Carretera Austral: On the Heels of Autumn
By many accounts, Carretera Austral (aka Route 7) is one of the most beautiful scenic routes in the world, and we can attest that it is one of the most beautiful road-trips we have ever done. It covers 1,240 kilometers (we covered two-thirds) starting in Puerto Montt in the lakes region, and ending in Villa O’Higgins in the south of Patagonia. It crosses several fjords, volcanoes, glaciers, rivers and ranches to mention just some of the wonders along the way. Much of the road is paved, however there are some long unpaved sections and a few ferry crossings depending on your specific route.
Our trip happened in late summer and early fall, which meant that we could witness some of the seasonal transitions on our way south. The month of April brings rainy days, and we had a lot of cloud cover and fog during our road trip. Although we might have missed some mountains hiding behind the clouds at times, we loved the feeling of the rain and it helped us appreciate the sunny weather even more when we had it.
Futaleufu: Our starting point in Chile
We started our road trip in Argentina, crossing into Chile in the town of Futaleufu. Although the town is not part of the Carretera Austral, it was a needed stop on our way there. And it is worth a detour if you are traveling somewhere else in the region. As you approach the town, signs read “Futaleufu: a landscape painted by God”.
The town itself is cozy, in autum the houses light the wooden stoves. As soon as you cross the border there cultural signs you are in other country: a different accent, different bread, different food altogether. There is a National Reserve, and plenty of hiking and rafting options. We highly recommend the hike to Piedra Ventosa. It starts from the park’s administration office about 7 Km from the town. The hike from there is 5 Km roundtrip, and it’s an easy one (we did it with our toddler). The views to the Futaleufu river and surrounding valley are outstanding.
After Futaleufu, we traveled approximately 80 kilometers in a gravel route that connects that town with Villa Santa Lucia on Carretera Austral. The connecting route is beautiful since it borders the Futaleufu River, and on some stretches you can see both the calm and tumultuous waters of the river that the most adventurous dare to raft. The river flows into Lake Yelcho, which can be seen from the road.
Villa Santa Lucia to Puyuhuapi (115km)
This part of the route is very quiet. You can see snowy mountains and many rivers with crystal clear waters. The services on this stretch are minimal, and the only town we found along the way for lunch was La Junta. This is a small town from where excursions are made to Puerto Balmaceda, and also a convenient place to stay or eat if you are traveling the Carretera Austral (we stayed close to La Junta as we headed back north). After La Junta, we continued towards the small town of Puyuhuapi which is located on a fjord in the Pacific Ocean with snow-capped mountains in the background. It is an intriguing combination that gives magic to this small town. There you have the essentials, some restaurants, accommodations and small markets. We stayed for one night.
Puyuhuapi to Coyhaique (240km)
Any attempt at describing this part of the route falls short. We had a rainy day on this part of our journey and all the landscapes became cloudy. To the south of Puyuhuapi you drive for a while on the fjord next to the bay. Soon the Queulat National Park begins. The beauty of this park lies in the abundant green vegetation with giant rhubarb leaves, ferns and moss, and the snow-capped mountain of the same name at the core.
Two kilometers from Carretera Austral you can access the national park and a short hike to the Ventisquero Colgante (Hanging Glacier), which has a waterfall coming from the snowy ice of the mountain that flows into the Laguna Tempanos. At the time we went, there were two trails enabled, one being the panoramic viewpoint of approximately 3km (one way), and the other the path to Laguna Tempanos (approximately 600 meters). We did the latter, during which we crossed a beautiful suspension bridge (only four people can pass at a time, and generally passersby take their time taking photos) and passed through a humid forest bordering the river until we reach the lagoon. The color of the lagoon and the view of the blue ice are spectacular.
On this part of the route there is a section of gravel prior to the Queulat slope, a narrow road with many curves. At the end of the climb you can see several snow-capped hills. The road continues with impressive mountains, waterfalls on the side of the road, beautiful rivers and small streams.
The services around here are limited, if not non-existent. Halfway down the road is Villa Amengual, a small settlement but with nothing open when we passed by. Fortunately, we found the Casona del Bosque Hotel nearby, a very cozy place where we could have local food for lunch and get ideas from the books they had about the southern road. The next point with services is Villa Mañihuales (we stayed there on our way north). At that point the landscape began to change a little. We began to see some autum colors, and as we approached Coyhaique we began to see a broader, dry landscape.
Coyahique is a somewhat small city, but it is the largest from this point south. There are clothing stores of well-known brands, supermarkets, pharmacies, service stations, etc.
At this point we once again had the option to cross the border to return to Argentina and take route 40 towards the well-known towns of Chalten and Calafate or continue on route 7 which becomes deserted towards the south. We decided on the latter.
Coyhaique – Puerto Tranquilo (215km)
South of Coyhaique, the road opens to waves of colors at the top of enormous montains contrasting with the vegetation at their base. Further south there is the Cerro Castillo viewpoint, where you can see an impressive snow-capped mountain that is shaped like a castle. There is a panoramic view of the mountains, valleys and Devil’s Hill, a short section of the road with very pronounced curves. Further south you arrive at Villa Cerro Castillo, a small village that serves as a base for those doing the extensive hikes to the beautiful lakes in the National Park. We stayed in this small town on our return to the north, and although we didn’t attempt the “big hikes,” we took a short one to the Wall of Hands, where you can see paintings of hands on the rock’s surface which are are up to 3,000 years old, and whose meaning (if there is one) has not been deciphered.
As you continue south and approach Puerto Tranquilo, the road runs paralell to Lake General Carrera, the largest lake in Chile, and which is shared with Argentina (it is known as Lake Buenos Aires there). The lake has a bright blue color and due to its size it feels like you could be in the Caribbean Sea.
Catedral de Marmol
Once in Puerto Tranquilo, we took an impromptu excursion to the “Marble Cathedral.” We hopped on a boat and saw formations left by the erosion of the lake and the wind, opening space for caverns that reveal the marble. Due to the minerals in the rocks, abstract lines of very interesting colors are formed, which stand out in the crystal blue water. The total tour lasts approximately an hour and a half, and it was a unique experience. Be aware – it gets cold and windy, so go prepared with good jackets. We caught a cold!
Puerto Tranquilo – Cochrane (114km)
This was another day full of surprises. The road has sections in poor condition, so it took us three hours to cover 114 kilometers. The route is lonely and you see few cars, however there are some cattle and sheep farms.
On the way we passed the small village of Puerto Bertrand, where the road starts to go along the Baker River, the largest in Chile. Many rivers in Patagonia are turquoise blue, but this was the brightest blue we had seen on our trip. A little later we found the union of the Baker River and the Nef River. To get there we took a short walk of less than 1km. The strength of the Baker River can be seen in all its splendor, as well as the change in color when it joins the Nef, which has a grayish color. The road runs along the river almost until it reaches the town of Cochrane.
Cochrane is a nice town with a large main square and where we could find a good coffee! There are several playgrounds for children and stores to get supplies for those traveling to more remote areas of Patagonia (including us). We stayed in a cabin in the rural area. Some neighboring horses visited us, we were able to make a bonfire outside, and we had hammocks and a nice view of the Patagonian mountains.
Patagonia National Park
Our accommodation in Cochrane was just 500 meters from the entrance to the national park in the sector known as Tamango. There we hiked separately along two of the park’s trails. We were able to see the waters of the Cochrane River and a viewpoint of the town.
Cochrane – Caleta Tortel (125km)
Caleta Tortel is located close to the end of Carretera Austral, and is one of those places that is under the radar. We read about it in one of the travel books we found in Patagonia, which said that “Caleta Tortel is one of those places that simply has to be seen to be believed.” A separate blog said “nothing quite prepares you for Caleta Tortel, a quirky village close to the southernmost end of the Carretera Austral.” Those reviews were enough to make us curious about the town. The location is quite remote, but we passed a few cars in our three-hour drive from Cochrane, and there are some cattle ranches and camping facilities on the way. The drive goes through a beautiful pine forest on a reasonably maintained unpaved road, and for a time the road borders the Baker River, now surrounded by a deep green landscape, until it reaches the town.
Caleta Tortel is located in a fjord, where the Baker river outflows into the Pacific Ocean. The color of the water is milky green-gray-bluish, a color that is hard to even describe. There are no cars as one must park above the town in a shared parking lot. People get around on foot using the 7km of wooden pasarelas that connect houses and sections of the town. The houses hang on the mountain, looking over the fjord. There are no resorts or modern constructions, most houses are made out of wood (timber is the main economic activity there), and most use wooden stoves. The calm and stillness of the town, and the surrounding beauty make for one of the most beautiful towns we’ve ever visited.
Caleta Tortel made for a wonderful end to our exploration of Carretera Austral, and the most southern point we have been in the Americas. With our hearts full, we turned around to retrace our steps on our way back to Bariloche where we started.
