March 8-13
Travel Days from Puerto Varas to Balmaceda to Coyhaique, Aysen, Patagonia, Chile.
Volcan Osorno above
Volcan Calbuco below
Volcan Calbuco below
As we celebrated my actual March 8th birthday at a lovely Puerto Varas restaurant on Lake Llanquihue, both volcanoes, Volcan Osorno and Volcan Calbuco, were out in full splendor, a rare sight indeed to have both volcanoes be so clearly visible at the same time. It was an exceptional sunset and birthday dinner.
The following two days were spent getting ready for the next exciting portion of our 2 month trip... driving down the Carretera Austral in Patagonia!
The Spanish words "Carretera Austral" translate to "Southern Highway" but in reality, the Carretera Austral is actually an 800 mile long "road" stretching the length of Chilean Patagonia from Puerto Montt all the way down to the southern town of Villa O'Higgins where the terrain becomes impassible due to glacial ice fields.
Some of the Carretera Austral's 800 miles are paved, but there are numerous sections of dirt road ("ripio" in Spanish) which are literally cut into the side of a rocky cliff with hazardous switchbacks and precarious drop-offs, while other parts of the road are still under construction. It is especially exciting when it rains.
The Spanish words "Carretera Austral" translate to "Southern Highway" but in reality, the Carretera Austral is actually an 800 mile long "road" stretching the length of Chilean Patagonia from Puerto Montt all the way down to the southern town of Villa O'Higgins where the terrain becomes impassible due to glacial ice fields.
Some of the Carretera Austral's 800 miles are paved, but there are numerous sections of dirt road ("ripio" in Spanish) which are literally cut into the side of a rocky cliff with hazardous switchbacks and precarious drop-offs, while other parts of the road are still under construction. It is especially exciting when it rains.
And so began our journey to drive the Carretera Austral. Early on the morning of March 11th, we traveled from Puerto Varas to the El Tepual airport near Puerto Montt. From there we flew to the tiny airport of Balmaceda, near Coyhaique, Chile. This is the only place where you can fly into the Carretera Austral on a commercial plane and it is where we will rent our car to begin our driving journey on the Carretara Austral.
We arrived at the small airport's car rental booth where we were very politely informed in Spanish, for English is a second language, that our confirmed reservation didn't exist. Jeff nicely asked in Spanish (for our Spanish is a second language) what names on the list had a reserved vehicle and he was told, "Only one, Just Jeff give keys". When asked in Spanish, "Are you Just Jeff?" and Jeff responding, "Si", we were handed the car keys, got in the small sports utility vehicle and we were off!
The hour drive on the Carretera Austral to Coyhaique took us past the pampa, the expansive area of grass-covered plains that were a beautiful mixture of green, yellow and ochre. Those colors coupled with the vast blue sky above created a magnificent Patagonia landscape.
The hour drive on the Carretera Austral to Coyhaique took us past the pampa, the expansive area of grass-covered plains that were a beautiful mixture of green, yellow and ochre. Those colors coupled with the vast blue sky above created a magnificent Patagonia landscape.
We passed very few farmhouses, yet we saw acres of bales of hay wrapped in white plastic
to be protected from the harsh elements and preserved for the winter.
It was a beautiful day when we arrived at Coyhaique.
The city of Coyhaique lies at the foot of the
mountain known as Cerro Mackay which
looms over the city.
mountain known as Cerro Mackay which
looms over the city.
Coyhaique is known as the gateway to Patagonia's most remote areas which is largely due to Coyhaique being located between the Andean Cordillera and the numerous fjords connected to the Pacific Ocean.
Coyhaique is the largest city on the Carretera Austral with its 50,000 inhabitants and it is the capital of the Aysen region. But, by modern standards, Coyhaique is a relatively recent city, having been founded on 12 October 1929 as a center servicing the settlers. There was definitely turmoil occurring in the rest of the world at that time and this untamed Patagonian wilderness was a calling card for many Germans wanting to flee Europe and make a fresh start.This area of Patagonia was then as it is now a harsh environment in which to settle. To this day there is a heavy German influence in this area.
In the center of town is the Plaza de Armas.
This town square has 5 sides, a curious feature around which the city is organized.
It has a lovely park with 3 fountains
and roses galore
with numerous "monkey" or "puzzle" trees throughout the park.
And as in every Southern Patagonia town we have visited, there is a bust of the famous Chilean independence hero, Bernardo O'Higgins, prominently displayed, standing vigil and looming large.
As we walked thru the park, we saw many people enjoying the sunny spots of the lawn to read their books and while away the last days of summer.
The craft market area on the main square sells many ceramic and woolen items.
$4,000 pesos is around $6.50 USD
Jewelry vendors also line the walkways enticing the passers-by with their original creations.
There are numerous high end retailers such as North Face, Columbia and of course, the Patagonia stores throughout the town center with their "end of summer" sales.
Coyhaique also has high-end upcoming entertainment. Get ready for..."Duel of the Accordions"!
This much anticipated, big time attraction had signs everywhere: leaning on railings, on wooden sidewalk stands and huge posters on the street lamposts!
We stayed at the beautiful Pampa del Corral in Coyhaique, under the massive Mt. Mackay
It was a tranquil spot filled with lupin and lavender, a gorgeous greenhouse and a
hot tub.
These birds were happily residing outside our deck
And this one in particular was especially curious.
The Pampa del Corral is often used as a retreat and its interior layout was spacious. All the windows had ample views of the surrounding mountains.
The following day we ventured out to explore the "Reserva Natonal Coyhaique" and its beautiful "lagunas".
It was a sunny day with Cerro Mackay and the Rio Simpson in full view.
As we explored the Reserva Natonal Coyhaique, our hiking took us down the long and winding road
to the beautiful lakes on the Laguna Verde trail.
It was a bright and blustery day.
The landscape was beautiful and while the air was chilly, the lagonas did look inviting.
The following day we headed north on the Carretera Austral to the "Reserva Natonal Rio Simpson".
While home to condors, cougars and huemul deer, this area is best known for its fish!
The trout filled Rio Simpson is reputed to be one of the best fly fishing locations in the world.
We took a very wet hike thru this beautiful area.
This sign cracked me up since it was raining buckets!
We hiked past countless colorful fuschia bushes which were more like miniature trees.
They were extraordinary in their volume of beautiful blossoms!
We dried off inside the park's exceptional visitor's center which had excellent exhibits, movies and documentaries of the area's history and even a taxidermist's flying condor!
As we headed back to Pampas del Corral for our last night in Coyhaique, we marveled once again at the view of Cerro Mackay (Mount Mackay).
It is such a majestic and imposing massif overlooking the city and the Rio Simpson.
The rain let up and held the promise of blue skies in the morning.
