{"id":2107,"date":"2026-01-31T23:56:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T22:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/paso-de-jama-pass-crossing-by-car-from-argentina-to-chile\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T08:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T07:28:15","slug":"paso-de-jama-pass-crossing-by-car-from-argentina-to-chile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/paso-de-jama-pass-crossing-by-car-from-argentina-to-chile\/","title":{"rendered":"Paso de Jama Pass: crossing by car from Argentina to Chile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After a relaxed, fascinating morning on Salinas Grandes<\/a>, we continue west. About 350 kilometers of completely unknown country lie ahead. On the map it looks straightforward\u2014a winding line from Argentina into Chile, all the way to San Pedro de Atacama. Still, we have a feeling the reality will be far more varied.<\/p>\n\n

The only thing we truly know is that we\u2019ll spend the whole day at altitude, in an extremely dry land with barely any infrastructure. No cities, just the odd settlement, long stretches without signal, and landscapes that favor the prepared. We\u2019re full of questions, but also a mix of curiosity and respect\u2014the kind of tension that comes with travel.<\/p>\n\n

All sources say the road is paved the whole way. And even if it weren\u2019t, we\u2019re ready. In Salta we\u2019ve rented a Nissan Frontier pickup that feels less like a luxury here and more like sensible insurance. The truck is packed, water topped up, and we hit the road.<\/p>\n\n

The landscape around us<\/h2>\n\n

We slowly settle into the feel of this region. Hills rise on all sides above an already high road. It winds and climbs gently from roughly 3,500 m a.s.l. to about 3,800 m a.s.l. After around an hour we pull into the village of Susques.<\/p>\n\n

According to the map there should be a gas station here, and because we like to keep a healthy reserve, we go looking for it. We eventually find it at the far end of the village, high on a hill. We fill the tank and, with hunger creeping in, start hunting for a place to eat.<\/p>\n\n

A restaurant at the end of the world<\/h2>\n
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Susques is a tiny, quintessential Andean village, so finding a restaurant doesn\u2019t take long\u2014there are only a few streets. We end up in an unassuming place as the only guests, looked after by the se\u00f1ora of the house, who seems as surprised to see us as we are to find ourselves here. With a mix of words and gestures we order the one dish she can make today: a plate of grilled meat with a side and salad. We\u2019ll have a few more encounters like this before we understand that such a meal is actually a cut above here\u2014and worth appreciating. It costs next to nothing, which we barely even discuss. The Wi\u2011Fi and the spotless bathrooms are a lovely surprise. We came in uncertain; we leave well fed and in good spirits.<\/p>\n\n

On our way out we catch a striking scene: dozens of locals standing by the main road, watching a football match on the village pitch. Rested, with a full tank and, crucially, full stomachs, we say goodbye to Susques<\/strong> and carry on.<\/p>\n\n

Onwards to the border<\/h2>\n
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From here it\u2019s still over 100 kilometers to the Chile\u2013Argentina border. The road keeps climbing\u2014slowly but surely\u2014to around 4,250 m a.s.l. A little over an hour later we reach Jama, the last Argentine village, where the border post sits on the far edge of town. The process works a bit differently than you might expect. You park the car, get out, and take your documents into a nearby building where both controls\u2014Argentine and Chilean\u2014operate side by side. They scrutinize all travel papers: passports and, in my case, a Paraguayan resident card (c\u00e9dula). Then come the car documents. The rental agency has equipped us with the necessary paperwork, which the officer stamps here. There\u2019s also an inspection of the vehicle and luggage. By local rules, a number of specific food items aren\u2019t allowed across. We do have some supplies in the car, but in the end it isn\u2019t an issue. After roughly thirty minutes of checks we\u2019re cleared to continue.<\/p>\n

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The actual border lies just beyond the checkpoint, modestly marked\u2014we drive past without even noticing. Since I really want a photo at the border, I quickly turn around and we return to the spot where the imaginary line splits the two countries. There\u2019s a small pull\u2011off and, instead of a stone marker, a typical metal frame with a plaque: Argentina on one side, Chile on the other. After the photos and a short break we set off on the final leg to San Pedro de Atacama.<\/p>\n\n

Where dreams are born<\/h2>\n
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This last section brings the biggest surprises. First, I\u2019d assumed the road would descend from the border. Not so. The climb continues for quite a while, topping out at an impressive 4,831 m a.s.l. on the Chilean side. Then the landscape shifts. While the Argentine side felt rather monotone\u2014desert\u2011dry and stark\u2014the Chilean side feels more colorful. The stretches around the lagoons are especially captivating: mirror\u2011bright water flecked with flamingos, and in the background the painted slopes of Altiplano peaks\u2014views that etch themselves in quickly.<\/p>\n\n

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The most striking moment comes just a few kilometers before our destination. We pass the turn\u2011off to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array without a second thought (we had no idea it was even there at the time), and soon pull up at the junction toward Bolivia. The Chile\u2013Bolivia border is literally just up the road, and if the sun weren\u2019t sinking, we\u2019d have gone for a look. In the end we decide it\u2019s wiser to reach San Pedro de Atacama before dark. What truly steals the show, though, is the massive, pyramid\u2011shaped volcano to our right\u2014the unmistakable landmark of this region. A peak whose name we don\u2019t yet know stands like an icon from an encyclopedia. Nothing draws the eye more than this silent triangle. The sight hits me so hard that at the first chance I check the map: it\u2019s Licancabur.<\/p>\n\n

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And so, on the day we first crossed the Andes from one side to the other, a new dream was born too\u2014to one day climb that very volcano<\/a> that so dominated the end of our journey.<\/p>\n

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All that remained that day was an almost endless descent from the plateau down to San Pedro de Atacama. Brimming with impressions from an unforgettable drive, we check into a local hotel before dark and collapse into bed.<\/p>\n\n

Paso de Jama: key facts<\/h2>\n\n
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  • Name:<\/strong> Paso de Jama<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Location:<\/strong> a border crossing between Argentina and Chile<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Highest point:<\/strong> around 4,831 m a.s.l.<\/strong> (on the Chilean side)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Connects:<\/strong> northwest Argentina (Jujuy Province) with the San Pedro de Atacama<\/strong> area in Chile<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Road type:<\/strong> paved, generally open year\u2011round (weather permitting)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Landscape:<\/strong> high\u2011altitude Altiplano, desert environment, lagoons and salt flats<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Highlights nearby:<\/strong> flamingo\u2011filled lagoons, Licancabur<\/strong> volcano, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)<\/strong> research facility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    Paso de Jama ranks among the highest and most scenic road crossings in the Andes and serves as a key gateway between Argentina and the Atacama Desert.<\/p>\n\n