When people hear the word Patagonia, they often think of Argentina as opposed to Chile. However, not only is a large proportion of Patagonia situated in Chile, but some of its most spectacular places can also be found there.
Heading south from Puerto Montt, on the 1,240km long Carretera Austral, marked the start of Patagonia for us. This fabled land immediately challenges the logistics of the self-propelled traveller, with three ferry crossings required in relatively quick succession. These include the spectacular Hornopiren-Caleta Gonzalo sailing, which crosses the Comau Fjord.
Travelling further south after the ferry crossings, the road briefly turned to whitewash unpaved roads. It’s really not surprising that the road is in this condition when you consider how incredibly isolated and undeveloped this area of the world is. Any puncture or other mechanical issue here and you really are on your own. Thankfully our trusty camper van did not succumb to any such dramas and brought us to Chaiten. A small coastal town, life here moves at a slow pace. Deliveries to the town are infrequent, however the locals were delighted to welcome us and we even enjoyed a traditional lunch which helped stave off the wind and cold conditions.
We briefly entered the Pumalin National Park, located a mere 25km from Chaiten. However access and facilities around the park were not yet in place for the summer season, so we continued feeling a little short-changed. Another brief stop was called for later that day, this time in Villa Santa Lucia. The sight of a huge volcano eruption in 2017, the town was effectively levelled and is slowly being rebuilt since. Government funding appears to not have been particularly forthcoming, so the town still shows plenty of scars from that traumatic event.
Quelat National Park was next on our hit list, but this time the Patagonian weather reared its head and had us scampering for cover. As we reached the mountain summit through the park, on poor unpaved roads, a heavy snowstorm landed and we were forced to abandon plans and continue to Puerto Cisnes directly. The town itself was picturesque, located as it is on the Puyuhuapi Channel at the outflow of the Cisnes River. Like many town we came across in Chilean Patagonia, it was quiet, sparsely populated, and very very cold (it was minus 4 degrees outside that night). We spent a quiet evening in the van, cooking, eating and happily watching a movie. Not the most exciting, but really very welcome in this inhospitable part of the world.
Next stop was Puerto Aysen, following an uneventful 180km drive. Again the town itself was nice, but we had to search for any sign of life around that evening. Morning brought a few more locals to the streets, We even had the added bonus of being able to source some fruit and veg, a real luxury up to that part of the Carretera Austral.
After stopping at a couple of beautiful waterfalls, we made it to the relative metropolis of Coyaquique. Given its population of c.60k, it really did seem like we had landed in the New York of Patagonia. Football was played in the main square, a pizzeria was frequented and other camper van essentials were taken care of (think clothes washed, water filled, toilets empties etc.). Leaving Coyaquique brought a slight sense of hesitancy, as the remoteness and lifelessness of many of the places we had recently been to contrasted vastly with our brief time in Coyaquique.
Onwards we went however, and we were quickly rewarded with some spectacular views at Cerro Castillo. But our joy was short-lived as this also marked the end of the paved section of the Carretera Austral. For us, this meant a 400km slog to the tiny port of Caleta Yungay, where we would travel by ferry to Puerto Natales. The challenges presented by the road was at least broken up by some interesting stops along the way.
The first of these was at Puerto Tranquillo, where we would visit the beautiful Marble Caves. Created by the corrosive effect of the blue water of the lake lapping at the stone, the Marble Cathedral as it is known, looks like a beautiful piece of sculpted artwork. Our visit did however coincide with some considerable winds, which made the boat journey on the huge General Carrera Lake pretty rough (and wet).
After a brief stop to practice our stone-skimming capabilities at the Bertrand Lake, we continued on to the hugely impressive meeting of the Baker and Neff Rivers. This confluence really is something to be seen, as freezing waters collide in a mesmerising manner. Like most parts of Chilean Patagonia, there was not another sinner to be seen for miles around this beautiful sight.
Cochrane was the last overnight we would have before our ferry rendezvous-vous in Caleta Yungay. A nice little town, we enjoyed the parks and playgrounds before our final push to the boat.
There are no roads linking Puerto Natales to the northern part of Chile. Locals must either cross into Argentina or travel the 700km via water to get to the rest of their country. Locals naturally enjoy a heavily discounted price for this service. As foreigners, we were faced with a much more elevated cost to travel the 48 hours. We decided this was a cost we were happy to pay, as we wanted to see the fjords, landscape and wildlife we had read so much about.
The boat trip was a big success. We enjoyed the relative comforts of warm meals, and hot showers, we met some wonderful travellers from all over the world, and we saw nature at its absolute finest. The highlight was when a couple of Orca Whales swam right beside the boat, enjoying themselves while dipping in and out of the boats waves.
Puerto Natales was a lovely place to spend a few days. We ate well, restocked the camper van with all the foods we wanted, and strolled the streets of this welcoming place. Our only challenge was the wind, as it seemed to be increasing in ferocity the further south we travelled.
Our last stop in Chilean Patagonia would be the famous Torres del Paine National Park. Located a couple of hours drive from Puerto Natales, it was a natural place for us to finish our time here. We found the park itself to be quite underdeveloped for such a well-known attraction. The whole park, and all roads leading to it are unpaved. Facilities for both camper vans and other visitors were relatively basic, save for a couple of high-end hotels. Yet this was all really superflous as the natural beauty on show trumped any other human requirements. We were amazed by the scale and beauty of the Grey Glacier. Walking out towards it was probably the windiest conditions I have ever encountered, yet the colours and shapes of the glacier made the wind a mere afterthought. We hugely enjoyed the hike to the Mirador Ferrier, as did we the walk to the Mirador Condor and Mirador Cuernos. Not hugely taxing walks, they still provided enough of a challenge for our children to enjoy yet feel proud of their efforts. It must be mentioned that the wind was again incredibly challenging for these, and was a constant during our visit to the park.
Chilean Patagonia is not like anywhere else on earth that I have visited. Its incredible natural beauty is not easily reached. Nor are there many people there if you do actually manage to arrive. On the one hand, this is a true blessing, as it affords you time and space in some incredible places. Conversely, travelling in a 22 year old camper van not designed for such roads, alongside two young children eager to meet and play with people their own age, at times made it a tough trip. Yet having successfully navigated this challenging terrain, I look back with great fondness and satisfaction at having decided to come here.
Click here to read the “Ushuaia” travel guide
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