Northern Patagonia

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Northern Patagonia
Includes 
Hornopirén . . . . . . . . . 304
Parque Pumalín . . . . . 305
Chaitén. . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Futaleufú. . . . . . . . . . . 310
La Junta. . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Puyuhuapi. . . . . . . . . . 314
Coyhaique. . . . . . . . . . 317
Villa Cerro Castillo. . . 323
Chile Chico . . . . . . . . . 324
Cochrane. . . . . . . . . . . 329
Villa O’Higgins . . . . . . 332
Best Places
to Eat
¨¨Mamma Gaucha (p319)
¨¨Cocinas Costumbristas
(p305)
Why Go?
For a century, Northern Patagonia has been the most rugged and remote part of continental Chile, the place where
scant pioneers quietly set forth a Wild West existence. While
life here may still be tough for its residents, it doesn’t lack
for scenery. Exuberant rainforest, scrubby steppe and unclimbed peaks crowd the horizon, but the essence of this
place is water, from the clear cascading rivers to the turquoise lakes, massive glaciers and labyrinthine fjords.
Southbound visitors often bypass Northern Patagonia on
a sprint to Torres del Paine, but its backcountry treasures
are pay dirt to the adventurous traveler.
The mostly gravel Carretera Austral rumbles from Puerto
Montt to Villa O’Higgins, some 1200km south. Ferry connections are required for northerly roadless stretches where
mountains meet the sea. Though sections north of Coyhaique are now being paved, the iconic challenge of driving the
rest still remains.
When to Go
Coyhaique
°C/°F Temp
¨¨Ruibarbo (p320)
30/86
¨¨Dalí (p320)
20/68
¨¨Mi Casita de Té (p314)
Best Places
to Stay
¨¨Fundo Los Leones (p314)
¨¨Bordebaker Lodge (p328)
¨¨Destino No Turistico (p327)
¨¨Terra Luna (p327)
¨¨Patagonia House (p319)
Rainfall inches/mm
10/250
8/200
6/150
10/50
4/100
0/32
-10/14
2/50
0
J
F
M
Nov–Mar Warmest months and
the best bus
connections on
the Carretera
Austral.
A
M
J
J
A
Feb Festival
Costumbrista
celebrates pioneer
culture; parties in
most small towns.
S
O
N
D
Jul–Aug Blue
sky days around
Coyhaique, with
nearby skiing and
snowshoeing.
6 Scout for cave
paintings and spy
time dallying in
cool Caleta Tortel
(p331), a seaside
village set on
boardwalks.
5 Lose track of
white water, rafting
the world-class rapids
of Río Futaleufú
(p310).
4 Face a whirl of
pioneer Patagonia
(p311) on remote
Andean trails.
3 Giddy-up into
farms, rushing rivers
and hanging glaciers
while tracing the
length of the mythic
Carretera Austral
(p306).
2 Admire the rural
fjords and trek the
temperate rainforests
of Parque Pumalín
(p305).
1 Paddle the misty
Northern
Patagonia
Highlights
Parque Nacional
Isla Guamblín
OCEAN
PACIFIC
Puerto Varas
Isla
Guafo
e
am
Archipiélago
de las Guatecas
7
Parque
Pumalín
RN
258
Parque
Nacional
Lago Puelo
Parque
Pumalín
El Bolsón
RN
258
Lago
Palena
Palena
Puerto
Ramírez
Parque
Nacional
7
RP
19
RP
62
Chubut
Tecka
RN
25
Ñorquinco
Alto Río
Senguer
Paso de
Río Frías
Gobernador
Costa
Lago
Fontana
La
Tapera
Lago
Verde
Lago
La Plata
Villa
Amengual
Termas del
Ventisquero
Puyuhuapi
Lago General
Vintter
Paso Palena
Carrenleufú
RN
40
RP
RP
12
20
Río Negro
El Maitén
Corcovado
Carrenleufú
Reserva Nacional
Lago Rosselot
Puerto Queulat
Cisnes
Parque Nacional
Isla Magdalena
Termas de
Puyuhuapi
Carretera
Austral
La Junta
Villa
Raul Marín Vanguardia
Balmaceda
Villa Santa Lucía
Termas
Trevelín
El Amarillo
Puerto
Volcán
Paso Futaleufú
Cárdenas
Corcovado
Lago
Futaleufú
(2300m)
Yelcho
Chaitén
Volcán
Chaitén
Caleta
Gonzalo
Región X
Golfo de
Ancud HuequiAycara
Peninsula
Parque
Nacional
Hornopirén
Parque
Nacional
Los Alerces
Volcán
Michinmahuida
Esquel
(2404m)
Puelche
Hornopirén
Volcán
Hornopirén
(1572m)
PUERTO
MONTT
Calbuco
Archipiélago
de Chiloé
n
Pa
Melinka
Golfo
Corcovado
Quellón
Isla
Grande de
Chiloé
Chonchi
5
Pangal
Carelmapu
Parque
Nacional
Chiloé
Canal de
Chacao
a
an
ric
Parque Nacional
Alerce Andino
N o rth e rn Patago nia N o r t h e r n Pata g on i a H i g hl i g h t s
Aeropuerto
El Tepual
302