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Best of Carretera Austral
Duration
13 days
Site savings
$106
From
$5,194 USD
A 13-day Patagonia bike tour exploring the most spectacular landscapes of the Carretera Austral Norte. From Puerto Varas to Puerto Tranquilo, this journey of 600 km will give you the best bits on one memorable cycle tour. You'll start the route with ferry journeys crossing estuaries and fjords that will connect you with different locations of the Carretera Austral. You will begin the journey navigating the Reloncavi Estuary and the bimodal route and pedalling in the middle of national parks, mountains, lakes, rivers, fjords, glaciers and native forests of the Lakes Region and Aysén.
- CategoryAdventurous
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration13 days
- Culture LevelAdventurous
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level4 - Challenging
- Elevation3 - Intermediate
- TerrainRugged
- Distance362.3 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance40.4 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration13 days
- Main DestinationPatagonia
- Distance362.3 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance40.4 miles
- Elevation3 - Intermediate
- TerrainRugged
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Puerto Varas
Pick up at El Tepual airport (PMC) at Puerto Montt city.
At 3 pm participants and staff will meet at the hotel in Puerto Varas for a welcome meeting and have a brief of the bike journey, check bikes and the equipment.
- Cumbres Hotel
- Day 2Hornopirén
You will leave Puerto Varas in the minibus going along the coast of Puerto Montt to approach the Carretera Austral or Route 7 where you'll take a ferry will cross the Reloncaví Estuary to reach Caleta Puelche. After a nice lunch in Contao village, the ride starts leaving behind the city to rural Hualaihué with beautiful nature, forest and coastal views until reaching the city of Hornopirén.
Road type: Paved
- 28 miles
- Hostería Catalina Cabins
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 3Chaitén
- Day 4Yelcho Lake
This route is one of the nicest, paved and flat routes with not much climbing. The ride explores the beautiful mountains of the El Amarillo sector of Pumalin Park. The route goes on until you reach the town of Puerto Cárdenas and the famous Yelcho suspension bridge, where it is possible to admire the mouth of the lake and the glacier of the same name. You will ride along the beautiful Yelcho Lake, following its shoreline until you arrive at the accommodation.
Road type: Paved
- 39.8 miles
- Yelcho en la Patagonia Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 5La Junta
The route begins with beautiful scenery, surrounded by native forest and views of the Yelcho Glacier. You will ride the Moraga slope until reaching the pass, where the downhill begins, offering a view of the impressive trace left by the terrible alluvium of Villa Santa Lucía (2017), an event that radically transformed the town's landscape and the lives of its inhabitants. You will continue on the asphalted road, bordering the Frío and Palena Rivers, entering the Aysén Region, enjoying a nice picnic in Villa Vanguardia, and finishing this long stretch in the town of La Junta.
Road type: Paved
- 55.3 miles
- Espacio y Tiempo Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 6Puyuhuapi
The ride continues towards Puyuhuapi, bordering the Risopatrón River and Lake. You will immerse yourself in the beauty of the scenery shaped by Queulat National Park until reaching the town, known for its carpet factory and architecture influenced by German settlers. Today will be great for taking a good rest in the afternoon after the long days before and enjoying the hot springs at Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa.
Road type: Paved
- 30.4 miles
- Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 7Queulat National Park
This will be a multi-adventure day to recover energy for the next day's Queulat slope challenge, with a scenic ride. Today you'll visit the famous Queulat National Park and its hanging glacier with the opportunity to hike some trails to the viewpoint or navigate the Tempano Lagoon to get closer to unique picture spots to admire the glacier.
After visiting Queulat NP, the minibus will take the group back to Muelle Austral to cross the fjord by boat at 3:30 pm, returning to the mythical Puyuhuapi Lodge & SPA to enjoy its hot springs and gastronomy.
Distance: 21 km by minibus
- Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 8Amengual Village
The ride today starts from El Muelle Austral to continue towards the Queulat slope, one of the main challenges that make the Carretera Austral route legendary. In the middle of the evergreen forest you'll have fantastic views of the glaciers and fiords. The gravel road will lead you to an incredibly beautiful but hard-progressive climb of 33 curves where it is possible to appreciate the unique landscape of remote Patagonia in the Queulat pass where the asphalted descent starts to lead you next to the Cisnes rivers. This will guide you to the accommodation in rural Amengual Village.
Road type: Loose gravel & paved
- 41.6 miles
- Lago Las Torres Lodge
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 9Villa Mañihuales / Puerto Aysén
The day begins with an uphill start to reach Amengual. The journey continues through the Las Torres National Reserve, offering a ride through fascinating geological formations and mountains, as well as a landscape shaped by the sky, rivers, forests, and peaks. This route transitions into the Patagonian steppe, where it is also possible to observe agricultural fields, the unique Esponja Lagoon, and Mount Colmillo near the town of Villa Mañihuales.
After lunch, the minibus will take you to Puerto Aysén, the second-largest city in the Aysén region.
Road type: Paved
- 37.3 miles
- Patagonia Green
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 10Coyhaique
This is one of the most challenging yet rewarding days of the journey. The ride begins with a river raft crossing that takes you to the best backroad of this bike adventure, a scenic route surrounded by nature and free from road congestion. The rural road leads you to Coyhaique, the capital of this part of Patagonia, passing by stunning lakes hidden in the heart of the mountains.
Road type: Loose gravel
- 49.7 miles
- Raíces Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 11Cerro Castillo Village
The first stretch of the southern part of the route will be a paved road of the Southern Way, riding through flatlands along what is called the Chinese Wall, where the countryside of Coyhaique emerges, passing through El Blanco town and accompanied by a spectacular landscape of Patagonian steppe and rock formations. After the junction between Route 7 and Balmaceda, the road begins to slightly ascend until Laguna Chiguay, a perfect place for a picnic lunch. You'll then continue the ride along the overwhelming Cerro Castillo National Park to reach its pass, the highest point of the Carretera Austral. The "Devil's Slope" downhill begins, passing from the viewpoints of the Ibáñez River and reaching Cerro Castillo Village.
Road type: Paved
- 61.5 miles
- Refugio Cerro Castillo
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
- Day 12Puerto Tranquilo
- Day 13Balmaceda Airport/Departure