Expedition: Chile’s Carretera Austral

Highlights: Puerto Varas, Llanquihue Lake

We meet in Puerto Varas today, a small but bustling town on the shores of Lake Llanquihue in Chile. Just 35 minutes from the airport in Puerto Montt and with its craft market and lakeside views of Osorno Volcano, this is the perfect place to come stay a night before your trip starts. We’ll meet in the afternoon to fit bikes and take a quick test ride along the lake.

Highlights: Beginning of Carretera Austral, Alerce Andino National Park, Hornopiren National Park & Reloncaví estuary.

Today we shuttle from Puerto Varas to Caleta Puelche, just after the ferry on the shores of the Reloncavi estuary. Our ride follows the rim of the coast until Hualaihue, where we pedal inland on rolling, forested hills until Hornopiren, our destination for the evening.  

Highlights: Douglas Tompkins Pumalin National Park, crossing Comau-Leptepu Fjord, Michimahuida volcano

This morning we’ll span the length of the Fiordo Comau-Leptepu on a 4-hour ferry ride with views east to the mountains of Pumalin National Park and part of Vodudahue National Reserve. Once in Leptepu, we transfer over 10 km of gravel road to Fiordo Largo for our second ferry crossing (45-minutes later) to Caleta Gonzalo, where we finally begin pedaling our way to Chaiten within sight of the Michinmahuida Volcano. Today’s ride 35 km gravel, 22 km pavement.

Highlights: Yelcho lake, Corcovado National Park

Today we pedal a beautiful glacier valley along the Carretera Austral until arriving at the shores of Lago Yelcho, renowned for world-class fly fishing. We’ll rub elbows with anglers tonight at one of the area’s many lodges.

Highlights: Melimoyu National Park, Lago Rosselot, National Reserve Palena River

Just outside Yelcho we’ll pass the Yelcho hanging glacier. The rest of the day we’re surrounded by stunning views as we pedal by Corcovado National Park and then into Melimoyu National Park and Palena River. Our destination tonight is the small town of La Junta. This evening we’ll visit the Tepaluma Distillery.

Highlights: Risopatrón Lake

Our ride today is short and we end at the edge of Queulat National Park. This afternoon you can choose to take a hike or take it easy in our beautiful lodge nestled in the forest. Take a dip in the hot tub or swimming pool or warm up in the sauna. Or curl up with a book as you rest your legs before tomorrow’s big ride.

Highlights: Queulat National Park

Due to sparse lodging, we start the day with a long shuttle (66 km) before embarking on the longest ride of this tour. This day is a dynamic ride through Queulat National Park, with incredible views of the park’s namesake hanging glacier. We’ll pedal through a broad fluvial valley before veering off the Carretera Austral to follow the pristine Cisnes River until our destination for the next two nights in Puerto Chacabuco. If you want to do a full 100 miles this is your day!

Highlights: Laguna San Rafael Glacier

Puerto Chacabuco is the region’s most important seaport with connection to Puerto Montt and gateway to the Laguna San Rafael Glacier, a major outlet glacier of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. You’ll have the option to experience a full day’s excursion of the glacier or relax on the hotel grounds for a quiet day of reading. Cost for this excursion is extra and we’ll send details closer to the trip date.

Highlights: Río Simpson National Reserve, “Al Virgen” and “Velo de la novia” waterfalls

Our ride leads us to the major city of Coyhaique, the capital of Chile’s Aysen district. Growing interest in the cattle industry helped populate Coyhaique from 1930s on. Today, Coyhaique is a bustling town and is surrounded by the Rio Simpson and Coyhaique National Reserve, as well as stunning water falls and rivers, known for its fly fishing.

Highlights: Reserva Los Huemules

The landscape changes considerably today as we leave behind rolling hills dotted with cattle and enter a Ñirre lenga, or forest. At 50 feet in height, Ñirre (Genus Nothofagus) are deciduous trees common to the Pilmaquén pampa, between 2,300 and 2,600 feet in elevation. Keep your eye out today for endemic Huemul deer as we ride through Cerro Castillo National Park.

Highlights: First views of Lago General Carrera

If you wanted a big day, today is your day. We leave the pavement behind and you can ride over a metric century today as we head south to General Carrera Lake, the biggest Lake in Chile and second biggest in South America. Our destination is Puerto Rio Tranquilo, founded in 1955 and colonized by ranching and farming families. Pavement: 105 gravel, 14 paved

Highlights: Catedrales de Marmól, Glacier Exploration

A much deserved rest day is in store today. If you want, we’ve arranged for a boat ride (and possibly a kayak trip if you prefer) to explore the beautiful marble caves just off the coast of Lago General Carrera. These caves are over 6000 years old and are formed by the water eroding the edge of the lake. Light plays off of the water and the walls as you drift through the stunning marble columns in the aptly named “cathedral” of the lake. A sight not to be missed and a great way to spend the day off the bike.

Highlights: General Carrera Lake

Your ride today follows the shores of General Carrera Lake (known in Argentina as Lago Buenos Aires) that actually has a border through it. In the indigenous language it is called Lago Chelenko. The glacial waters contribute to the beautiful color of the water, and although the surrounding mountains are often wet, the lake has a temperate and sunny microclimate that made it attractive to the European and criollo immigrants in the early 1900s. You’ll have the afternoon to relax, hike, or horseback from the lodge. Today’s ride is all on gravel.

Highlights: General Carrera Lake

We leave the Carretera Austral behind today and head east, contouring the southern shore of General Carrera on a gravel road that winds around headlands and through occasional forest. Every corner offers a new view of the 1,800-square kilometer lake whose deepest point is lower than sea level. We’ll stay the night at a peaceful lakeside lodge. Today’s ride is all gravel.

Highlights: General Carrera Lake

Our final day of riding encapsulates the natural beauty and diversity of Chile’s Aysen region. Enjoy sweeping views of snow-capped peaks surrounding General Carrera Lake for the first 50 kilometers of gravel riding. Then, the Patagonian Steppe emerges as Ruta 265 departs from the lake shore and leads us toward the small but important border town of Chile Chico. Today’s ride is all on gravel.

Highlights: Ferry Trip across General Carrera Lake

Just six miles west of the Argentine border, Chile Chico has the only car ferry across General Carrera Lake and we’ll take it this morning to the small town of Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez. From here we’ll soon rejoin the Carretera Austral as we head north back to Coyhaique. Enjoy the views from off the bike as we head back the way we came. Tonight we’ll celebrate the end of an unforgettable journey.

Highlights: Farewell to the Carretera Austral Expedition

After breakfast in Coyhaique, we’ll shuttle to the Balmaceda airport where we’ll finally say ‘adios.’ If you must depart, schedule your homebound flight after 12 midday.