Carretera Austral Road Trip from Puerto Montt to Caleta Tortel (Chile) by 4x4: A Few Questions

Hello,

I’ve planned a 3.5-week trip to Chile in February/March 2025, with the goal of driving the Carretera Austral from Puerto Montt to Caleta Tortel in a rented 4x4. The itinerary is set, accommodations are booked, and the 4x4 is reserved. We could still tweak things a bit, but it’s getting harder to find available lodging in some spots.

Here’s the planned route: - 1 night in Puerto Montt on arrival day - 2 nights in Castro (Chiloé Island) - 2 nights near Ensenada - 1 night in Horniporén - 1 night in Chaitén - 3 nights in Puyuhuapi - 2 nights in Coyhaique - 3 nights between Puerto Bertrand and Cochrane - 2 nights in Caleta Tortel - 3 nights in Puerto Guadal - 1 night in Chile Chico (to take the ferry across the lake) - 1 night in Villa Cerro Castillo before flying out from Balmaceda

I have a few questions about the activities we’d like to do:

The **Marble Caves**: I’d love an option that lets us "go inside" them. From what I’ve read, this depends on the water level, wind, and type of boat. Any tips or advice? We’d like to do an **excursion to see condors**. We were thinking of doing this while in Coyhaique (we’re staying 2 nights). Has anyone done this? With which agency? We’re spending 3 nights between Puerto Bertrand and Cochrane. The idea is to **explore the vast Patagonia Park and its wildlife**. But I’m not sure where to start. Any recommendations for day hikes or itineraries? I read somewhere that you can do a day trip with a guide that includes a boat ride on Lake Cochrane, but I can’t find the booking info. An agency for **glacier exploration** (we were thinking of **Lake Leones Glacier**). I contacted Ruta León but haven’t heard back. Any agencies to recommend?

Thanks so much! Pascale

Hi there,

Your itinerary looks great.

One important detail, though: I assume you’ll take a ferry between Hornopirén and Chaitén. Actually, if nothing has changed since the last time I took it, this sea crossing happens in two stages. First, you take a large ferry, then there’s a land segment, and finally a second, smaller ferry. Don’t linger too long on the land segment, as you could end up losing time and having to wait 24 hours on a nearly deserted island.

For the marble cathedrals and/or caves, I personally think side lighting works better than overhead light. The best time to do the excursion would be early morning or late afternoon. That said, sunny days aren’t exactly common in this area… So, have a Plan B ready in case strong winds make the boat trip impossible.

As for spotting condors, you’ll likely see them in several places in Patagonia. I think there’s a bird-watching agency based in Coyhaique or nearby called Chile Birding Chile. You might want to reach out to them directly to see what they offer.

Have a great trip!

Thierry

Hi Thierry,

I’ll check out the agency in Coyhaique. I found their website.

For the Marble Caves, we can either visit them on the way between Coyhaique and Puerto Bertrand or during the 3 days we’re spending in Puerto Guadal. Fingers crossed that one of those days will have good conditions! 🙂

I still need to book the Horniporén–Caleta Gonzalo ferry and the Chile Chico–Puerto Ibáñez ferry. I did note that for the first one, there’s a bit of a drive between the two, and the goal isn’t to dawdle but to head straight to the second ferry. 😉

Thanks a lot, Pascale

It's me again!

An idea... Plan your boat trip to the cathedrals and/or Marble Caves for when you arrive at Lake General Carrera. That way, if the weather conditions aren't great at that time, you can do the boat trip later since you're apparently staying in the area for several days.

Good luck!

Thierry

Hi there, For visiting the glaciers, I recommend checking out https://patagoniajet.cl/ I used their services in 2020 and was VERY satisfied.

Midday picnic at the foot of Leones Glacier.

Best regards,

Good evening Pascale,

You’ve planned a magnificent itinerary! We traveled a section of the Carretera Austral nine years ago, from Coyhaique to Caleta Tortel.

We hadn’t booked for the Capillas de Mármol and were able to enter inside by boarding a small motorboat.

In Patagonia National Park, we took the Valle Chacabuco route starting from Cochrane via road X-83 toward Paso Roballos, a low-altitude pass on the border with Argentina. It’s a decent track overall, but very lightly trafficked. We saw a large number of guanacos and other species there.

But you’ll find plenty of details in my travel journal on MyAtlas.

As well as on the Chiloé Archipelago.

PS: We’d crossed paths in the "pre-COVID era" on your travel journal about Russia 😉

Have a wonderful trip in Patagonia! 🙂

Hello,

Good to know! I’d already contacted them for a helicopter flight. I’ll check with them about the glacier too.

Love the photo—it makes me want to picnic! 🙂

Thanks a million, Pascale

Hi Michel 🙂

I’d saved your travel journal on MyAtlas. It’s already been a big help with planning 😉

I think I won’t book the Marble Caves in advance and just decide when we’re there. Since we’re staying in the area for several days, it shouldn’t be a problem.

PS: I’m so glad I got to take that trip to Russia. It’d feel a lot trickier to organize today.

Have a wonderful week, Pascale

Hi Michel, I read your journey along the Carretera Austral with great interest and enjoyment! It’s making me want to do the same route (your photos are stunning). We’ll be in Argentina and Chile in February 2025. However, we’ll need to find a rental vehicle! Do you think it’s easy to find one? Maybe you have some good recommendations! Anyway, thanks for this beautiful travel journal.

Hello,

Thanks for your kind words! As for the rental vehicle, I don’t really have any great tips to recommend. I simply rented from Europcar. It was already quite expensive at the time. The 4x4 turned out to be unnecessary. However, you’ll need a vehicle with decent ground clearance.

Have a great trip! You’ll see, it’s the land of superlatives! 🙂

Hello,

You can get in touch with Lys Rent-a-car. I rented my vehicle through them. I’ll be able to give you feedback in February. Their reviews are really good.

Pascale

Thanks for your message. I’ll ask them for a quote. For our part, we’ve decided not to book accommodations too far in advance since we don’t know exactly when we’ll arrive in the towns or villages we’ve chosen. I think with Booking or Airbnb there’ll still be plenty of options even at the last minute! Anyway, have a great trip! Since we’ll be there around February 15th, we might cross paths! !

Hi there,

For our part, we chose not to book accommodations too far in advance

Still, don’t wait too long, since availability is limited in Aysén and it’ll still be peak season.

We arrive on February 22nd in Puerto Montt 😉

I can confirm what Michel says. As for accommodations, I don’t know your itinerary. On the Chilean side, there are areas where lodging is limited, and February is still high season.

Thanks for your reply! We’ll be in Coyhaique a little earlier than you! After your advice and Michel’s, I think I’ll still get started on making a few reservations so I don’t end up in a bind!