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The Queulat hanging glacier and the waterfalls pouring from beneath it above a forested valley, Aysén, Chile

Sample journey · 12–14 days

The Carretera Austral: Chile's wild road south

Puerto Montt, Pumalín, Futaleufú, Puyuhuapi, Coyhaique, the Marble Caves & Cochrane

Photo: Omri D. Cohen / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many people picture Patagonia through the towers of Torres del Paine or the silhouette of Fitz Roy. The Carretera Austral is a different Patagonia altogether. It is a long road, still gravel in places, that runs south from Puerto Montt through the Aysén region: ferries carry it across fjords, it winds past evergreen forest, glaciers and lakes of an almost improbable colour, and the settlements along it are small, wooden and scented with woodsmoke.

This sample route is for travellers who enjoy the journey itself as much as the destination: long days on the road, forest walks, perhaps a river trip, and evenings in simple, warm guesthouses. Every stop has at least two nights except one halt along the way, and the pace depends on whether you drive yourselves or travel with a local driver-guide. It isn't the easiest road in Patagonia, but it is one of the most absorbing.

The route

The journey

  1. Puerto Montt
  2. Chaitén & Pumalín
  3. Futaleufú
  4. Puyuhuapi & Queulat
  5. Coyhaique
  6. Puerto Río Tranquilo
  7. Cochrane
  8. Balmaceda
  1. The slopes of the Chaitén volcano with a blue lagoon at its foot, Chilean Patagonia

    01Days 1–3 · Puerto Montt, Chaitén & Pumalín

    By ferry to where the road begins

    After the long flight, a first night in Puerto Montt or in quieter Puerto Varas by the lake. Next morning the road south soon runs out at the water: in the summer season it is linked by ferry crossings through the fjords, and the day ends in the forests of Pumalín Park. It's worth giving a full day to the trails here, among ancient alerce trees and up the flank of the Chaitén volcano, where the landscape still shows the marks of the 2008 eruption.

  2. The turquoise Futaleufú river between granite boulders and forested mountains, Chile

    02Days 4–5 · Futaleufú

    A river you won't forget the colour of

    A side road east towards the Argentine border leads into the Futaleufú valley. The river here is turquoise and powerful, well known among rafters, though water levels and the season decide which stretches would suit you: the more adventurous might take one section, while a gentler float or a walk to the lakes nearby suits others. The town is small, with a few cafés and riding trails around it.

  3. An old wooden shingle-clad house among trees with snow-capped mountains behind, Puyuhuapi, Chile

    03Days 6–7 · Puyuhuapi & Queulat

    A glacier hanging above the valley

    Back on the main road, it follows a fjord to Puyuhuapi, a village founded by German-speaking settlers in the 1930s, where wooden, shingle-clad houses still stand. Nearby in Queulat National Park, a short but steep trail climbs through rainforest to a viewpoint facing a glacier that hangs over a cliff and spills down in waterfalls. In the evening, hot springs beside the fjord.

  4. Green pastures, a river and snow-dusted peaks near Coyhaique, in the Aysén region

    04Days 8–9 · Coyhaique & Cerro Castillo

    From rainforest to steppe

    South of Puyuhuapi the forest thins and the valleys open out, and Coyhaique, the region's only real town, is a good place for a single night, a little shopping and a break from the gravel. The next day the road climbs past Cerro Castillo, a mountain whose jagged ridge looks like a castle. With a guide you could walk part of its trail before descending to General Carrera Lake in the afternoon.

  5. A marble rock formation in the turquoise water of General Carrera Lake, with a kayak and a boat nearby, Chile

    05Days 10–11 · Puerto Río Tranquilo

    Marble and glacial blue

    Two nights in the small village of Puerto Río Tranquilo on General Carrera Lake allow time to take things slowly. In calm weather, a boat or kayak goes out to the Marble Caves, rock that water has carved over millennia into vaults and tunnels, where the light shifts from green to blue. On the second day you could drive the Exploradores valley towards its glacier: a guided ice walk suits those who feel confident on their feet.

  6. Foaming water at the confluence of the Baker and Neff rivers, with a small figure standing on the rocks, Aysén

    06Days 12–14 · Cochrane & Balmaceda

    The Baker river and the road back

    The furthest point of this route is the quiet town of Cochrane. On the way you stop at the confluence of the Baker and Neff rivers, where two differently coloured rivers meet, and from Cochrane you could drive into the Chacabuco valley in Patagonia National Park, open steppe where guanacos often graze. The drive back north towards Balmaceda airport is long, so the last night is best spent near Coyhaique.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Ferries through the fjords

    The start of the road, when the car sails with you between forested shores, is not a transfer but part of the journey.

  2. 02

    The Queulat hanging glacier

    A rainforest trail to ice that hangs over a cliff and falls in waterfalls into the valley.

  3. 03

    The Marble Caves

    By boat or kayak among water-carved marble vaults on General Carrera Lake, when the weather allows.

  4. 04

    The Baker confluence

    Where Chile's most voluminous river meets the milky Neff, especially striking after hours of gravel road.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With a driver-guide

    Instead of driving yourselves, a local driver-guide who knows the road, the ferry timetables and the best trails, which makes the long days feel easier.

  • Further south

    With more time, the road continues to the coastal village of Caleta Tortel and its boardwalks, or even to Villa O'Higgins.

  • With Torres del Paine

    From Balmaceda you could fly further south and add a few days in Torres del Paine or on the Argentine side, turning this into a three-week journey.

  • At a gentler pace

    Dropping Futaleufú or Cochrane and adding a night by a lake means fewer hours on the road and more time for walks and rest.

Practical considerations

  • The route suits the southern summer best, roughly November to March, when more ferries, guesthouses and guides are operating. Patagonian weather changes quickly at any time of year, and rain and wind are normal here.
  • Parts of the road are still gravel, and the northern section relies on ferries whose timetables and booking arrangements change. Driving days are long, so the journey suits those who enjoy the road itself.
  • Rafting, ice walks and boats to the Marble Caves all depend on weather and water; some days they have to be moved, so we build slack into the route.
  • Settlements are small and places to stay are limited, so the best guesthouses are worth planning well ahead.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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