Rally
Rally Argentina takes place in April in the hills of Córdoba. It is part of the World Rally Championship and was first run in 1980. A magnificently scenic circuit, traps, mountain roads, fords full of water, and thousands of fans lining the route, give this popular race a unique quality.
Argentina was chosen, alongside Chile, to host the Dakar Rally for the first time in 2009. This key event on the international sporting calendar takes place in January. During the race, enormous crowds of followers fill the streets of Buenos Aires, where it starts and finishes, as well as the sides of the track in the seven provinces that the rally goes through.
The course is an 8600 km loop between Buenos Aires, Antofagasta (Chile) and Buenos Aires with an extended stay in the Atacama Desert in the middle. In Argentina, the competitors pass through the provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, La Rioja, Catamarca, San Juan, Mendoza and La Pampa. The route the rally takes is diverse, challenging and spectacular. It competes with some of the world’s most exciting road trips.
What´s on_
Tips_
- Argentina’s first rally took place in Cordoba in 1968. Initially races were between the members of the Cordoba Driving Association and did not draw crowds. With time, rally has become one of Argentina’s most popular sports.
- The 31st Dakar Rally (2009) was the first in South America. Marc Coma won the motorbike category, Josef Machacek quads, Giniel De Villiers cars and Firdaus Kabirov trucks.
- If you come to Argentina for the Dakar Rally, book your hotel well in advance. The rally coincides with Argentina’s high season, at the height of summer.
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