Exploring the Carretera Austral: Itinerary for an Unforgettable (Road-) Trip

The Carretera Austral, also known as Chile's Route 7, is a road that stretches over 1,200 kilometers through Patagonia's most breathtaking landscapes. This 10 to 21-day self-drive itinerary will take you through lush forests, towering glaciers, and serene lakes. Read on for the details!

Sorting out the Logistics

What is the best way to travel the Carretera Austral?

In our opinion, the best way to travel the Carretera Austral is in your own rental car. This will allow you a lot of flexibility to stop along the road wherever you please, and gives you the freedom to choose your own itinerary. We decided to take our own car because we just love a good roadtrip, but also because for this journey a good friend joined us, which made using a car cheaper and the more practical option.

If you do not want to take your own car, you can opt to hitchhike the Carretera Austral. Quite a few people do this, and both locals and tourists are usually happy to give people a ride along the route. Unfortunately our relatively small car was packed with supplies and three tall people already so we couldn't help hitchhikers, but we saw a lot of them while driving along the Carretera.

Travelling the Carretera Austral using public transportation is also an option. Unfortunately, there is very few information online on timetables, let alone the possibility to book any tickets. The companies servicing the route are small bus companies that do not have an online presence. If you'd like to go for this option, your approach will have to be to just show up at the towns bus stops and ask to buy tickets to your next destination. I did a bit of research on this option, and it seems there are two busses per day - one in the mornings and one in the afternoons - running between the major cities along the Carretera Austral.

Some crazy (or simply crazy fit?) people cycle the Carretera Austral with their bikes. If that is of interest to you, head to this blog for a detailed account on what you need to make this happen.

Route

This article assumes that you start and end in Puerto Montt and do not leave Chile - I initially also researched options to drive back via Argentina, but the cross-border car rental regulations seemed too complicated and not worth the hassle. Similarly, a one-way rental would have added a lot of money to the rental car cost, so I also discarded this option.

Most of the Carretera Austral is still being build and the quality of the road varies greatly. Talking to some locals we found out that the reason for this is that a lot of different companies are tasked with building certain parts of the road and when a company goes out of business, it can take several years until another company steps in to do repairs. So be prepared for potholes!

What car to rent

You do not need a 4x4 for the route detailed in this article. Even though parts of the road are still unpaved, you will manage with a normal car during summer. That being said, a higher clearance is always a bit better when driving through potholes and on gravel, but that is up to you.

Where to rent your car

I love road trips, but dealing with rental car agencies? Not so much. And even though we've rented cars all around the world, the experience we had with Prime Rent a Car in Puerto Montt was second to none. The car itself was spotless and in great condition, but the real game-changer was their communication. From the moment we booked, throughout the rental, and even at the end, they were super responsive—always on top of things without being overbearing. Every question we had was answered right away, which is a rare find with rental companies! So, if you're planning this road trip, I can't recommend Prime enough. (And no, we’re not being paid to say this—promise! We don’t do sponsored content.)

How much time do you need for the Carretera Austral?

Short answer: At least 10 days. The more, the better!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have less than 10 days for this region of Chile, it's not really worth it. Getting to the start of the road alone will mean a full day on different car ferries, and you'll have to also do this when going back. Trust me on this - I am a master in squeezing as much into a few days as possible, but for the Carretera Austral, 10 days is the absolute minimum. When I was researching our trip to Patagonia (Chile & Argentina), it even started to seem to me that 10 days was a little bit too short, but I absolutely wanted to see the Carretera and 10 days was all I had left of our itinerary, so we made it happen.

So: You've been warned. Even the 10 day itinerary you find below is PACKED and it's a lot of time in the car. If you have a few days more, you can spread your time out a bit more and travel a bit more relaxed.

History and People of the Carretera Austral

Like with a visit to any region of the world, I think an important part of being a respectful tourist is to educate yourself a bit on the history of the place. I think the Carretera Austral has a fascinating history and knowing it will help you understand a few things you might encounter while driving it.

The earliest known inhabitants of the fjords and channels around the Carretera Austral were small indigenous groups who called the southern Chilean archipelagos home. However, both the northern and southern tribes faced rapid decline due to diseases and violent clashes with settlers that started arriving during the late 19th century. These settlers were spurred by cheap land sales and government initiatives. Many of them were European immigrants from countries like Germany, Switzerland, and beyond, who sought to populate the region.

For centuries, this region of Chile was incredibly hard to reach. Up until 1970, the only way to arrive at the towns scattered along the Carretera Austral was by boat. We spoke to an elderly woman of German descent in Puyuhapi that reminisced about the time in her childhood and youth when boats would only arrive once every 2 months to bring supplies to the villages. "What a celebration that always was!" she exclaimed when she told us about that time. By the 1960ies, boats were more regular with a more established route having a ship dock in the towns once a week.

Construction of the Carretera Austral began in 1976, under the military dictatorship of Pinochet. The Chilean Army used thousands of conscripts to build the road.

While the locals are in general very friendly, you can definitely feel that some of them view tourists and the increasing popularity of the Carretera Austral with a lot of scepticism, if not outright disdain. This is completely understandable if you know that they've lived in one of the most remote places in the world for generations, and love the seclusion, quiet and nature that comes with living in such a place. Even when the road was being built from 1975 to 1985, many of the locals were against the opening their region and making it more accessible.

Things to watch out for

Here's a small list of things to note/think about before you start driving:

• After you leave Puerto Montt, there are not going to be any big supermarkets anymore for hundreds of kilometres. If driving from Puerto Montt, you will only reachh the biggest town, Coyhaique, after 700km and roughly 14h of driving. I would advise you stock up on both essentials and the ingredients to a few good meals you can cook in your accommodations. If you are going hiking (maybe even for several days), your best bet is to have everything you need for that when you depart from Puerto Montt.
• In general, the infrastructure along the Carretera Austral is still being developed. Note that due to its remoteness, several accommodations don't take card payments. I recommend that you always keep an eye on where you can get gas, cash and other things you might need before you embark on a long driving day. Have a look at the google map I put together for the best pit stops along the Carretera.
• The accommodations along the road are mostly smaller home stays, where you'll rent a small hut or cottage from the owner. All of them come with kitchens, and most places heat with a wood-fired oven. Firewood is usually provied for.
• The weather is not only incredibly unpredictable, but it also varies greatly along the Carretera. When packing for this trip, consider that you could encounter everything from rain, storms, to cloudless skies, and temperatures from 2C to 25C. At the beginning of the Carretera Austral and until after Puyuhuapi, the climate is very humid - this region boasts the southernmost rainforests of the planet and does not really have a dry season. The least rain falls in February. Like anywhere in Patagonia, be prepared for very strong winds at times.
• As the road conditions are so different along the Carretera Austral, driving speed varies as well. Some stretches you can drive 80km/h, others are unpaved with a lot of potholes and you're only able to go at 30km/h. We found that some stretches we made quicker time than what we estimated based on Google Maps driving times, other times it took us 30min - 1hour longer. Keep this in mind when you plan your itinerary.
• During the high season, the ferry crossings do book out fairly quickly. Ferry timetables and tickets are released 2 months in advance. Head to Barcazas Website to make your reservations - for details on which ferries to book, see our itinerary section.

Map Overview

Here's a map overview of the main sights and stops along the Carretera Austral:

10 day itinerary

A few notes before diving in: The way this itinerary is designed is that it skips some sights on the way South and then re-visits them on the drive back.

This is the itinerary we followed, but it is PACKED and it's a lot of time in the car. If you have a few days more, you can spread your time out a bit more and travel a bit more relaxed.

For detailed recommendations on where to stay, where to eat and what to see, refer to our Google Map.

Day 1

Arrive in Puerto Montt, the gateway to the Carretera Austral. Spend the day picking up your rental car and stocking up on essentials like groceries, cash (ATMs can be scarce along the route), and any hiking or camping gear you might not have brought from home. For the night, base yourself in Puerto Montt or outside of the city towards La Arena, where you will take the ferry early tomorrow morning.

Day 2

Start your day early — really. Depart Puerto Montt at 5 AM to catch the 6 AM ferry at La Arena. This day involves multiple ferry crossings, so punctuality is key.

The first ferry takes you from La Arena to Caleta Puelche - the crossing lasts about 45 minutes. There is no need to pre-book this ferry as it runs very frequently. Timetables can be found on the ferry companies website.

Continue your drive to Hornopirén to pick up the tickets you reserved for the crossing from Hornopirén to Caleta Gonzalo. Reservations are key here - when we were in the office to pick up our tickets, there were two couples in line before us that unsuccesfully tried to acquire tickets for the day. You can pre-book on the Barcazas Website. Ticket sales start 2 months before your departure date.

Barcazas will tell you to arrive at least 2 hours before the ferry departs to pick up your tickets. I even emailed them twice to make sure this was absolutely necessary and they confirmed. So, we made sure to catch the first ferry from La Arena... but guess what? The office doesn't open until 9 AM, just 1 hour before the ferry departs at 10 AM! So, take those "arrive 2 hours early" instructions with a grain of salt. That said, I can't guarantee what might happen if you don't pick up your tickets in time, so perhaps err on the side of caution. There is a nice cafe that you can have a coffee and wait in right at the ferry pier.

The crossing from Hornopiren to Caleta Gonzalo is a longer journey of about 4.5 hours, so bring snacks to eat while you enjoy the stunning fjord views. After ~3.5 hours, the ferry stops in Leptepu, then you drive for around 20 min to the next ferry terminal, upon which you again embark a ferry that takes another 40min to arrive in Caleta Gonzalo. From Caleta Gonzalo, it's another 1 hour drive until you reach Chaitén, where you'll spend the night. If you take the same ferries that we did, you should arrive here at around 4PM. You can relax in your accommodation or wander around Chaitén a bit before getting dinner and an early night.

Day 3

Dedicate this day to exploring Pumalín Park, one of Chile's largest and most diverse conservation areas.

Hikes to consider:

• Volcán Chaitén Trail: A challenging hike that rewards you with views of the volcano's crater. Here is the AllTrails Link
• Sendero Ranita de Darwin: A short hike leading you through the forest - and if you're lucky you can spot one of the rare Darwin Frogs here.
• Laguna Tronador: If the weather is clear, this hike offers serene lake views.

Day 4

Another early start! Depart Chaitén around 8:30 AM for a 500 km drive towards Reserva Nacional Cerro Castillo. This drive takes approximately 7-8 hours through some of the most picturesque landscapes you'll ever see. If you don't want to pack lunch, you can stop in Puyuhuapi and visit one of the restaurants there. Make sure you take a break and marvel at the Laguna de Las Torres on your way.

If you are low on groceries or need to do any other shopping, Coyhaique is your best bet. We started our day very early so could also do our lunch break there - the town has some surprisingly good restaurants. See our google map for the full recommendation!

You will arrive in Villa Cerro Castillo, where you will spend the night, sometime in the early evening. Head to bed early as tomorrow is another full day!

Day 5

Start your hike to the Laguna Cerro Castillo as early as possible. This is a challenging trek—about of about 7 hours round-trip, with a 1,200-meter elevation gain. The views are worth it, though! We consider this the most beautiful hike we've done along the Carretera Austral. Bring plenty of water, snacks, and layers — the weather can change rapidly.

However, this is also the only hike we had to pay entry for - it's a steep 25USD per person. When planning this trip I was going back and forth on weather this is worth it. Turns out it was, and I recommend you definitely include this hike in your intinerary. We started very early so had the trail almost to ourselves. When walking down, more and more people started arriving, so if you're no fan of crowds, you can start as early as sunrise.

If you have a 4x4 you can drive all the way to the trail entrance. Otherwise, you'll probably need to park here, just before the road turns sharply downwards. If the days before your visit have been dry you can also attempt to drive the hill without a 4x4, but the road only consisted of mud when we were there, so we opted to walk.

After the hike, there's another drive ahead of you: 2.5 hours and you'll arrive at your accommodation close to the Marbe Caves - likely in or around Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Grab dinner in Puerto Río Tranquilo and - you guessed it - go to bed early!

Day 6

Today is all about an amazing natural phenomen: Marble Caves! If the conditions allow (aka not too much wind), embark on a kayaking tour of the caves in the morning. We had this activity booked beforehand but unfortunately it was cancelled due to intense winds. We scrambled to get on one of the last boats that were allowed to leave the harbour before the storm hit - and made it, but the way back into the small town was very rough.

We think it was worth this little bit of thrill. The caves are truly a sight to behold. They were created by the relentless action of ocean waves continuously striking calcium carbonate. Over time, this wave activity polished the stone into its current form. On the tours, you can enter into some of the caves with the boats.

In the afternoon, you can relax at your accommodation or go on a short hike in the hills above Puerto Río Tranquilo. If you've had enough of hiking, consider asking at your accommodation for recommendations — they might even arrange a horseback riding excursion.

Day 7

We highly suggest to include a visit to the San Rafael Glacier in your itinerary. At around 170EUR/Person, this is a bit of an expensive trip, but it's a beautiful experience. The glacier is only accessible only by water and a bit hard to get to, so you have the opportunity to enjoy the glacier without the crowds of more popular destinations. The glacier is actively calving, so you can witness massive chunks of ice crashing into the lagoon below.

We booked the trip with Nomade Experience. It's a half day trip, starting in the morning at around 8AM, and you'll be home by around 4PM. It includes a nice lunch and drinks at the glacier - they'll fish out some glacier ice from the water so you can have Patagonian liquor with Patagonian ice :-D

Day 8

Another long driving day — approximately 7 hours back to Puyuhuapi. If you didn't already do so, take the time for a stop in Coyhaique: You can wander around the town a bit, do a short hike and have lunch.

Day 9

Spend the day exploring Puyuhuapi and the Queulat National Park. After breakfast, hike to the Hanging Glacier: This moderate 2-hour hike leads you to a viewpoint of the spectacular hanging glacier cascading down the mountain.

In the afternoon, you could visit the thermal baths "Termas Ventisquero". We decided against it due to the mixed reviews, but I think it'd be very nice to relax your muscles after all that driving and hiking.

If you still have a lot of energy left and don't mind a little additional drive, you could go kayaking here.

Day 10

This is the longest travel day of this itinerary. It will take you 10-11 hours to get back to Puerto Montt. Start as early as you need to to catch the ferry in Caleta Gonzalo by at 1PM. Again, we aimed to be there 1h early as that is what the ferry company had told us - it did not seem necessary.

But being early meant we could take a small hike at the ferry terminal - there is a very beautiful path you can follow through the rainforest that takes you to a few waterfalls.

The journey is the reverse of Day 2, meaning you arrive at La Arena at around 6PM. Another 2.5h drive and you've made it back to Puerto Montt!

14 day itinerary

If you have 14 days, I would suggest you add Futaleufú as well as the Termas del Sol to your itinerary and divide the driving days into smaller chunks.

Futaleufú is a town on the border to Argentina that is famous for rafting, abseiling and canyoning. Spend one day and one night here and take advantage of the water activities available, for example with this tour agency.

Termas del Sol are beautiful Thermal Baths and perfect for relaxing your sore muscles after all the hiking.

Your itinerary would then look as follows:

• Day 1 - as above
• Day 2 - Driving not to Chaiten, but to Futaleufú
• Day 3 - Futaleufú
• Day 4 - Drive to Coyhaique and spend the night there. In the afternoon, you can visit some museums in the town of go for a nice hike (e.g. to Laguna Verde)
• Day 5 to 10 - follow days 4 to 9 from the itinerary above
• Day 11 - Drive from Puyuhuapi to Chaiten (2h45min) and do the hike to the Chaiten Volcano in the afternoon
• Day 12 - Use the morning to do another hike in Pumalin National Park, then be at the ferry at 1PM to make the crossing back. However, from Hornopirén drive to the Termas del Sol
• Day 13 - Enjoy soaking in the Termas del Sol
• Day 14 - Drive back to Puerto Montt

21 day itinerary

If you have 21 days, you can drive the Carretera Austral all the way to its end in Villa O'Higgins. Follow the itinerary above until you reach the end of your time in Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Continue driving south and ake a small detour to visit Cascada El Maqui. Then continue onwards to the Confluencia Rio Baker/Neff. Spend the night in Cochrane.

The next day, drive to Villa O'Higgins - there is another ferry between Puerto Yungay and Río Bravo. In summer, it departs at 10, 12, 15 and 18hrs. Spend two nights in Villa O'Higgins. You can take several hikes in the region, for example this one and this one.

On your way back spend another night in Puerto Rio Tranquilo, then follow the 14 day itinerary on your way back to Puerto Montt.