Chile · Carretera Austral Northern Stage

A 529 km loop from Hornopirén ferry

Open this ride in the planner →

Why this ride

Remote Patagonia, ferries and a route that demands planning. On the way it passes Pumalín forest, Chaitén overnight and Futaleufú river roads. The highest point is about 1,000 m. Back roads rather than main roads, where the map allows.

Roadbook

1. Hornopirén ferry gate fuel

   Hornopirén is where the road south of Puerto Montt runs out of land and hands the traveller over to the sea. It is a small port on the edge of the Reloncaví region, in front of a fjord that stretches toward Patagonia, and behind it rises the Hornopirén volcano and the dark green forests of the national park. The Carretera Austral, Chile's Route 7, passes here, and the ferry that leaves from the harbour is the only way to continue south along the highway without a long detour.

   The Carretera Austral itself is a story of persistence. It was built mainly in the 1970s and 1980s by the Chilean military, who cut and blasted a road through the rain-soaked forest to connect isolated settlements, and it has been improved and extended in the decades since. The road is still a mixture of pavement and gravel, with long stretches that are rough, narrow and slow. The landscape is spectacular, with glaciers, fjords, temperate rainforest and rivers the colour of turquoise, and it draws riders from all over the world who want a proper adventure.

   The ferry crossing from Hornopirén runs through channels lined by steep mountains, with waterfalls dropping from the cliffs and dolphins sometimes appearing alongside. It takes several hours, and in summer the service is busy and booking ahead is wise, as timetables change with the season and the tide. Bring warm clothing and rain gear, because the weather can turn quickly and the deck is exposed. There are basic food and drink options on board, but a flask and a sandwich are a better plan.

   Fuel is the practical heart of this stop. Hornopirén has stations, but supplies and opening hours in small Chilean towns can be unreliable, so fill your tank fully, carry a spare can if your bike allows, and expect fuel stops to be far apart further south. The nearest towns of any size are back toward Puerto Montt, and the southern sections have long gaps. Carry cash, since card machines can fail and rural shops often prefer pesos.

   The air here smells of wet wood and salt. The alerce trees, giant conifers that live for thousands of years, grow in the nearby forest, and the park trails offer walks to waterfalls and viewpoints. Rain is common, and mud is a fact of life on the gravel, so choose your gear accordingly and ride slowly.

2. Pumalín forest sight

   Pumalín forest comes up 132 km in.

3. Chaitén overnight sleep
4. Futaleufú river roads photo

   The Futaleufú river is the colour of a swimming pool in a dream, an intense milky turquoise that comes from glacial silt carried down from the Andes, and it is one of the most famous whitewater rivers in the world. Rafters and kayakers come from across the globe to take on its rapids, some of which are rated at the highest level of difficulty. The river runs through a valley on the Chilean side of the border with Argentina, and the town of Futaleufú, a tidy collection of low houses with a village square, sits on its banks.

   The roads here are among the least travelled in Chile, and that is what makes them special. A branch of the Carretera Austral leads to the town from the main highway, and gravel and paved sections alternate as the road follows the river through forest and farmland. Mountains rise on all sides, snow-capped in winter, and in early summer the meadows are bright with lupins. Along the way, the road passes lakes of equally improbable blue, and the light on the water in the afternoon is superb. The surfaces vary, so check conditions and keep your speed down on gravel, where loose stones and corners can surprise you.

   The border is close. Argentina lies just over the ridge, and the Argentine town of Trevelin, about thirty-four kilometres away, is the nearest place of any size, with a Welsh heritage dating from the settlement of Patagonia by Welsh colonists in the nineteenth century. Crossing the border requires passports, vehicle papers and sometimes a bit of patience, and the rules for motorcycles should be checked in advance. The Los Alerces National Park on the Argentine side protects ancient alerce trees, some of them thousands of years old.

   Fuel is a point to plan carefully. The town of Futaleufú is small and has limited services, so fill up before you get here, and carry extra if you can. Food is straightforward, with grilled meat, empanadas and fresh bread, and a few small guesthouses and cafés serve travellers. Prices are modest, but cash is useful.

   Rain can arrive suddenly, with cold wind off the mountains, and temperatures drop fast in the evening. Bring waterproofs and a warm layer, and give yourself extra time. The valley deserves it, because this is the sort of landscape where every bend shows another view worth stopping for.

5. Back to Hornopirén finish

   Hornopirén is where the road gives up and the sea takes over. Here, on the edge of a long fjord, the Carretera Austral reaches a gap that engineers have never filled, and anyone heading south has to take a ferry for several hours through channels and inlets before the road resumes in Pumalín country. For riders coming from Puerto Montt, it is the first real taste of the end of the world: the town is small and weather-beaten, strung along the shore with wooden houses, boatyards and stacks of fishing gear.

   Behind the settlement, the volcano Hornopirén rises in a neat cone, and the national park of the same name protects the forests, lakes and fjords around it. The land is wet and green, covered in temperate rainforest with ferns and mosses hanging off every trunk, and rain falls most of the year. Salmon farming dominates the economy here as it does along much of the Chilean coast, and the water is dotted with the floating pens. Mussels and other seafood are cheap and very good, and a plate of curanto, the traditional pit-cooked stew of shellfish, potatoes and meat, is the dish of the region.

   The ride from Puerto Montt is half the experience. After the city, the road runs along the Reloncaví estuary, with the volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco visible in clear weather, and there is a short ferry crossing at Caleta La Arena before the final run to Hornopirén. The roads are paved for much of the way, but there are gravel stretches and sudden bends, and wet surfaces are common, so go easily. Traffic is light, but trucks and buses are heavy, and drivers do not slow down for photographers.

   Practicalities matter a great deal here. Ferry bookings fill up in summer, and the timetable can change with the weather, so check the schedule and arrive early. There is fuel in town, but fill the tank before the ferry to be safe, because the next supply beyond the water may be limited. Bring cash, rain gear, and patience. The best weather runs from December to March, when the days are long and the light low and silver over the fjord.

Where this sits

Rides near here