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The RN40 - "La Cuarenta", as it is known to Argentinians - is at once more and less than just a road. Like Route 66 in the United States, it has its own ethos and is capable of evoking passions, inspiring songs and books, and causing arguments. It both attracts and deters visitors: some are drawn by the road's rugged mystique - a result of its inaccessibility and frequently poor condition - others are put off for the same reason. Though stretching from Salta in the northwest of Argentina all the way to Rio Gallegos in the southeast, it is the southernmost section that is most famous. Aficionados praise the fact that it is still largely unpaved, whereas critics see this as the main factor delaying the influx of tourist dollars that would benefit an economically depressed hinterland. Be that as it may, the RN40 is opening up to tourism. In the summer, newly prosperous Argentines, joined by some Brazilians and Chileans, are to be seen in increasing numbers as they take their 4WDs out of the city and put them to the test. In addition, there is now a public transport service, thus making it possible for those without their own vehicle to plan as dependable an itinerary as is possible in this part of the world. The scenery is uniformly dry and desertified - but not at all uniform. Much of it is flat, over-grazed steppe covered with tussocks of coiron grass, compact clumps of the tough, spiky neneo plant, and punctuated by patches of scrub. Most brush looks fairly dreary and anonymous for most of the year, but some bushes liven up considerably in the spring: the thorny calafate blooms with a profusion of delicate yellow flowers, and the lengua de fuego produces gloriously bright orange flowers like clam shells. The colapiche is named for its tough green fronds, which resemble armadillos' tails, and you're sure to see the grey senecio miser , the robust mata negra , the slender-leaved duraznillo , and the aggressively spiked molle , peppered with spherical galls caused by a parasitic wasp/moth. You pass harsh mesetas, blasted rocky outcrops, patches of desert and the occasional river valley, usually accompanied by a green, boggy pasture and lined in places with emerald-green willows. Along the whole route, the Cordillera de los Andes lies approximately 90km to the west, and it is here that most of the interest lies, centred on the region's lakes and national parks. Many areas of the range are completely barren, especially in the foothills, but in others, the mountain slopes are cloaked in southern beech woods, with only a narrow fringe of transitional scrubland separating forest from steppe. In these areas, you stand your best chance of seeing condors, and perhaps even a puma or a highly endangered huemul. Access roads run west from the RN40 to the mountains, but in virtually all cases you must return to it along the same track before continuing your journey. A relaxed road tour will take four days, but to explore a couple of the little-visited spots near the Andes, aim instead to spend one to two weeks, more if you're an adventurous trekker. Between Esquel and the town of Perito Moreno, the RN40 passes through several uninspiring settlements, with the only diversion of any note being to the fishing lakes of the Rio Pico area. From Perito Moreno, a road runs west along Lago Buenos Aires to the Chilean border at the orchard town of Los Antiguos , from where you can detour to Posadas before rejoining the RN40. South of Perito Moreno, the archeological site of Cueva de las Manos lies in the canyon of Rio de las Pinturas , just to the east of the RN40. The next two western detours head to little-visited, wild areas that are excellent for trekking: the first to lakes Posadas and Pueyrredon ; the second to the Parque Nacional Perito Moreno . Considerably further south, a turn-off heads to a similarly beautiful area around Lago San Martin . Beyond here is one of Argentina's highlights, easily accessible from El Calafate: the mountainous Fitz Roy area near the village of El Chalten . Finally there's El Calafate , which, due to its nearby Glaciar Perito Moreno , is the major tourist destination in the province of Santa Cruz.
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