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The Carretera Austral: How to Plan Patagonia
Patagonia’ss Most
Magnificent Road Trip
By Steph Dyson · Last updated: 28th November 2023 · 68 Comments

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Chile doesn’t always make it to the top of traveler’s itineraries. Travel costs and a more European culture
compared with other South American countries have diminished itvils appeal.

But those who give it a chance learn something that the thriftier travelers don’t: Chile is stunning. And the best
place? Patagonia’s Carretera Austral.

The Carretera Austral road trip: a true Patagonian adventure

When I first arrived in Patagonia back in March 2016, it was in the back of a purpose-built overlanding truck.

Little did I know that this was the start of a love affair that would see me spending the next three years visiting the
length and breadth of Chile. Its diverse natural beauty and welcoming culture saw me falling head over
my walking boots in love.

Carretera

Austral
BahíaMurta 110
•VillaCerroCastillo 8

The Carretera Austral: probably South America’s finest road trip

Before I got to Patagonia, I had been struck by the adventurous possibilities of the vast deserts and salt flats of the
Atacama Desert in the north and the vineyards and snow-topped mountains crisscrossed with ski runs that
surround Santiago.

But then I stumbled upon the Carretera Austral.

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What's in this article:

Why I love Chilean Patagonia

Patagonia’ss Carretera Austral
I’ve since returned practically every year to explore even further and deeper into what is northern Chilean
Patagonia’s only highway.

The Carretera Austral: Chilean Patagonia's Most Beautiful Road

Highlights of the Carretera Austral

I’ve taken almost all of the ferries that you can to get here. I’ve travelled by bus and car; I’ve hitchhiked and even
gone on foot along stretches of this famed highway.

I’ve trekked into the rugged depths of its various national parks, climbed to lofty viewpoints above
sweeping landscapes of lush temperate rainforests, sat in the spray of powerful waterfalls and stood in awe
beneath egg-blue glaciers that seem to tumble from cliffsides as you watch.

Keep Reading: Five Patagonia Travel Itineraries for One and Two Weeks

For me, the Carretera Austral is the pinnacle of why Patagonia holds its travellers in an
indescribable awe. It beats the allure of Torres del Paine National Park in the south and is packed with enough
glaciers and pristine lakes to give the Perito Moreno glacier and Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in Argentina a
run for their money. It’s one of my favorite places – and contains some of the best destinations to visit in Patagonia
(and Chile in general!).

The Ventisquero Colgante (Hanging Glacier) in Queulat National Park. No, I’d never
seen anything quite like it either.

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What you can expect to discover here are endless opportunities for camping and trekking, appreciating nature at
its most remote and untouched and being fortunate enough to experience Patagonia’s – and perhaps South
America’s – most incredible road trip.

What, and where is the Carretera Austral?

The Carretera Austral (which means “Southern Highway”) refers to the 1,240-kilometer (770-mile) road
that runs from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins all the way through northern Chilean Patagonia.

Also known as Ruta 7 (“Route 7”) or the “Ruta Austral” (the “Southern Route”), this road connects its
northernmost point, Puerto Montt (in the Chilean Lakes District), and its southernmost point, Villa O’Higgins (in the
Aysén region).

It spans a territory that is divided from Argentina in the east by the Andes Mountains and bookended in the west
with the narrow channels and fjords of the Pacific Ocean.

Keep Reading: Where actually is Patagonia? A location guide to Chilean and Argentine Patagonia

What makes it so captivating a destination to visit is the fact that the Carretera Austral remains the only
road connecting Puerto Montt and the deep, remote regions of Northern Patagonia.

This region is among the least inhabited in Chile, with – on average – fewer than one person per square
kilometer living here.

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What you’ll quickly realise is that this lack of habitation is evidenced in other ways: namely through the state of
the road.

Don’t be fooled: the name The Southern Highway disguises the fact that the Carretera Austral remains a
work in progress, with vast tracts of the road still unpaved.

And why is it so famous?

It’s partly because of its poor state that the Carretera Austral has reached such elevated status in travellers’
imaginations. Unpaved, pot holed and impassable due to the elements: all of these are qualities have helped
secure the Carretera Austral as one of South America’s most remote – and therefore most
beguiling – road trips.

Keep Reading: The Epic 15,000-word Patagonia Travel Guide

Another feature of the road’s infamy is the fact that it was one of the main infrastructure legacies of the Pinochet
dictatorship (which also killed and “disappeared” over 40,000 people).

The locals are friendly across the length and breadth of the Carretera Austral

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Prior to the 1980s, this part of Patagonia was practically unconnected from outside civilisation, with no roads
linking the majority of the settlements that were beginning to grow.

Construction of the road took twenty years and locals still refer to it as “Pinochet’s Highway”. You can even find a
monument to the dictator in La Junta.

The Carretera Austral is also part of the brand new Ruta de los Parques, an initiative stretching 2,735
kilometres from Puerto Montt to the very tip of Patagonia at Cape Horn that aims to join up 17 Chilean national
parks.

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Although international press has reported it as such, this is not a contiguous hiking route. Instead, the Route of the
Parks is a marketing exercise to showcase the wealth of nature that Chilean Patagonia contains.

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If you want to explore it, the Carretera Austral is an excellent place to start: 10 of the 17 national parks are
located here and the majority are accessible by car or bus with day and multi-day hikes awaiting.

Key facts about the Carretera Austral:

Length: 1,240 km/770 mi

Driving time from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins: 29-35 hours (depends on road works)

Main towns along the Carretera Austral: Chaitén, Puerto Aysén, Coyhaique, Chile Chico, Cochrane

Location of supermarkets: Coyhaique (UNIMARC)

Location of ATMs: Chaitén, Futaleufú, Coyhaique, Chile Chico, Cochrane

Location of gas stations: Hornopirén, Chaitén, Futaleufú, La Junta, Puyuhuapi, Puerto Cisnes, Mañihuales,
Puerto Aysén, Puerto Chacabuco, Coyhaique, Puerto Río Tranquilo, Chile Chico, Cochrane, Villa O’Higgins

Location of camping equipment rental: Coyhaique (Rent A Tent Chile)

Listen to me talking about the Carretera Austral

In September 2020, I joined Chris from The Amateur Traveler discussing my favourite itineraries and
destinations along the Carretera Austral. You can listen to the episode here:

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Driving the Carretera Austral, Chile – Amateur Traveler Episode 720

How to explore the Carretera Austral: a Patagonian road trip,

bus-to-bus or hitchhiking
The Carretera Austral is the perfect place for a journey and there are plenty of different ways to approach this
road.

For those with larger budgets, a rental car is the ideal means; for those on smaller budgets, buses can help you
hop between the different towns. Hitchhiking – if you’ve got plenty of time and patience – is another rewarding
choice.

You can get plenty more information in my guide to car hire for the Carretera Austral and Patagonia.

Where to hire a rental car in Patagonia

As a prime spot for a Patagonia road trip, the Carretera Austral is approached by many via car, as you can
traverse the whole route at a leisurely pace and enjoy its various ferry crossings.

In the north: Aeropuerto Internaciónal El Tepual, the airport just outside of Puerto Montt, has some of
the cheapest car rentals I’ve found in Chile, with rental rates starting from $30,500 CLP ($37 USD) per day. I
recommend booking through Rental Cars, a comparison and booking site I’ve used on numerous occasions.

Keep Reading: How to Get to Patagonia: A Complete Travelers’ Guide

Along the Carretera Austral: Another option is from Aerodromo Balmaceda. Prices are much higher than in
Puerto Montt and you can expect to pay at least $560,000 CLP ($768 USD) for a week’s rental. You can check
up-to-date prices with Rental Cars, the company I use when hiring cars in Chile.

However, RecaSur often has availability and doesn’t necessarily show in Rental Cars’ database, so check there,
too.

Driving along the Carretera Austral promises a real adventure

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In the south: The cheapest place to pick up a rental vehicle is in Punta Arenas, although there are also rental
companies in Puerto Natales.

From my experience, prices are cheaper if you rent from the Chilean side rather than the Argentine side of
Patagonia, but it’s worth shopping around.

Hiring a car for the Carretera Austral

Rental Cars find the best deals for car rental in the region. I’ve used it in Chile on numerous occasions and have
found it both pins down the cheapest prices and they send you your insurance documents in English!

They also have plenty of different vehicles to hire. You don’t need a 4WD for the Carretera Austral unless you
plan on driving the tiniest mountain roads or cross the border to Argentina through any of the crossings not
mentioned in this guide (of which there are a number, but the state of the roads themselves is generally poor).

Bear in mind that some hire companies in Puerto Montt indicate in their terms and conditions that their vehicles’
insurance does not cover you driving on unsealed roads on the Carretera Austral. Please read this
information before reserving a vehicle!

It’s important to note that you will need additional insurance if you plan on continuing your trip beyond the
Carretera Austral and taking the vehicle across the border into Argentina.

This should cost around $80,000 CLP ($117 USD) and must be organised at least 10 days prior to your trip; the
car rental company can organise all of this for you. I’ve had a reader report that they struggled to organise these
insurance documents when booking via Rental Cars. However, I didn’t find out exactly what happened – so if
you’re planning on doing this, be sure to check with the rental company you have chosen that they are able to do
this.

You should also consider that prices are also significantly higher if you rent from one destination and return to
another.

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Where to hire a campervan for the Carretera Austral ···

Hiring a campervan for the Carretera Austral is also very popular – particularly as it allowsAdyou to stop as and
when you wish along your journey.

In the north: The best place to pick up your new wheels is from Puerto Varas (a 30-minute drive northeast of