La Junta is a small town where two rivers meet, which is exactly what the name says, and it marks the point where the Carretera Austral leaves the Palena valley and its wet green forests and enters the northern edge of the Aysen region. About twelve hundred people live here, scattered along wide, quiet streets, with lakes close by and snow-capped peaks showing above the trees. It is a handy place on a very empty road, with a fuel pump, a few shops, simple restaurants and guesthouses.
The ride from Chaiten is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Carretera Austral. The road follows rivers and lakes through a thick, damp forest of southern beech, tree ferns and bamboo thickets, with waterfalls pouring down the hillsides and clouds hanging low on the mountains. The surface alternates between paved sections and gravel, with potholes, loose stones and wet corners, so a steady pace is wiser than a fast one. It rains here far more often than not, even in summer, and temperatures are cool, so waterproofs are essential. The best months are December to March, when the days are long and there is some chance of sunshine.
The Carretera Austral is the product of a determined national project. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Chilean government pushed a road through some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the country, mainly to link isolated settlements to the rest of Chile, and soldiers and engineers worked for years with explosives and heavy machinery. Before it, many communities could be reached only by boat or on horseback. The settlers of this area came in the twentieth century, clearing forest for cattle, and fires set to open pasture left scars that are still visible on some slopes.
The surrounding country is a temperate rainforest of enormous richness. Lakes Rosselot and Verde lie nearby, glacial rivers run turquoise, and the mountains are draped in ancient forest. Birds are everywhere, including the colourful chucao, a small bird that calls from the undergrowth, and rare mammals such as the pudu, a tiny deer, live in the forest.
Fill the tank here, since fuel stops are scarce on the road, and check the next stretch's conditions. Pack rain gear, spare parts and snacks, and enjoy the sense of remoteness.