The Carretera Austral

What else can you do when faced with one of the world's greatest highways but go on a road trip? Following the Carretera Austral is an unforgettable experience as it meanders around the endless and breath-taking fjords and lakes, and winds its way around majestic peaks and sweeping valleys.

Having your own transport gives ample opportunity to stop whenever another breathtaking view is revealed around the corner. There are plenty of attractions to divert you along the way – the Carretera Austral makes up the central spine of Chile's celebrated Route of the Parks, and passes through many of the nation's best national parks. 

The Carretera Austral passes some fantastic hiking country, and contains trails that are some of Patagonia’s best-kept secrets.

In total, the highway passes through no fewer than 22 national parks and reserves, meaning you’ll get to hike in acres of untouched beauty, often with few other people around. Particular hiking highlights include in and around Cerro Castillo and Patagonia National Parks – but this is truly an area where you might stop anywhere along the highway and have a fantastic hike waiting for you, for an hour, a day or even a week.

The mountains that run alongside the Carretera Austral are topped with glaciers, and the highway passes along the Northern Patagonian Ice Field before terminating at its Southern twin.

There are plenty of hikes that will take you to hanging glaciers and glacial lakes, but some of the best ice is in and around Laguna San Rafael National Park, where you can take a boat to the epic San Rafael Glacier as it calves into a lagoon, or hike with crampons on the Exploradores Glacier.

The valleys along the Carretera Austral are braided with rivers and dotted with lakes, offering ideal conditions for exploring by kayak.

Here, you can paddle along Lago General Carrera to the fabled Marble Caves, take a kayak along the Cochrane River, reach the ice cliffs of the San Rafael Glacier or spend your nights sleeping on the shores of the Baker River as you descend its length towards the mouth of one of the great Chilean fjords.

The rivers along the Carretera Austral are crystal clear and full to the brim with all manner of trout and salmon. Fly fishing aficionados recognise this as one of the world’s greatest regions for fishing.

The Simpson, Baker, Palena and Cochrane rivers are all excellent destinations, and are stocked with brown and rainbow trout of a prodigious size, along with the mighty chinook salmon. Dedicated fishing lodges offer access to the best runs, with expert local guides rod in hand to point the way.

The Carretera Austral has some great opportunities for wildlife watching, especially bird watching. As the highway passes through many areas far from human habitation, it's often possible to have some great encounters on the road: we've even pulled over to watch huemul deer grazing in the open – something unimaginable in the rest of Chile. 

One of the best dedicated wildlife watching destinations is Patagonia National Park, especially in its Chacabuco Valley, with its wide variety of habitats and species. There's even the opportunity to see the rare nandu (or Darwin's rhea) here.