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AUSTRAL ROAD, or Carretera Austral in Patagonia |
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Winding through a landscape of unique beauty and exuberant vegetation, the Austral Road - Carretera Austral - makes its way among mountains and cliffs, dense and ancient native forests of coigüe, notro, lenga, and giant nalcas, rivers, and waterfalls of crystal clear waters where you can often see pairs of native birds, such as caiquenes and flocks of bandurrias, or ibis.
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The Carretera Austral Highway begins in Puerto MonttIt covers more than 1,240 kilometers and 229 kilometers of side roads, and ends in Villa O’Higgins, close to the Southern Ice Fields. Most of the route is slow-going over dirt roads, so take your time and be prepared to thoroughly enjoy the spectacular scenery. |
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Puerto Montt - ChaiténThe first segment travels along the Seno Reloncaví from Puerto Montt to Chaitén, covering approximately 220 kms through fjords and forests. Highlights include the Alerce Andino National Park with native forests of ancient alerce (larch) trees, some of which are more than 3,000 years old, and the Parque Pumalin, which is part of the Foundation of the same name managed by North American nature lover Douglas Tomkins. The park features beautiful trails through the region’s extraordinary landscape. You can also take a ferry out to visit a sea lion colony. Pumalin Park can be reached by ferry from Hornopiren to Caleta Gonzalo. Tramo Chaitén - CoyhaiqueTraveling south from Chaitén on the Austral Road you will come to Lake Yelcho; the rivers nearby are especially good for fly fishing. A little further south you’ll find the road to Futaleufú, near the Argentine border. The Futaleufú River offers excellent conditions for kayaking and rafting. Another road from Futaleufúu leads to Palena where you can visit the Lake Palena National Park.The village of La Junta is 152 kilometers from Chaiten (approximately 3 hours away) and 57 kms further south you’ll reach the Union River pier where you can cross the bay to the Puyuhuapi Lodge & SPA. The Austral Road continues on to Piedra Gato, which was the most difficult section of the road to build due to its isolation, narrow valleys, and dense vegetation. Here you can see the remains of the scorched logs left behind after the great fires of the 1940’s. Next you’ll come to the Las Torres Lake National Reserve. The paved stretch of the road starts in Villa Mañihuales and continues to Coyhaique. The turnoff to Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco is found at the Viviana Crossing. Continue another 32 kilometers northeast to reach the Simpson River National Reserve with its beautiful Cascades of the Virgin and the Bride’s Veil waterfall. Coyhaique - Villa O´HigginsThe Balmaceda airport is 55 kilometers from Coyhaique. For great fishing, follow the road to La Paloma and Elizalde lakes. The Cerro Castillo National Park is 64 kilometers south of Coyhaique along the road to Cochrane. Spread over an area of 134,000 hectares with both new and ancient forests, it is home to a rich diversity of wildlife including huemuls, guanacos, fox, pumas, condors, cachanas, eagles and other birds. Some great attractions of this National Park are the Castillo and Iglesia hills and the Conde Rock, shaped by wind and water to resemble a human profile. Shared by both Chile and Argentina, General Carrera Lake is the second largest lake in South America. This beautiful area offers many tourist attractions such as the Cerro Castillo Villa in Puerto Ibánez, where the National “Hands” Monument features cave paintings created by the Tehuelches some 6,000 years ago. The amazing site R14 depicts the portrait of a guanaco and its offspring. Another very interesting place to visit is the Marble Cathedral, a beautiful rock formation hollowed out by water. Another 50 kms to the south you’ll find the road that leads to Chile Chico on the Argentine border. You can reach the General Carrera and Jeinimeini lakes from here as well as the Cave of the Hands with indigenous cave paintings depicting hands, hunting scenes, geometric symbols, and small serpents, fertility paintings, ñandú footprints, pumas, ritual dances, and variations of light and shading. UNESCO declared this Cultural Heritage Site in 1999. Continuing along the Austral Road toward the south you’ll arrive at Puerto Bertrand, the source of the Baker River, Chile’s largest. At its mouth you’ll find the picturesque little town of Tortel with its brightly-colored houses and wooden foot bridges. Follow the river to Cochrane, the last major city of the area. Here you find the Tamango National Park, home of huemuls and Lake Cochrane. The final segment of the Austral Highwaystretches to Puerto Yungay. Cross the Bravo River
to reach Villa O’Higgins on the Argentine border. This is the end
of the Austral Road, as the Southern Ice Field to the west blocks the
possibility of continuing onward. There are plans, however, to extend
the Road all the way to Puerto Natales.
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SANTIAGO: Fidel Oteiza 1921 Of. 1006, Providencia, Santiago
- Chile Tel. (56-2) 225 64 89 |
