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How to Explore
Chile’s Aysén Region
Getting There
A number of carriers
offer nonstop flights
from the U.S. to Santiago.
There are connections
available from Santiago
to Balmaceda, Aysén’s
regional airport, with
L ATA M (latam.com), Sky
(skyairline.com), and
Jetsmart (jetsmart.com).
We rented a 4 x 4 at the
airport—essential for
tackling Aysén’s roads.
Cell-phone reception
is almost nonexistent
along the Carretera
Austral, so download a
map app, like Maps.me,
that works offline.
Coyhaique
The regional capital is a
45-minute drive from the
airport, and every visitor
to Aysén will pass through
it. It is worth stopping
at the Museo Regional de
Aysén (museo regional
aysen.gob.cl), which
tells you all you need to
know about the region’s
fascinating history and
ecology. The best
hotels in town are the
Nomades Boutique Hotel
(hotelnomades.com;
doubles from $125) and
El Reloj (elrelojhotel.cl;
doubles from $105),
which are infused with
gaucho charm. In the
center of town, Mamma
Gaucha (mammagaucha.
cl; entrées $7–$11) serves
excellent Italian food.
Queulat
National Park
As well as hikes to the
Hanging Glacier, there are
kayaks for rent on the
lagoon, and you can take
boat trips to get close to
the glacier. Don’t miss the
Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa
(puyuhuapilodge.com;
doubles from $280),
a secluded hot-springs
resort on the far shore
of the Puyuhuapi fjord.
Cerro Castillo
The rugged landscape
around the mountain,
an easy 90-minute drive
south of Coyhaique,
is arguably the most
dramatic in the region.
Refugio Cerro Castillo
(refugiocerrocastillo.cl;
doubles from $90) offers
simple, comfortable
accommodation, and the
staff can help organize
hikes and horseback
rides into the mountains.
Near the old school
in Villa Castillo you will
find handprints thought
to be as much as 6,000
years old.
Lake General
Carrera
The Carretera Austral
follows the shores of the
vivid blue Lake General
Carrera, so as you drive
south, you will have
plenty of time to take
in the scenery. Mallín
Colorado Ecolodge (mallin
colorado.com; doubles
from $155) has beautiful
wooden cabins on a
hillside overlooking
the lake and its own
secluded stretch of
shoreline for anyone
brave enough to take a
dip in the glacial water.
The Hacienda Tres Lagos
(haciendatreslagos.com;
doubles from $210) has
rooms on Lago Negro and
a private pebble beach
with a sauna and hot tub.
You can book excursions
on and around Lake
General Carerra with
one of several activity
companies in Puerto Río
Tranquilo. We went
kayaking to the Marble
Caves and hiking on
the Exploradores Glacier
with 99% Adventure
(99aventura.cl).
Tor tel
This enchanting village,
constructed from
wooden boardwalks
winding their way around
the bay at the mouth
of the Baker River, was
our southernmost stop
along the Carretera
Austral. It is a long climb
up moss-covered steps
to the Entre Hielos Lodge
(entrehielos.cl; doubles
from $138), but it’s
worth it for its stylish
tranquility. Dinner is
served at a communal
table, and the owner,
Maria Paz Hargreaves,
will organize a boat to
take you to La Isla de los
Muertos, where you
can see the graves of
the area’s first settlers.
Trip Planner
Jordan Harvey (jordan@
knowmadadventures.
com; 612-315-2894),
a member of T+L’s A-List
of the world’s top travel
advisors, can help plan a
guide-led or self-driving
itinerary through the
Aysén region. — S.W.
The Hanging Glacier in Queulat National Park.
TAL0620_F_AysenChile.indd 81 FINAL 4/21/20 8:19 PM
joyce
(Joyce)
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