North Patagonia
Including part of the Lakes Region and Aisen (tenth and eleventh regions),
from Puerto Montt up to Campo de Hielo Sur, perhaps this area's most
attractive feature is its unexplored and unmapped character.
The road that traverses this region for more
than a thousand kilometers represents one of the greatest man-made attempts
at control in such a place. The "Carretera Austral" (southern
road), starts in Puerto Montt, and within its first few
kilometers contains the national parks of Alerce Andino and Hornopirén.
Further to the south, we
find the Pumalín, a contentious foreign-owned private park aimed at maintaining and protecting
biological variety.
From Chaitén, where you
can stock up on anything you need, you can choose between a refreshing hot
bath at Termas del Amarillo, or
Yelcho Lake, an excellent place for fishing.
A side road leads to Futaleufu, a brilliant place to go to go kayaking and rafting. The
river, bearing the same name as the town, has world-class rapids, a challenge for
even the most adventurous. Going on to the south, we come to the magnificent Queulat National Park, with a spectacular hanging
snowcap visible from the road.
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From Puyuhuapi town, near the limits of
Queulat, and accessible only by sea or air, is the hot springs resort of Termas de Puyuhuapi,
a true paradise. A detour leads to Puerto Cisnes, and another leads to Coyhaique, the
capital city of Aisén, a few kilometres away from the ski center El Fraile.
From this city, and among parks and national reservations,
Puerto Aisén and Puerto Chacabuco are a step to the west. From here, you
can travel along
channels and fiords to an incredibly spectacular place: San
Rafael Lagoon, where the San Rafael snowcap, (San Valentín Ice Camp
snowdrift), and
the sea meet.
Continuing along the road will take you very near to the small
and beautiful Elizalde Lake, and also the General
Carrera Lake. In this lake, the biggest of the country, nature has created
a wonderful and impressive phenomenon, the marble cathedral.
Baker river, located
to the north of Cochrane, is a paradise for fly-fishing lovers.
At the end of a thousand-kilometer journey,
the Austral road ends in Villa O' Higgins, a step away from the Campo
de Hielo Sur.
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