclimb and on across the gravel roads beyond, before a long run on fast roads across fertile landscapes. In terms of distance, San Juan is the half-way point - 12,204m now completed.

DAY 27: Thursday 1 November: San Juan - Marbella (Chile) (640km) After a race circuit test at San Juan's excellent track, we take remote roads down the eastern edge of the Andes, to join the main road past Aconcagua - at 22,800ft, the highest peak in the Americas and through the tunnel into Chile under the Cristo Redentor pass - you can still make a detour to the famous statue. Then it's down Portillo's spectacular 29 hairpins and on to an excellent Rally Section near Santiago.

DAY 28: Friday 2 November: Rest day, Marbella A day to relax at this superb Pacific holiday complex, by the pool, on the golf course on the tennis court - or maybe under your car. The capital Santiago is about two hours’ drive away.

DAY 29: Saturday 3 November: Marbella - Temuco (845km) A short run on minor roads through the hill, to spend most of the day rushing south down the dual carriageway Panamericana, with a stop at one of Chile’s best-known vineyards and lunch by a dramatic waterfall.

DAY 30: Sunday 4 November: Temuco - Bariloche (Argentina) (491km) A wonderful day’s drive, much of it on good gravel roads, past great volcanoes through the superb Lake Districts of Chile and Argentina.4x4s have a an alternative across a little-known pass; while there are a couple of super rally sections. At Bariloche, we stay at the luxury Llao Llao resort, in a breathtaking lakeland setting, which that weekend will also have hosted the Argentine Mille Miglia.

DAY 31: Monday 5 November: Bariloche - Esquel (386km) More superb lake views before heading across the Patagonian plains to the railway depot of El Maitén, home of La Trochita, better known to the English-speaking world as the Old Patagonian Express; we're promised a loco in steam. Then through the lovely Alarces national park to the little town of Esquel.

DAYS 32: Tuesday 6 November: Esquel - Coyhaique (Chile) (503km) Across the Andes again to a long run down Chile's recently built (and still almost deserted) Camino Austral (Southern Road), through a beautiful landscape of fjord, lake and mountain. Wonderful rally country!

DAY 33: Wednesday 7 November: Coyhaique - Lago Posadas (Argentina) (498km) More lovely and varied landscapes as we continue south down the Camino Austral to the tiny town of Cochrane, then across a remote pass back into Argentina for a night under canvas, with a barbecue of delicious local steaks.

DAY 34: Thursday 8 November: Lago Posadas - El Calafate (634km) A long run on fast gravel down Argentina's famous 'lonely road', Route 40.

DAY 35: Friday 9 November: El Calafate - Glaciar Perito Moreno - El Calafate (153km) A relaxed day to visit the Parco Nacional de los Glaciares, and take a boat trip on a lake to get a close-up view of the most spectacular, Glaciar Moreno, as it breaks off into the water. Return for the night to the modern resort township of El Calafate.

DAY 36: Saturday 10 November: El Calafate - Torres del Paine (Chile) - Puerto Natales (434km) On gravel roads back into Chile and the amazing peaks and pinnacles of Torres del Paine - our lunch halt is on an island reached by a long footbridge - before our overnight at the little port of Puerto Natales, set amid mountains on the deep inlet of Ultima Esperanza (last hope).

DAY 37: Sunday 11 November: Puerto Natales - Río Grande (Argentina) (580km) Across bare Chilean Patagonia, via a good gravel Rally Section or a lonely wilderness 4x4 Explorer Section, to the Straits of Magellan, and the ferry to the island of Tierra de Fuego, ‘land of fire’. The island is half in Argentina; we cross the border to overnight on the Atlantic coast in the wool and oil township of Río Grande.

DAY 38: Monday 12 November: Río Grande - Ushuaia (242km)

A morning run, including a Rally Section on superb smooth and swooping back roads, to arrive at lunchtime in the dramatic setting of the earth's southernmost city, with time to relax, shop and explore.

DAY 39: Tuesday 13 November: Ushuaia - Río Grande (311km)

A run down to the extremity of the road (and visits to the world's southernmost race circuit and railway) before returning over the same route to Río Grande.

DAY 40: Wednesday 14 November: Río Grande - Río Gallegos (376km) Back into Chile for a Rally Section before the ferry across the Straits of Magellan, then back across into Argentina for a night at the oil, fishery and wool port of Río Gallegos.

DAY 41: Thursday 15 November: Río Gallegos - Comodoro Rivadavia (873m) The northward run home starts in earnest, eating up the miles on the fast two-lane blacktop across empty southern Patagonia, with a detour to the eerie Petrified Forest National Park, and for a Rally Section, before a race circuit test on the way into town. The 4x4 s have their own Explorer Section through fantastic landscapes.

DAY 42: Friday 16 November: Comodoro Rivadavia - Trelew (581km) 280 km of good asphalt to the fishing port’ of Camarones, then a Rally and 4x4 Explorer Section up the gravel Atlantic coast road to the Punta Tombo nature reserve, where you will witness the amazing spectacle of half a million penguins. Overnight in Trelew, now a prosperous town which has lost its Welsh look; evening visit to its superb new Dinosaur Museum.

DAY 43: Saturday 17 November: Trelew - Gaiman - Puerto Madryn (523km) The first of two less demanding days in this part of Patagonia, originally settled by the Welsh. After a race circuit test, we tour the fertile Lower Chubut Valley, home to many families with names like Owen, Griffiths and Jones, visiting three historic chapels and taking a Welsh tea in the pretty little town of Gaiman. Overnight in Puerto Madryn, another town founded by Welsh immigrants; our control is beside the memorial to them.

DAY 44: Sunday 18 November: Puerto Madryn - Valdés Peninsula - Puerto Madryn (430km) An early start to take a whale watch boat trip at one of the world's best places to see southern right whales; then a tour of the peninsula for the other abundant marine wildlife, including elephant seals, penguins and (if we are lucky) killer whales, perhaps taking young seals from the shore. The day ends with a barbecue beside a an idyllic dry lake, 40m below sea level.

DAY 45: Monday 19 November: Puerto Madryn - Bahía Blanca (646km) A long but easy run on good roads to the major city of Bahía Blanca.

DAY 46: Tuesday 20 November: Bahía Blanca - Balcarce - Mar del Plata (527km) A 150km Rally and 4x4 Explorer Section across the pampas through ghost towns beside an abandoned railway grasslands takes us to the small town of Balcarce, famous as the birthplace and home of Juan Manuel Fangio; after a lunch at his former country home, we have a test on the race circuit he helped to design, and visit the museum set up to commemorate him, where many of his famous cars are displayed. Having earlier driven some of the dirt roads in the Andes foothills which were used on the long distance events on which he first made his name, you’ll now better appreciate his skills! Then it's on to overnight in the glittering seaside resort of Mar del Plata.

DAY 47: Wednesday 21 November: Mar del Plata - Buenos Aires (517km). A Rally and 4x4 Explorer Section on pampas dirt roads is followed by an easy main road run into Argentina's capital.

DAY 48: Thursday 22 November: Free day, Buenos Aires Your chance to shop in this sophisticated cosmopolitan city, and to try the wonderful Argentine beef and wine in one of its typical restaurants.

DAY 49: Friday 23 November: Buenos Aires - Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay) - Montevideo - Punta del Este (337km) High speed ferry across the River Plate to the charming Uruguayan town of Colonia del Sacramento, then an easy run on paved roads, passing along Montevideo's seafront drive, to a circuit test at El Pinar and overnight at the smart seaside resort of Punta del Este. Lookout for all those classic cars, in roadside scrapyards or still in daily use

DAY 50: Saturday 24 November: Punta del Este - Porto Alegre (Brazil) (774km) An excellent gravel Rally and 4x4 Explorer Section through green hills, before a long main road run to the major city of southern Brazil.

DAY 51: Sunday 25 November: Porto Alegre - Florianópolis (608km) Asphalt roads winding through green hills and the Germanic tourist towns of Gramado and Canela lead to a tough Rally Section, 180km of gravel back roads across remote rolling uplands reminiscent of Wales, used on the 1970 World Cup Rally - there's a parallel 4x4 Explorer Section, too. A spectacular tarmac descent leads back to the coast, the resort of Florianópolis and our overnight at Santinho, a superb beach resort.

DAY 52: Monday 26 November: Rest Day, Florianópolis A chance to relax and wind down in this beautiful oceanside setting, before the final few days.

DAY 53: Tuesday 27 November: Florianópolis - Paranaguá (531km) Asphalt inland to a 100km section on smooth but very twisty red earth roads through lovely, remote green hills and valleys, and farming communities of German origin. There's an attractivbe ferry crossing before our overnight athe state of Paraná's main port.

DAY 54: Wednesday 28 November: Paranaguá - Guarujá (499km) A day on good roads, broken by a short regularity section on the famous cobbled Graciosa Road, en route to the Atantic resort of Guarujá in time for a dip.

DAY 55: Thursday 29 November:Guarujá - Rio de Janeiro (561km) A final day along one of the world’s most beautiful coastal highways, with a lunch stop at the enchanting old waterfront town of Paraty. Then at last, 24,000 km and 53 days after we left, we return to Copacabana Fort - and the celebrations begin!

Wednesday 30 November: Grand Prizegiving Party Spend the day on the beach, sightseeing or shopping. Then to round off the proceedings, we plan a wonderful evening out for you - a prizegiving party on the Sugar Loaf itself, encircled by the brilliant lights of one of the world's most beautiful and glamorous cities.