Chile Del Sur - Patagonia, Torres Del Paine and the Lake District

The official airline of Chile is Lanchile, a very reliable and compatible carrier. We flew out of Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez Airport to Balmaceda, a gateway town to the Austral and Glacier region.

A journey through the unspoilt countryside took us past the small towns of Coyhaique and Aisen ending in Puerto Chacabuco where we boarded the Catamaran Patagonia Connection. A five hour journey leads through endless waterways, fjords and breathtaking scenery until we reached our destination, Termas Puyuhuapi, a luxury thermal resort, totally secluded from the outside world, and only accessible by boat. Accommodation is limited to 20 couples at a time, providing all the amenities like hot spring spas, saunas, mud baths, kayaking etc. A day cruise to the Laguna San Raphael Glacier will long be remembered.

Laguna San Rafael is one of the highlights for many travellers to Chile. It can be reached only by boat. Situated west of Lago General Carrera and some 200 kilometres south of Puerto Aisén, the Ventisquero San Rafael is one of many glaciers which flow off the giant Campo de Hielo Norte. About 45 kilometres in length the glacier flows into the Laguna San Rafael. Towering 30 metres above water level, the glacier calves small icebergs which are carried across the Laguna and out through the Rio Tempano.
 

On recommendation of our Chilean guide at Puyuhuapi, Daniel, we rented a 4 X 4 and travelled the distance of almost 200 km down south to the Lago General Carrera. Straddling the frontier with Argentina, the Carrera is the largest lake in Chile. The major eruption of Volcan Hudson in 1991, polluted parts of the lake and many rivers, but now it has its typical azure blue colour again.   This scenic route took us 8 hours to reach Rio Tranquillo, the most southern end of the Austral wilderness road.

We were the only people to stay over in the hostel lodge called Hosteria Carretera Austral. The owner and his wife Claudia do not understand a single word of English. The South American Portuguese phrase book assisted in having a typical home cooked dinner and some nice Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

Petrol filling stations do not exist in this region. In every small village you ask for gasoil and are  directed to the local petrol provider. In his barn he will keep a 44 gallon drum of fuel. With a plastic pipe, a 5 liter plastic can is filled, and then  emptied into your vehicle’s petrol tank. This process of sucking, filling and refueling can take half an hour!
 

After flying to Punta Arenas, our last destination in Patagonia Del Sur was the Torres Del Paine National Park, reached by 4 X 4. This Unesco World Heritage Foundation site was proclaimed a Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Today it is one of South America’s most popular hiking routes. A constant changing scenery of some 15 snowcapped granite peaks, (Cuernos Del Paine, Paine Grande, Monte Almirante Nieto), aquamarine and grey coloured lakes (Lago Nordenskjold, Gamboa, Pehoe Deltoro) and massive glaciers (Glacier Grey, Olguin, Olvidado) and quiet green valleys greet the nature lover on his arrival. For the keen photographer, the ever changing moods of the mountains and colour tints of the lakes, offers postcard pictures of beauty.

Apart from the Guanacos (a mammal typical to, but smaller than the lama) some 24 other species of mammals and 105 species of birds (Andean Condor) are found in the park.

Johann Beukes