If on your next trip you want to explore each place calmly, giving yourself time to discover unknown or little explored places, then traveling by vehicle can be an excellent alternative. And for this, there is no better destination than the Chilean Carretera Austral.
The Carretera Austral, a one-of-a-kind scenic route, meanders through Chilean Patagonia, offering visitors an unforgettable experience in one of the most spectacular natural environments in the world. This approximately 1.240 kilometer-long highway passes through pristine landscapes, snow-capped mountains, crystal-clear rivers and imposing glaciers, connecting remote towns and communities along its path.
The Carretera Austral can be traveled from north to south or vice versa, in sections:
- Puerto Montt – The Board
- The Board – Coyhaique
- Coyhaique – Villa O'Higgins
Carretera Austral and 8 unmissable tours
To discover Chilean Patagonia through the Carretera Austral, we propose an itinerary with 8 places and tours that include the main attractions of this extensive territory. The advantage is that you can access all of them by vehicle through Route 7, and then proceed on foot, bicycle or by boat.
Douglas Tompkins Pumalin Park
Created in 2018, this park has a total area of 402.392 hectares, of which more than half were donated by Tompkins Conservation to the Chilean State.
Located on the first stretch of the Carretera Austral, it is a park that you cannot miss on your itinerary. Pumalín is part of the Austral Andes Temperate Rain Forests Biosphere Reserve declared by UNESCO in 2007, due to its great biodiversity of global importance.
Queulat National Park
This park is located on the second section of the Carretera Austral. In fact, the highway crosses the park, which may partly explain why it is one of the most visited parks in Patagonia.
It has evergreen forests, rivers and a hanging snowdrift, which can be admired from different points of the Témpanos Lagoon. A simple route for which there is a dealership that offers
boat rides.
Puyuhuapi Hot Springs
Located north of Coyhaique, these Hot springs offer water that springs from the earth, with all its mineral wealth.
Puyuhuapi also offers dream trails for trekking, with the Patagonian fjords in sight.
Baker River
The Baker River is one of the most impressive and flowing waters of Chile, which flows into Caleta Tortel. Ideal challenge for those who practice kayaking and rafting. The most common access to the river is in vehicle through the Carretera Austral from north to south to Puerto Bertrand and take a boat that travels the river; or from south to north from Villa O'Higgins, the terminus of the road.
General Carrera Lake and Marble Cathedrals
General Carrera Lake is located, practically, in the middle of the Carretera Austral. It is one of the largest lakes in the world. Its waters come from glaciers, surrounded by the Cordillera of the Andes.
In the western sector of the lake, water and the intense Patagonian wind have been eroding the limestone that covered strata of marble hidden inside for thousands of years. The waves and the wind were
carving marble, giving rise to the wonderful Marble Cathedrals.
Caleta Turtle
In the third section of the Carretera Austral we We find this cove known touristically as a small town linked by walkways, stairs and cypress bridges.
It has an amazing and diverse geography, marked by the mouth of the Baker River and crossed by other rivers, interior channels, estuaries, glaciers and narrow valleys.
Southern Ice Field Glaciers
Following through the last 100 kilometers of the Carretera Austral to the south, and almost at the height of Villa O'Higgins, there is this glacial body that can be traveled through boats that carry out excursion routes.
Glacier and Lake O'Higgins
Also known as Ventisquero Grande, it is one of the largest and most imposing glaciers in Patagonia, with a width of 3 kilometers and about 80 meters high. It can be seen from the lake with the same name, thanks to boats that leave Villa O'Higgins in summer.
Travel with MITTA and get to know the Carretera Austral in Chile.
Do you want to tour the Chilean Patagonia of comfortably, safely and at your own pace? MITTA puts at your disposal the Rent a Car Austral service in the Punta Arenas and Coyhaique branches.
Save time, quote and reserve online.
