Carretera Austral: Chaiten to Coyhaique

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Chaitén

   Chaitén is a town that was almost removed from the map. In May 2008 the volcano of the same name, which nobody had thought to be dangerous, erupted without warning after thousands of years asleep. Ash covered the whole region, the Río Blanco burst its banks and carved a new channel straight through the middle of the town, and the government ordered a complete evacuation. For a while there were plans to abandon the place and build a new capital elsewhere. Many people returned anyway, and today Chaitén has a few thousand people, rebuilt streets, and a lingering sense of resilience. On the hills above, the volcano still steams, and you can see the grey scar of the lava dome from the road.

   Read the complete Chaiten write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Chaitén is where the day begins. Next is Futaleufu.

2. 2. Futaleufú

   The rafters know Futaleufú better than the motorcyclists do. The river that runs through this small town on the Chilean side of the Andes is one of the great whitewater rivers of the world, a startling turquoise torrent that comes down from Argentine lakes through a series of steep canyons, and kayakers and rafters travel here from around the globe to run it. The town of under two thousand people is a quiet place of low wooden houses, with a plaza and a handful of lodges, and the Andes standing white behind.

   Read the complete Futaleufu write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Futaleufú comes up about 151 km into the recorded legs. Next is Coyhaique.

3. 3. Coyhaique

   Coyhaique is the biggest town in Chile's Aysén region, and where the Carretera Austral really starts to feel like a frontier. It sits in a green valley at the meeting of two rivers, the Coyhaique and the Simpson, with steep forested ridges all around and a distinctive pentagonal main square. People here are used to long distances and bad weather, and the town has the practical feel of a place that serves the farms, fishing villages and mountain lodges strung out along the highway.

   Read the complete Coyhaique write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 558 km.