February 23, 2025

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile is the gateway to Patagonia. There are three Patagonia. You may be more familiar with one than the other two.

If you are more familiar with the Patagonia store or Patagonia beer, I understand. The real Patagonia is hard to get to.

The Carretera Austral (Southern Way in English) is the name given to Chile’s Route 7. Construction of the highway was commenced in 1976 under the military dictatorship era in order to connect a number of remote communities. Before that, in the 1950s and 1970s, there had been unsuccessful attempts to build access roads in the region. It is among the most ambitious infrastructure projects developed during the 20th century. The engineering corps of the Chilean Army used thousands of conscripts from 1975 to 1985 to build the road. Dictator Augusto Pinochet is said to have made annual visits well into the 1990s to follow the progress of the road. To locals, the Carretera Austral bears the unofficial name of the Augusto Pinochet highway.

Carretera Austral has a strategic meaning due to the difficult access by land to a significant portion of Chile’s southern territory. This area is characterized by thick forests, fjords, glaciers, channels and steep mountains. Access by sea and air is also a complex task due to extreme winter weather conditions. For decades, most of the land transportation had to cross the border to Argentina in order to reach Chile’s Patagonia. In order to strengthen the Chilean presence in these isolated territories and ensure the land connection to the rest of the country, more than 10,000 soldiers worked on its construction.

How can I describe to you an area of towering volcanoes, deep fjords, ancient forests, rushing rivers and crater landscapes. Snowcapped peaks, dense temperate rainforests, landscapes that seem almost prehistoric can overwhelm your senses. It seems as if the rhythm of life is determined by the land itself.

What about species of animals found nowhere else in the world. The Andean condor with a wingspan of over 3 meters, is one of the largest flying birds in the world. Although it is not a hunter, it usually patrols the Andes Mountains in search of a dead or weakened animal. The Pudu, the smallest deer in the world is found in Patagonia. These tiny creatures only stand 12 to 14 inches at the shoulder when fully grown. The huemul deer also known as the South Andean deer, is the iconic animal of Chile. The majestic antlers of the male change every year and are their main weapon of seduction when it comes to finding a mate. The huemul deer also has ears up to twenty-five centimeters long, enabling them to listen out carefully for potential puma predators.

So how do I describe all these wonders of creation?

I can’t.

I feel like a food critic that has been asked to describe the best restaurant in town when I’ve only sampled the appetizer. In order to experience Patagonia, you need to spend at the very least a week here. I recommend you do.

In the meantime, enjoy the appetizers.

And if you are going to travel through Patagonia, I would not suggest the type of van I saw in Puerto Montt. May I suggest this one that I saw at the Patagonia National Reserve.

Hey, a boy can dream can’t he!

Thanks for traveling with us.