Surely you have heard that Carretera Austral is one of the most impressive roads in the world. This is because while traveling along its 1,240 km you will find nooks and crannies, fjords, glaciers, volcanoes and other natural wonders. 

In this blog article you will find a brief overview of the history of this route and unmissable spots for trekking, mountaineering or simply touring some areas on foot or by car.  

Historical tour of the Carretera Austral

This road was built by the dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1976 and was extended until 2000, the road aimed to connect the entire Chilean territory with the inhospitable Patagonia. Until then it was only possible to travel through Argentina and Chileans had to travel to the neighboring country, wasting hours on the road. 

The execution of this work and the arrival of new settlers has produced a cultural change, achieving that these remote communities have access to education, health, drinking water, electricity and even internet at a more limited level. This is improving their quality of life and with the passage of time has allowed its inhabitants to adapt to provide a better service to travelers who make the journey.

In 2006, different projects for the construction of hydroelectric plants in the Aysén region became known, which is how "Patagonia without Hydroelectric Dams" was born, led by the American ecologist and businessman Douglas Tompkins (founder of North Face and Esprit). He bought 17,000 hectares of forest in what is now known as Douglas Pumalín Park under the slogan "you can live off the forests without cutting them down".

Together with other environmentalists and local people, he managed to stop for 11 years different projects that threatened the sustainability of Patagonia. They also helped to create more protest movements such as "Patagonia without more mining", which in 2018 managed to stop a project that threatened the waters of General Carrera Lake, the second largest lake in South America and known for its emerald green color.

Points you can't miss on the Carretera Austral

The Carretera Austral begins in Puerto Montt (the last city where the roads reached before its construction). Almost 50 km later the route ends due to the fjords or arms of the sea that cross it and force you to change means of transport to the ferry boat. There are up to 4 road closures, forcing vehicles and pedestrians to move at the slow pace of the tides. 

Here we will tell you the points that you can visit and this will depend on what you want to do on your trip, we suggest you to investigate more about it, but first we leave you some general recommendations:

• How many days should your trip last? 28-30 days.
• What is the ideal season? November to March.
• What level of training should you have? On a scale of 1 to 5: 4 points.
• How many meters above sea level will you be? It will depend on the points you visit, but you will be between 1,300 and 3,500 meters above sea level.

Now without further detours, let's start with this exciting tour. Or if you prefer, we will tell you about it in a personalized consultancy. Schedule your appointment by clicking here.

1. Cerro Castillo National Park

Located in the region of Aysén, you can visit it for 4 days. Here you will find the typical Patagonian landscape where you will walk through forests, turquoise lakes and steppe plains. In addition, if you are a climber you can test yourself in the fantastic needles of the Cerro and its Paredones.

2. Northern Ice Field

The next stop gets more extreme! It is ideal to reach the North Ice Field by riding and/or walking on a detached glacier tongue and facing the cold snowdrift that can come from the east or west. Here you can climb to 4,058 meters above sea level on Mount San Valentin or head to Mount Arenales at 3,437 meters above sea level. 

3. Villa O'Higgins

Towards the end of the Carretera Austral is the town of Villa O'Higgins but it is here that another journey begins. You can embark on a journey for a few days (6-8), through the ponds until you reach Lake O'Higgins and continue along a path of hills, passing Cerro Gorra (2,097 masl) and Cerro Marconi (2,284 masl) until you reach the most demanding level of your journey in the Argentine Chaltén.

4. Chaltén

Once you get to Chaltén you can test yourself by trekking around Fitz Roy (3,405 masl) and CerroTorre (3,128 masl), two imposing mountains with views that don't need filters to capture their beauty. With a little luck, you will also be able to observe typical Patagonian birds such as the great Andean Condor. 

5. Navarino Island 

Further south, in the Beagle Channel you can sail to Navarino Island, a wild and authentic terrain of Tierra del Fuego where no tourists arrive, only travelers do. We recommend that if you arrive here you spend between 2 and 3 nights at least so that you can take advantage of this geographical point to visit the next destinations mentioned below. 

6. Puerto Williams and Dientes de Navarino 

 Once you are in Puerto Williams (the capital of Navarino Island) you will see its imposing backdrop: the Dientes de Navarino, a mountainous massif 1,000 meters high that is part of the Fuegian Andes. There, a difficult trail of rock, snow and ice awaits you, which is the only way to get there and for this reason it is considered the southernmost hike in the world.  

If you want to know more about the fascinating destinations in Patagonia, download our eBook by clicking here.

Why should you do this journey before you die? 

It is one of the least explored places on earth and one that few dare to travel because of its level of difficulty, but the route rewards you by showing you fjords, mountains, glacial volcanoes, marble caverns, rivers, lakes and unspoiled conservation parks.

Although in a route of more than 1,200 km you can escape destinations with landscapes that can impact you more, we have decided to include the best ones to practice Trekking and Mountaineering. All this while you travel through some parts of the planet rich in history, fauna and flora, and at the same time share with cultures different from yours. 

Do you want to know more? We invite you to accept the challenge and discover the unlimited Carretera Austral and Navarino expedition of Tolhuin Expeditions, where you can book for a group of 4 to 8 people. Remember that you can also schedule a videocall to clear up your doubts with our team and personalize your experience with us.