Carretera Austral

The Carretera Austral, officially Ruta 7, runs through southern Chile from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, covering about 1,200 km of paved road, sections of ripio (loose gravel road) and ferry crossings through fjords and lakes. It was opened in stages from the 1970s and 1980s and is the main overland link between the settlements of the Aysén Region, where few people live in a vast area of mountains, forests and water.

Coyhaique, the capital of Aysén, sits midway and serves as a base for those arriving by plane. The city was founded in 1929 under the name Baquedano, at the meeting of the Simpson and Coyhaique rivers, and has a Plaza de Armas in the center shaped like a pentagon. Around it, less than an hour's drive away, are the Reserva Nacional Coyhaique, with trails among lenga forests and lagoons, and the Reserva Nacional Río Simpson, in the valley that descends toward Puerto Aysén, with waterfalls by the roadside.

To the south, the paved Ruta 7 climbs to Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo, whose 2,318-meter peak, full of rock towers, can be seen from afar. From there the long stretches begin: Puerto Río Tranquilo, where boats depart for the Capillas de Mármol on Lago General Carrera, is about 220 km from Coyhaique; Cochrane and Parque Nacional Patagonia are over 300 km away; Caleta Tortel, with cypress boardwalks over the water, is even farther. To the north, Parque Nacional Queulat and the Ventisquero Colgante are about 165 km away. Confirm distances before planning your itinerary.

Traveling the Carretera Austral requires time and flexibility. The towns are small, gas stations are far apart, and cellphone signal disappears in several stretches. The weather changes quickly, with rain, wind and sun in the same day, and winter brings snow to higher areas. In Aysén it's common to see people drinking mate, a legacy of the settlers and ranching life, and to try barbecued lamb, a dish of Patagonian tradition.

This destination brings together 1 city: Coyhaique.