RP52 is a road with 365 turns to Termas de Villavicencio

Ruta Provincial 52, between Uspallata and Termas de Villavicencio, is an extremely dangerous dirt track with a length of 55.2km. This curvy and unsealed mountainous track, which rarely permit speeds over 30km/h, features some of the most dramatic scenery in the region.

The road starts from Uspallata, a village in Mendoza Department in a scenic location on the Andes at an elevation of 2,039m (6,690ft) above the sea level. After 55km the road arrives to Termas de Villavicencio, at an elevation of 1,800m above the sea level. This road is called Ruta del año (Route of the year) because it has 365 turns, most of them hairpins. It’s very dangerous to drive on this road between July and October. Villavicencio is an old resort spa located in an ecologically preserved area about 50 km north of Mendoza, Argentina. Although the resort has been unused for the past 30 years, the grounds still have the famous termal waters, several garden paths and the old chapel. The drive here is very pretty: from Mendoza it takes you up the foothills of the Andes along the old international road to Chile.

Located 51 km. to the north of Mendoza city, Villavicencio is situated on the primitive international road to Chile. The surface of the road is unsealed. It’s a difficult road, with uncountable turns and twists.