Driving Ruta 3N with vertigo-inducing depths of up to 1.000m

Located in the region Ancash of Peru, the defiant Carretera 3-N is one of the most dangerous roads in the world, with vertigo-inducing depths of up to 1.000m.

Ruta 3N

How long is Ruta 3N?

Tucked away on the northern part of the country, the road is mostly unpaved. The most challenging part of the drive is 22.0km (13.67 miles) long, running from Cañon del Pato to La Pampa, a small town.

Is Ruta 3N in Peru challenging?

The road goes narrower every time, with a succession of turns and hairpins. These were handcut out of the mountain and some of them were very narrow, needing a steady hand on the wheel to negotiate. The road is extremely narrow, not made for 2 cars or vans to pass at the same time. There are many trucks on the way. During the rainy and snowy period the road may be closed. It’s really a bad dirt road, with some washboard and lots of rocks.