Carretera Austral Southern Highway
Trip Highlights
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Self drive one of the great road journeys on Earth
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World class trout and salmon fly-fishing on the mighty Simpson and Baker Rivers
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Take a boat trip to the vast, isolated San Rafael Glacier, stretching some 45km from the Northern Ice Field
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Experience an array of outdoor pursuits such as horse riding, trekking, ice hiking, kayaking and white water rafting
Trip Summary
The Carretera Austral (Southern Highway) takes the driver through the Aisen Region of Chilean Patagonia, travelling some 800 miles of jaw-dropping scenery and an incredible diversity of climates, vegetation and geography.
This highway built less than 20 years ago under the regime of General Pinochet, starts its journey at Puerto Montt and meanders 770 miles (1240km) south through numerous national parks including Hornopiren National Park and Queulat National Park. With no more than five per cent of the total population of Chile and Argentina living in Patagonia, this camino is gloriously empty. Its natural conclusion is the insurmountable barrier of the Southern Ice Field at Villa O'Higgins.
Deep tree-lined fjords penetrate into the heart of a land of spiralling volcanoes and glaciers, running beside rushing rivers and temperate rainforest rich in southern Chile's unique flora. The only town of any size, Coyhaique, lies in the valley of the Rio Simpson. South of Coyhaique is Lago General Carrera, the largest lake in Chile, and the Rio Baker, one of the largest rivers in the country. Further south still are the icefields of the Campo de Hielos Sur, which feed the magnificent glacier at Laguna San Rafael.
This is a rugged, unspoilt wilderness that richly rewards those travellers’ with the inclination and time to explore this remote, little known region of Chile. Our Chile specialist, Oliver, has firsthand experience of Aisen Region after a recent visit. Read all about the trip on his blog or call 01285 885 333 for further advice on your holiday to Chile.