Included experience
Camper Van exploring
Self-drive a camper van down the northern Carretera Austral: pavement out of Puerto Varas, then gravel, fjord ferries, and nights in the van.
6 days · Carretera Austral
Puerto Varas to Coyhaique by camper van
A north-to-south idea for the northern Carretera Austral: lake town, fjord ferry, Pumalín forest, Futaleufú, thermal Puyuhuapi, and Queulat’s hanging glacier.
Chile · Carretera Austral
Six days from the lake to Aysén
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Puerto Varas
Lakeside town on Llanquihue, Osorno on the horizon, and the usual place to collect a camper before the Carretera Austral turns south.- Time at Leisure
- Hotel
Stay
Hotel Cabaña del Lago
Lakeside hotel in Puerto Varas, on Lago Llanquihue, with Osorno in the window and a night of sheets before the camper van takes over.
Collect the camper van in Puerto Varas (or Puerto Montt). Night at Hotel Cabaña del Lago on Lago Llanquihue. Confirm one-way drop-off in Coyhaique with the rental operator.
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Hornopirén
Small fjord town and the northern gate of the Carretera Austral, where the road waits for the bimodal ferry to Caleta Gonzalo.- Camping
- Sightseeing Tour
Included experience
Camper Van exploring
Self-drive a camper van down the northern Carretera Austral: pavement out of Puerto Varas, then gravel, fjord ferries, and nights in the van.
Stay
Night in the Camper Van (Hornopirén)
Sleep in the van at Hornopirén so the morning ferry south is a walk to the ramp, not a race from Puerto Varas.
Drive south to Hornopirén (about 3.5–4 hours). Sleep in the van. Reserve the Somarco Ruta Bimodal (Hornopirén–Leptepu–Fiordo Largo–Caleta Gonzalo) for the next morning.
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Parque Pumalín
Douglas Tompkins’ temperate rainforest park between Caleta Gonzalo and Chaitén: alerce, hidden waterfalls, and the first gravel after the ferry.- Hiking
- Camping
Included experience
Trekking Parque Pumalín
Walk the temperate rainforest south of Caleta Gonzalo: a short alerce grove, or a half-day to the hidden waterfalls, depending on trail status.
Stay
Night in the Camper Van (Futaleufú)
Riverside or town-edge camping in the Futaleufú valley, with the van as the room after the inland detour from the Carretera.
Morning ferry into Caleta Gonzalo. Walk Los Alerces and/or Cascadas Escondidas (check CONAF). Night in the van in the park or continue toward Chaitén / the Futaleufú turnoff.
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Futaleufú
A valley town on one of the world’s great whitewater rivers, inland from the Carretera Austral near the Argentine border.- Camping
- Time at Leisure
Included experience
Camper Van exploring
Self-drive a camper van down the northern Carretera Austral: pavement out of Puerto Varas, then gravel, fjord ferries, and nights in the van.
Stay
Night in the Camper Van (Futaleufú)
Riverside or town-edge camping in the Futaleufú valley, with the van as the room after the inland detour from the Carretera.
Inland to Futaleufú. Easy day in the valley — river, village, riverside camping. The van is still the room.
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Puyuhuapi
A fjord village in Aysén, German-founded, with thermal water on the channel and Parque Nacional Queulat just south on Ruta 7.- Time at Leisure
- Camping
Included experience
Termas de Puyuhuapi
Thermal water on the Puyuhuapi channel: roadside pools at Termas Ventisquero, or a boat crossing to the lodge at Bahía Dorita.
Stay
Night in the Camper Van (Puyuhuapi)
Van overnight in Puyuhuapi, on the channel, after the termas and before the Queulat trailhead the next morning.
Return to Ruta 7 and continue to Puyuhuapi. Termas Ventisquero from the road, or boat to Puyuhuapi Lodge if you leave the van. Night in the village.
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Coyhaique
Capital of Aysén, where the rainforest thins toward steppe, and the usual place to leave a north-to-south camper after Queulat.- Hiking
- Shuttle Service
Included experience
Trekking Queulat + Camper Van drive
Hike to the Ventisquero Colgante in Parque Nacional Queulat, then drive Cuesta Queulat south and leave the camper in Coyhaique.
Sendero Ventisquero Colgante (about 2–3 hours return), then Cuesta Queulat south to Coyhaique. Return the camper. No hotel on this last day.