The Carretera Austral (southern highway) is a touristic mountain road beginning in Puerto Montt and running for more than 1240 km/770 miles, crossing several times the Andes mountain range, bordering the coast and fjords of the Occidental Patagonia, penetrating the evergreen forests, approaching glaciers, large lakes and the Patagonian Ice Fields, to finally end in Villa O?Higgins at the Southern Ice Field?s foothill. Then the road connects with route 40, in Argentinean territory, continuing south toward Chaltn, Calafate and Torres del Paine.

Picacho Mountain - Campo Grande area / Ro Picaflor - foto Patricio Silva

The enormous task of designing and constructing the Carretera Autral started with the explorations and studies of geographer Hans Steffen at the end of the 19^th century. Later, in the 1930?s, Augusto Grosse continued with the explorations that were finally completed by the engineer Antonio Horvath between 1976 and 1986. The construction of most of the route was done between 1976 and 1988, but the last section, connecting Puerto Yungay with Villa O'Higgins, was recently finished in august 1999.

Wading the Cisnes River befor the Ruta

Only 10% of the road is paved, the rest is gravel, and the recommended average speed is 45 km per hour. At present, the road is being improved and pavement has started in several areas. The route can be divided in 4 main sections:

Puerto Montt - Chaitn

The Carretera Austral begins in Puerto Montt and this first section includes two ferries, a short one over the Reloncav sound and a longer one, 5 hours, from Hornopirn to Caleta Gonzalo. Between Puerto Montt and Chaitn the route is 107 miles long and you can drive that stretch in a day, but we suggest two days in order to have time to visit Hualaihu and the Coma Fjord. Main attractions: Alerce Andino Park and Pumaln Park

Caf and restaurant - Pumaln Park - photo Patricio Silva

Chaitn - Coyhaique

This section of the road (169 miles), between Chaiten and Coyhaique was open to vehicles in 1982, overcoming the belief that it was almost impossible to build an overland road in central Chilean Patagonia. The construction of the road has been very important for the development of the region, allowing the national territory to be fully integrated, providing good health services, education and technical support to the settlements in this area, increasing the value of the land and helping new productive activities to develop. Main attractions: Ro Palena, Lago Rosselot, Puyuhuapi, Parque Nacional Queulat, Ro Cisne, Ro Maihuales y Ro Simpson

The house of a German Settler - Puyuhuapi - photo Patricio Silva

Coyhaique - Cochrane

The ruta between Coyhaique and Cochrane is 213 miles long. This section was build over different periods of time. Not until 1988 the route from Coyhaique arrived to Cochrane, before then the only way get there was to board a ferry from Puerto Ibaez to Puerto Guadal and then continue overland. But even before the ferry the only road was the one used by the first settlers entering this area, that is from Argentina using the Paso Roballo as an entrance pass. Main attractions: lakes and rivers near the city of Coyhaique, Cerro Castillo, Lago General Carrera, Paso Las Llaves, Ro Baker, Northern Ice Fields

At the pasture - Lago General Carrera - photo Patricio Silva

Cochrane - Villa O`Higgins