If you’re visiting Chilean Patagonia, one of its great attractions is to drive the Southern Highway by car or bicycle. You can’t miss this scenic route that runs from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins and crosses lagoons, glaciers and mountains.
🔎 Check here the quide to travel the Carretera Austral.
With an extension of 1200 kilometres, the Southern Highway in Chile is one of the mythical routes to do in Patagonia. The combination of high Andes Mountains, turquoise water lagoons, ice fields and enchanting small towns to explore, gives it a magic that remains unaltered over time.
More and more tourists are encouraged to discover the imposing nature that is hidden in this remote part of the planet, perfect for trekking. Here is all the information you need to plan your trip to the Southern Highway in Chile by car.
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How many days to drive the Southern Highway?
Given the length of the Southern Highway and the number of attractions you can visit, it is advisable to dedicate at least a week. This will get you to see the main sights, but if you want to slow down and relax in the villages, it is best to do it in two weeks.
The whole road is spectacular. In certain sections the route goes through forests, along lakes or fjords between snow-capped mountains and lots of greenery. From Puerto Montt to the town of Coyhaique, the road is almost completely paved (about 660 km). The rest of the road is consolidated gravel, but there are plans to pave the entire route soon.
It should be noted that the Carretera Austral has three sections that cannot be travelled by car due to the geographical accidents of the terrain. For this there are ferries that navigate these stretches and where you can take your car on board (see map below).
If you reach Villa O’Higgins by car, you should be aware that there is no road further south due to geographical accidents. One of the alternatives is to return to the north on this road itself, or else cross into Argentina via the Chile Chico-Los Antiguos pass along the shores of Lake General Carrera. But you will still have to travel some 400 kilometres north in the Carretera Austral.
Another option, if you can leave your car in Villa O’Higgins, is to make the crossing to visit El Chaltén in Argentina. It’s a road between spectacular mountains and lakes that combines a boat ride, several kilometres of trekking and a bus.
Gas stations along the road
There are gas stations in many of the towns along the Southern Highway, although the further south you go, the fewer gas stations available.
Avoid waiting for your fuel tank to get low before filling up, and refuel frequently in each town that has a petrol station. This will ensure that you won’t have any fueling problems along the entire Southern Highway.
Best time to drive the Southern Highway
For its north-south amplitude and its geographical location, the best time to drive the Southern Highway is during the summer months between November and March.
At this time, sunlight duration is ample throughout the day. And while the southern end of the road is cold all year round, at least during the sunshine hours the temperature is usually pleasant.
At this time, sunlight duration is ample throughout the day. And while the southern end of the road is cold all year round, at least during the sunshine hours the temperature is usually pleasant.
Other times of the year the inclement weather is harsher with snowfall and road closures, although you have the benefit of much less tourism. And if you are going to visit the Marble Caves in this period, you won’t have any problems entering the caverns. In summer the water level of the lake rises considerably and on many days it is impossible to visit it.
Main places to visit on the Southern Highway
🔎 Check here the Top 5 things to do in Southern Highway.
- Pumalin Park: beautiful natural park surrounded by larch forests with fjords and incredible landscapes.
- Queulat National Park: another of the great attractions to visit on the Southern Highway. With lots of vegetation, lagoons, impressive waterfalls and the wonder of the Ventisquero Colgante, the glacier in height with the lagoon at the bottom. ➡️ See more about visiting Queulat National Park here.
- Puyuhuapi: towns to take a break and combine outdoor activities with the thermal complex, ideal for relaxing the body after trekking.
- Coyahique and Puerto Aysen: ideal for trekking through the Rio Simpson National Reserve between forests and mountains and visiting these two small picturesque towns.
- General Carrera Lake: one of the main attractions to see on the Carretera Austral, due to the beauty of the largest lake in Chile and the imposing Marble Caves, which are caverns in the lake with curious formations. You can also go kayaking. ➡️ Read more about visiting Marble Caves here.
- Northern Ice Field: the imposing and extensive ice mass dazzles everyone who visits it. Navigation, viewpoints overlooking the San Rafael glacier and Explorers and trekking are some of the activities to do. ➡️ See more about visiting and hiking on the San Rafael glacier and visiting the Exploradores Glacier here.
- Baker River: if you are an adventure lover and adrenaline junkie, then one of the best things to do on the Southern Highway is kayaking down the mighty Baker River.
- Tortel: with its famous cypress platforms and wooden bridges, this is one of the most charming villages on the Carretera Austral. You should have your camera ready because every corner is Instagrammable. ➡️ See more about visiting Caleta Tortel here.
- Villa O’Higgins: last town on the Carretera Austral and gateway to the Southern Ice Field, home to the mythical O’Higgins Glacier. ➡️ See more about visiting Villa O’Higgins here.
See here for a map to do the Carretera Austral by car or bike.
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