Villa O'Higgins

Step right out of your hotel door and onto paths that will take you up into the mountains, or take a short 10-minute drive out of town to find even more trailheads.

Villa O'Higgins is completely surrounded by classic Patagonian landscapes, from snow-capped mountains to turquoise-blue lakes, and hiking up to one of the many viewpoints is the best way to get a sense of the vastness of the landscape, and quite how remote the town is! Most day hikes can be done self-guided, but we recommend a guide for the Cerro Submarino hike.

Surrounded by lakes and rivers, there's opportunities for beginners and advanced kayakers to explore the area by drifting down its waterways. Our favourite places are the Lago Cisnes and also on the Rio Mayer. 

Villa O'Higgins sits on the Careterra Austral, one of the most famous cycling routes in the world. Grab a mountain bike and have a bit of an explore - heading north will take you into the wilderness (and eventually, after 1,200km, the rest of Aysen), whereas south you can follow the road for its final 7km until it comes to a halt at the lake. From the town there are also a few other tracks that are great for a day out on a bike. 

Villa O’Higgins sits just underneath the Southern Ice Cap and as the condor flies it is very close to Mt Fitzroy and Cerro Torre.

Whilst in the village, take the opportunity to take an overflight of the ice cap - it is an experience that will leave you totally speechless. It is immense, and almost hard to conceive that it is what you are seeing before your very eyes. You'll fly right above the seemingly endless stretch of glistening white ice, and will circle the highest peaks of Los Glaciares National Park. 

If you are an adventurous soul and relish crossing a border by various means of transport (boats, on foot and 4x4) and with the potential for unpredictable hold ups, then this is certainly the most exciting way to cross from Chile into Argentina. 

• Transfer VOH to Bahia Bahamondes (15 mins, 7 km)
• Boat Bahia Bahamondes to Candelario Mancilla (2-3 hrs, weather dependent)
  
• Port to Chilean passport control (1 km on foot)
• Passport control to border (16 km of 4x4 track)
• Border to Argentinian passport control (5 km on foot on a trail)

• Argentinian passport control to Lago del Desierto dock (100m on foot)
• Boat from Lago de Desierto at 5pm (1 hr)
• Transfer Lago del Desierto to El Chalten (1.5 hrs)

It is possible to do the crossing in a day, but doing it in two days gives you the opportunity to visit the O'Higgins glacier on the way and spend the night in Candelario Mancilla.

Our favourite by far is the luxurious Robinson Crusoe Lodge, which offers trekking, ice hiking and sailing excursions as well as comfy, warm, cabin style rooms that make use of local materials.

Entre Patagones has simple cabins, and a rustic restaurant where you can have a delicious meal after your day out exploring. El Mosco is a longtime favourite of cyclists and campers alike, it has some simple ensuite double rooms and a great atmosphere.

Supplies arrive to Villa O'Higgins from Santiago after a flight to Balmaceda and a 10-hour drive down the Careterra Austral, a boat and then another drive.  It’s a long way for fresh produce to come, so fresh fruit and vegetables are sometimes hard to come. Don’t be surprised if things just simply aren’t available.

Entre Patagones have a menu of the day which is traditionally read out to you, rather than making use of menus. There will be a few choices of classic Patagonian fare, expect empanadas, soups, fish, beef and chicken. They also have a small selection of austral beer, wine and soft drinks. If printed menus are a must, Lago Cisnes is a larger restaurant that offers lamb, beef and fish, all pan fried with a variety of side dishes (potatoes, rice or salad).