Where to Watch the Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally is an off-road endurance race that sees participants barrel through stages of up to 560 miles per day. Hundreds of cars, motorbikes, trucks and quads blaze through varying landscapes in South America for 14 days, culminating in a thrilling dash to the finish line. The starting and ending points change by year, but the natural obstacles and weather always provide a challenge.

Watching the Dakar Rally on TV is easy, but finding spots to view the race in person can be hard. With such a long course, about 8,000 miles, there’s no singular spot where the racers stay long. However, there are few prime locations available.

Many countries have multiple stages that occur over a few days. With the countries changing each year it’s important to research ahead and figure out which one offers the most bang for your buck. Of course, there are few better places to have a good time than the starting point. Peru was the starting line for the Dakar Rally in 2018 and drew an estimated 2 million viewers to the capital city, Lima. Along with the beginning of the race, it brought along numerous festivities and musical acts to the city.

Bolivia is also another popular spot for the race in recent years and offers some of the most erratic and difficult portions of the course. Buenos Aires is another repeat host for the race and served as either the starting or finish line six times in the last decade. Actual route information is only released the day before each stage, so you’ll have to act quickly to secure a viewing spot. Locals will always give the best advice when it comes to finding places to camp out for the show.