Carretera Austral Part 5: Puyuhuapi to Puerto Aysén to Coyhaique

Waterfall and tough driving.

This distance shot is of Cascada de Ventisquero Colgante in Queulat National Park. It’s the main attraction along this route.

That is indeed a waterfall falling off a glacier.

OK, all done. A somewhat steep hike, but short. One thing you have to do on the Carretera Austral is help college student hitchhikers as a matter of civic duty, and there is only really one road. We did that here, since we were headed in the same direction, and gave a young couple a ride on the way to Puerto Aysén.

Little did I know that there were absolutely crushing switchbacks to follow. They start at Salto Padre García. Zoom in on the map and laugh at my ignorance, and keep in mind that the incline is steep at all points.

So, there are no pictures of this part.

So, Puerto Aysén is all business. A port town. Still not bad looking, though.

We stayed at Hotel y Cabañas Patagonia Green, which was fine. Quiet and convenient, but you have to drive over a bridge from downtown, which is a little confusing when you’re tired.

Finally, we arrive at Coyhaique.

This is the view from the second (or first, depends on your localization) floor of Mamma Gaucha.

If you’ve gotten this far, you might be asking about good coffee. You can probably find it in Coyhaique, but the shops are always changing. You can also do laundry easily—we just did a wash-n-fold here.

If I could do it again, I would spend more time between Caleta Gonzalo and Coyhaique.