Queulat National Park
The Queulat National Park is covered with thick temperate rainforest, with hikes to a stunning hanging glacier and the bright blue Tempanos Lagoon.
Discover MoreDeep roots in Patagonia: We are ex-guides, tour leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, & adventurers.
We’ve got our feet on the ground: Impartial advice, a bespoke service, and at no extra cost.
For the ends of the Earth: Sustainability is more than our carbon footprint (but we’re reducing that too).
Deep roots in Patagonia: We are ex-guides, tour leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, & adventurers.
We’ve got our feet on the ground: Impartial advice, a bespoke service, and at no extra cost.
For the ends of the Earth: Sustainability is more than our carbon footprint (but we’re reducing that too).
Aysen is a land of three contrasting environments: the steppe, the glaciated Andes and the coastal temperate rainforest. You don't have to stray far off the Carretera Austral to experience all three. Here are the best places to visit to make the most of the region's diverse landscapes.
The sight of the glaciers of the northern ice cap easing their way down to Lago General Carrera or into the fjords is immense. They can be explored with a combination of boats and on foot. In this area of the Andes you will likely go for days without seeing another soul. The Cerro Castillo range is a forbidding landscape with hanging glaciers and rocky pinnacles, and offers a fantastic four to six day trek. In all these areas you will see glaciated wilderness and very few people.
Remote trekking in Aysen
The Steppe is the dry land that extends from the Andes to the Atlantic. In Aysen, the steppe is rugged, dry and a great place to experience Tehuelche cave paintings and wildlife. The area above Coyhaique, known as Alto Coyhaique, or the Chacabuco Valley, home to Patagonia Park, are both wonderfully wild and beautiful, and contrast completely with the glaciated valleys and forests to the west. Here you will see guanacos, nandu, condors and, if you're lucky enough, huemul deer and pumas.
Close to the coast, the climate becomes wetter and you find yourself in humid, hugely biodiverse rainforest, dominated above all by the enormous leaves of the nalca (rhubarb). The Queulat National Park has a series of day hikes that head off from the road into the forest and up to hanging glaciers. You can explore the forests that descend into the fjords by boat, whether it be in Queulat National Park or further south around San Rafael Glacier, where it is well worth camping overnight and spending a day in the forests, listening to immense hunks of ice falling from one of Patagonia's most dynamic glaciers.
Rainforests, glaciers and waterfalls in Aysen
Highlights of Aysen...the San Raphael glacier approached by boat on a day of swirling mists, ultimately bright sunshine and dead calm was incredibly atmospheric. Carlos the Condor doing a close fly-past as we approached Laguna Cerro Castillo.
Travelled: March 2017
Sarah and Charles - UK
Aysen was another highlight of our trip. We loved the Enchanted forest and our stay at Fiordo Queulat Eco Lodge.
Travelled: February 2017
Mike and Edwina - UK
Review:
The Queulat National Park is covered with thick temperate rainforest, with hikes to a stunning hanging glacier and the bright blue Tempanos Lagoon.
Discover MoreAysen's mountain capital is the main entry point to the region. It's the perfect jumping off point for the Carretera Austral and the national parks that sit along its route.
Discover MoreCerro Castillo offers the best hiking in the whole of Aysen. Trek among the peaks, ride like a gaucho, and seek the bright turquoise lagoons hidden deep in the mountains.
Discover MoreExplore the beauty of Chile’s greatest conservation project, where fences were torn down to recreate a thriving ecosystem amid spectacular valleys and mountain scenery.
Discover MoreExplore one of Aysen’s best kept secrets by boat – the San Rafael glacier, hidden in a rainforest and calving icebergs into a freezing lagoon.
Discover MoreThe car-free town of Caleta Tortel is a great stop along the southern section of the Carretera Austral highway, with its access to mountain hikes and glaciers.
Discover MoreThe Carretera Austral is rough road that runs 1,240km south from Puerto Montt in Chile, through the isolated town of Coyahique and the region of Aysen. Diving off into the areas it passes through makes an unforgettable exploration of some of Patagonia's more remote territory.
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
Get in touch today to talk about your dreams for your trip. Whether it’s a 2-week or 2-month adventure, you’re travelling independently or in a big group, you want to see Patagonia in comfort or discover challenging hikes, we’d love to help.
1-888-970-4571This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Privacy policy