Puente del Inca: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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The bridge is a natural one: a span of rock over the Las Cuevas river, glazed orange and yellow by the mineral springs that run over it. People bathed here long before the Spanish, and a spa hotel drew Argentine society in the 20th century until the mountain took it back. This short route covers the village and its approaches on foot and by car. Remember the height: 2,700 m, so walk slowly the first day.

A short history of Puente del Inca

Puente del Inca is a natural bridge over the Las Cuevas River, at an altitude of about 2,700 metres in the Andes, formed from the deposits of mineral-rich hot springs, which is why it is coloured yellow and orange. Charles Darwin visited it in 1835 and described it. In the early 20th century, after the Transandine Railway reached here, a spa hotel with hot-water baths was built beside the bridge, but in 1965 an avalanche destroyed it, and only the small chapel survived. Nearby is a cemetery for climbers who died on Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas.

The ten best sights in Puente del Inca

1
Hotel ruins
What is left of the old spa hotel, right by the bridge
2
Chapel of Puente del Inca
The small stone chapel that survived the avalanche
3
Andinists' Cemetery
Graves of climbers who died on Aconcagua; a sobering ten minutes
4
Cristo Redentor de los Andes
The statue on the old pass at about 3,800 m; gravel road, summer only
5
Casucha de Las Cuevas
A colonial brick shelter for travellers caught by snow on the crossing
6
Picheuta Bridge
A colonial bridge and a fort ruin on the old road east
7
Puente del Inca
View the orange bridge from the walkway; crossing it on foot is forbidden
8
Aconcagua Viewpoint
The first sight of the highest peak in the Americas, by the road
9
Laguna de Horcones
An easy walk in the park; the lake reflects Aconcagua on still mornings
10
Hanging bridge, Horcones
End point of the short trail; beyond it, permits are needed

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Tours in Puente del Inca →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Puente del Inca:

Free walking tours in Puente del Inca

The bridge of the Inca

Puente del Inca · The span is about 47 m long and stands some 27 m above the river. Charles Darwin crossed the Andes this way in 1835 and described it in his journal as a crust of river shingle cemented together by the deposits of the hot springs.
Hotel ruins · A thermal hotel opened here in 1925, with baths cut into the rock under the bridge. In 1965 an avalanche destroyed it, and it was never rebuilt; the bath chambers are still visible from the walkway.
Chapel of Puente del Inca · The chapel stood beside the hotel and was the one building left standing after the 1965 avalanche, which locals took as a small miracle.
Puente del Inca bus stop · The village grew up around the Transandine Railway, which from 1910 linked Mendoza with Los Andes in Chile. Passenger trains stopped in 1984, but the old station building still stands by the bridge.
Andinists' Cemetery · Climbers who died on Aconcagua and the surrounding peaks are buried here, along with memorials to those whose bodies were never found. Some graves are marked with ice axes and crampons.
Los Penitentes · The resort takes its name from the rock pinnacles on the mountain across the valley, which look like a line of hooded penitents climbing towards a cathedral-shaped peak.

Face to face with Aconcagua

Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia, and its south face stands at the head of the Horcones valley, just 4 km from the village. The provincial park gives a short walk to anyone, and the start of a three-week climb to those with a permit. Pay the entry at the ranger station by the road. Allow two hours for the lake and the bridge, a full day for Confluencia.

Aconcagua Viewpoint · From here you look up the Horcones valley at the summit, 6,961 m high. The name is usually traced to Quechua, as a 'stone sentinel', though scholars still argue over it.
Laguna de Horcones · The south face above the lake rises nearly 3,000 m in one wall, one of the biggest mountain faces in the world. It was first climbed in 1954 by a French team.
Old Horcones refuge · These are the ruins of an old mountain refuge by the lake. The valley has been part of Aconcagua Provincial Park since 1983, and today every climber must register and buy a permit before going beyond the day trails.
Ammonite fossils · The rocks here hold ammonites, spiral sea shells from the age of the dinosaurs. The Andes are made partly of old sea floor lifted by the collision of two plates, which is why marine fossils turn up at nearly 3,000 m.
Hanging bridge, Horcones · The suspension bridge marks the end of the free day walk. Beyond it the trail continues to Confluencia and Plaza de Mulas, the base camp at about 4,300 m.
Confluencia · Confluencia sits where two streams meet, at about 3,400 m, and climbers spend their first nights here to acclimatise. Day trekkers with a permit can walk in and out in a long day.

Over the old pass

Before the tunnel, everyone crossed between Argentina and Chile over the bare pass of La Cumbre, on mule tracks that San Martín's army also used in 1817. This route covers both directions from the village: west to the border and the pass, east down the valley to the colonial bridge. Expect about 100 km of driving. The road up to the statue is unpaved and open only in summer.

Casucha de Las Cuevas · In the late 18th century the colonial governor Ambrosio O'Higgins had a chain of brick shelters, the casuchas del rey, built along the crossing, so that mail carriers and travellers caught by storms could survive the night.
Las Cuevas · The last village before Chile is built in stone with arches, and the arch over the road belonged to the old border post, from the days before the tunnel took the traffic.
Cristo Redentor de los Andes · The 7-metre bronze Christ was unveiled on the pass on 13 March 1904 to celebrate the treaties that ended a border dispute between Argentina and Chile. It was cast in Buenos Aires and carried up in pieces by mule.
Cristo Redentor Tunnel · The road tunnel under the pass opened in 1980, alongside the old railway tunnel. It turned a summer-only crossing into one that works most of the year, though snow still closes it for days in winter.
Punta de Vacas · On 4 May 1969 the Argentine writer Silo gave his first public speech here, 'The Healing of Suffering', the founding moment of the Humanist Movement. A park of study and reflection now stands on the spot.
Picheuta Bridge · In January 1817 a column of San Martín's Army of the Andes clashed with royalist troops at Picheuta, one of the first skirmishes of the crossing that freed Chile.

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Getting to Puente del Inca and getting around

Puente del Inca bus stop · Buses between Mendoza and the Chilean border stop on Route 7 by the bridge
Cristo Redentor Tunnel · The border crossing to Chile, 15 km west; it closes in snowstorms, so check before you drive

Cheap eats in Puente del Inca

Puente del Inca is a roadside hamlet, not a town: a row of stalls, a couple of cafés and the lodges. Food is simple and filling, built for climbers and truck drivers — empanadas, milanesas, locro and coffee with medialunas. Argentine prices change fast; bring pesos in cash, as cards and signal are unreliable this high.

Guanacos · Coffee, hot chocolate and empanadas by the bridge, around ARS 2,000-3,000 each
Parador · Roadside café with sandwiches, around ARS 5,000-8,000
Kiosco Aconcagua · Snacks and drinks on the park turn-off, around ARS 1,500-4,000
Hostería Puente del Inca · Set lunch for climbers, around ARS 15,000-20,000

Museums in Puente del Inca

Hotel ruins · The 1925 spa hotel and its rock-cut baths
Chapel of Puente del Inca · The survivor of the 1965 avalanche
Andinists' Cemetery · Climbers' graves at the foot of the mountains
Cristo Redentor de los Andes · The 1904 peace statue on the border
Casucha de Las Cuevas · Colonial shelter on the crossing

Nature and day trips near Puente del Inca

Laguna de Horcones · Easy walk to a lake under Aconcagua
Aconcagua Viewpoint · Roadside view of the summit
Confluencia · First trek camp, at about 3,400 m
Plaza de Mulas · Aconcagua base camp; a multi-day trek with a permit
Punta de Vacas · River junction and a park of reflection

Things to do in Puente del Inca with kids

Puente del Inca · The orange bridge and the stalls of coated souvenirs
Ammonite fossils · Spot sea shells in the mountain rock
Hanging bridge, Horcones · A wobbly bridge at the end of a short trail
Los Penitentes · Snow play in winter; check that the ski area is open
Laguna de Horcones · A flat walk short enough for small legs

Where to eat in Puente del Inca

Hostería Puente del Inca · Dinner with the climbing teams
Hostería Penitentes · Warm dinners at the ski village, 7 km east
Hotel Ayelén · Hotel restaurant at Los Penitentes
Arco de las Cuevas · A meal under the old border arch before the pass

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Frequently asked questions about Puente del Inca

What is there to see in Puente del Inca?

The top sights in Puente del Inca are Hotel ruins, Chapel of Puente del Inca and Andinists' Cemetery. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Puente del Inca?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Puente del Inca without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Puente del Inca?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Puente del Inca, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The bridge of the Inca.

How do you get to Puente del Inca and get around?

The main ways are Puente del Inca bus stop and Cristo Redentor Tunnel. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Puente del Inca, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Puente del Inca that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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