Carretera Austral Road Trip

Today we’ll cross to Chile along the mythical road through the Lagos Andinos Patagónicos (Andean Patagonian Lakes,) which joins Argentina and Chile. Through it, the native huillichesand mapuches traveled for over four centuries, leaving their mark on the legends of the area and a history that is coming back to life throughout this trip. The Cruce Andino gives us the chance to live out a once-in-a-lifetime moment, surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery. To see the full experience please click here.  Arrival in Puerto Varas, and transfer to the hotel. Overnight.

After breakfast, you will pick up your vehicle from the rental office, and start the Carretera Austral road trip. Even though there different kinds of vehicles to chose, we suggest to get a 4×4. Take advantage of this day to visit the area, including places such as Osorno Volcano and Frutillar. Overnight in Puerto Varas

Continue your Carretera road trip to the south, passing by the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park and the Llanquihue Natural Rerserve, near the Calbuco Volcano. You reach then the Reloncavi sound and drive along an area known as the “Chilean Yosemite”, due to the similarities that its mountains, forests, and lakes have with the famous North-American national park. Continue driving towards Punta Canelo, where you will stop your self-drive tour and get on a boat that leads to the Lodge Mitico Puelo. Overnight at the lodge Mitico Puelo.

You will have this day to enjoy some of the optional activities to explore the area (to be arranged in advance) such as the excursion to Tagua Tagua Park.
Overnight at the lodge Mitico Puelo.

The boat will take you back to Punta Canelo (where you have your car), and you will continue with your road trip until reaching Hornopirén. On the way, you can find some attractions such as Pichicolo spring waters or Caleta Puelche. Overnight in Hornopirén.

On this itinerary, you’re heading on this day straight ahead to Caleta Gonzalo, but you can always stay one more night in Hornopirén and do some excursions there (ask us for more information).

You will drive until reaching the pier where starts the navigation along Leptepu’s fjord (amazing landscapes). You will go with your car on the ferry, and after disembarking, you will continue driving for a little while until reaching another pier, where you will board a second ferry that navigates along Lago fjord. Finally, back on the roads, you will reach Caleta Gonzalo (gate to the Pumalín Park). Take advantage, if the time allows you, to visit part of Pumalin.

Overnight in Caleta Gonzalo.

After visiting another part of the park during the morning, continue to Chaitén (which is not El Chaltén), near the Pacific Ocean. A few years ago, after thousands of years of being inactive, the volcano Chaitén (962 m) left this village in ruins. There are some other volcanoes around, such as the Michinmahuida (2404 m) and the Melimoyu (2400 m). Continue driving south through El Amarillo and lake Yelcho (famous for fly fishing). Surrounded by volcanoes, cascades, forests, and mountains, your Carretera road trip will lead you today to La Junta.

Overnight in La Junta.

We will leave the Carretera Austral for two days to enjoy the Pacific Coast in Raul Balmaceda Port. To reach that small maritime town you will drive through Mirta Valley and following the Palena River. Raúl Marín Balmaceda is surrounded by gorgeous landscapes with striking natural beauty. Due to the town’s geography––on an island at a river delta––sandy sediment accumulates in the area, forming long, beautiful beaches and attracting wildlife. The town is surrounded by large slopes, exuberant vegetation, and rocky, stark cliffs.

Today you will have a free day to enjoy Port R.M. Balmaceda. Hiking, navigation, kayaking and many other activities are available in this region.

The Chile road trip continues and we part from the see to continue the Carretera Austral. Between La Junta and Coyhaique, we recommend making two stops. Puyuhuapi is a picturesque German-influenced town well known for its hot springs and handmade weaving work.
Also, you can’t miss Queualt National Park. Queulat means «Sound of Waterfalls» in the Chono people’s language. You will be amazed by its beautiful evergreen and Andean Patagonian forests, its waterfalls, fjords, jagged rock walls, abundant rivers, and famous hanging glacier or «Ventisquero Colgante,» which can be spotted from the Carretera Austral.
Once back on the road, on your way to Coyhaique, you can also visit Puerto Cisnes, Villa Mañihuales and Villa Ortega.

In the morning you will have free time to explore the area of Coyhaique and Puerto Aysen.
In the afternoon you will drive through Cerro Castillo National Park, one of the most beautiful in all Chile. The Lenga and Ñirre forests are home to Huemules (South Andean Deer) and it’s not uncommon to spot one near the Ibáñez park entrance, just next to the Carretera Austral. The hanging glaciers from lagoons with bright turquoise waters, giving even more colour and life to a unique landscape that already captivates visitors from around the world.
After V]illa Castillo, you will drive through a valley that follows the Murta river.You will pass by the village of Puerto Tranquilo on the shores of Lake General Carrera which is a nice place to stop for a refreshment. We recommend visiting the Marble Chapel by boat from Bahía Mansa, located 5 km after Puerto Tranquilo. Afterward, continue to Puerto Guadal.

Today you will have a free day to explore the shores of Lago Carrera and the national park Lago Gral. Carrera. You can even get to Chile Chico, a small town in the border between Argentina and Chile.

Note: You can add one more day to cross the border to Los Antiguos, in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. You can even drive 1 hour and a half and visit Cueva de Las Manos. Then go back to Chile-Chico and continue your road trip through the Carretera Austral in Chile.

Today you will drive from Puerto Guadal to Caleta Tortel. On your way, you will drive through the Carretera Austral bordering Baker River, Chile’s largest river in terms of volume of water. The river flows out of Bertrand Lake, which is fed by General Carrera Lake. It runs along the east side of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and empties into the Pacific Ocean, near the town of Caleta Tortel.
On your way to Caleta Tortel you may visit Cochrane, main town to enter Tamango National Reserve. Also, you can visit Lake Esmeralda, Laguna Larga, Lake Vargas. On your way, you will drive through many forests, if you are lucky you will even spot a Huemul.
Caleta Tortel is a town without streets, the whole town is for walking. You will need to leave the car in the parking area and take your belongings with you. We recommend taking only what you will use in those days.

Today you can choose to relax and enjoy this magical town. We recommend doing Steffen Glacier excursion, sailing through the fjords, and doing a 2hs trek to visit the glacier.
Also you can visit Montt Glacier, this is only a navigation excursion. You will sail through islands, canals, and fjords bathed by the Pacific waters.
Also you can navigate to Merino Jarpa island, where is the Katalalixar reserve.

Continue your visit in the area, and then drive towards Puerto Yungay, where you’ll take a ferry that leads to the last lap of the Carretera Austral. The ferry disembarks in Rio Bravo, where you will get on the car again and drive until reaching Villa O’Higgins (where the Carretera Austral ends).
Overnight in Carretera Austral.

We leave these two days in order to give you the time to enjoy the excursion to the Glacier O’Higgins (a very big and beautiful glacier). The excursion is done on a tour boat which leads to the glacier, and even though you do it in one day, we leave spare time to help you deal with the potential bad weather conditions (which cancel the excursion). However, if you don’t do the excursion, there are some other activities you can do!
Overnight in Carretera Austral.

We have reached the end of the Carretera Austral Road trip. Now you have two options: since there are no airports in the area, you can:

1). Drive up to the north (visiting areas of the Carretera Austral you have not seen) until reaching the airport/point where you want to finish your trip. Something that many people do is to drive to Balmaceda (Coyhaique), which implies 2-3 more days if you do it slowly and enjoying some extra attractions, and from there fly back to Santiago de Chile. There are different options, and we will be happy to help you find the right one for you.

2). Drop off the vehicle in Villa O’higgins, and cross to Argentina to an “adventurous” experience: it’s about a crossing that takes you between 1 and 2 days (depending on the option), and combines navigation, trekking, and land transportation. It finishes in El Chaltén, which is the capital for trekking in Argentina, and where are the Fitz Roy and Torre Mounts. The good thing is that El Chaltén is (apart from beautiful) 3 hours from El Calafate, where is the glacier Perito Moreno and where you also have an airport with daily flights to Buenos Aires and other destinations.

If you would like to check as well how would be a road trip along the Ruta 40 (Argentina), click on this page:Ruta 40 Argentina road trip

In any case, ask us for more information!