Hitchhiking Carretera Austral
There aren't many roads in the south of Chile, so you have to take ferries quite often. Right after I finished hiking Torres del Paine I hopped on one of the ferries heading north. Three days on the water and views of the fjords and Patagonian wilderness from the deck, I can’t complain about that one.
Ferry buddies
To my surprise there are many backpackers, cyclists and van lifers on board, in addition to locals, all preparing to travel Chile's famous Carretera Austral. We, who have neither a car nor a bike, have (and actually it doesn't surprise me) exactly the same plan: to hitchhike the entire Carretera. Well, there's really only one way north, and according to the locals, it's the end of the season and there aren't that many cars. We joke about how in a few days we'll be rivals more than friends because we'll all be fighting over that one passing car.
The ferry goes from Puerto Natales to the port of Caleta Tortel. I've already met a few people who are about to go on the same ferry in Puerto Natales at the hostel and then by complete accident at a café where I was trying to finish projects for university and suddenly two guys came in and started playing guitars and singing. At that point I felt like kicking them out, but then once we were on the ferry together I was so happy for the awesome music and guitars.
We're even all trying to learn better Spanish there, so the guys explain how to inflect properly, we seem to understand, but putting it into practice is futile so far.
Camping in a living room
Around 3am we disembark in the small port of Tortel. None of us have any idea where we are going to spend the night. No one has booked accommodation as the ferries are often several hours late and don't arrive until the morning. The locals are used to this and so often wait by the dock and offer accommodation to weary travellers.
An elderly gentleman standing at the harbour exit announces that we can camp at his place. The biggest surprise of the evening comes when we discover that the gentleman has set up camp right in his living room. I've never saw anything like that before. He says we have to pitch a tent in the downstairs, but sleeping bags will do in the upstairs living room. There's over 20 of us camping there. Although we are all tired, we explore this unconventional concept of camping with amazement and watch others setting up their tents.
In the morning we wake up to foggy and rainy weather. Tortel has a very magical atmosphere, a small village on the water surrounded by mountains, islands and thick fog. The classic streets are replaced by wooden walkways over the water and instead of cars, everyone owns a boat.
The road starts at the end of the harbour. But not many cars drive here, meaning hitchhiking might take a few hours. So we start our journey by bus. Most of us buy a ticket to Cochrane, heading north. But some go a little further south to Villa O'Higgins, which is the official end/start of Carretera Austral.
What exacty Carratera Austral?
Basically a fancy name for Chile's Route 7, which runs south from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins for 1,240 kilometres. The diverse natural beauty and national parks hide endless opportunities for camping and trekking. Trekking into the rugged depths of the national parks, hiking to high vantage points over vast landscapes of lush rainforest, massive waterfalls, blue-white glaciers in the mountains and crystal clear lagoons and lakes. No wonder Caretera Austral is one of the most famous road trip destinations.
But don't be fooled: Carretera does translate from Spanish to English as a road, but its mainly southern half is unpaved and dirty. Partly due to its poor condition, the Carretera Austral has achieved such a high status in the imagination of travellers. Unpaved, leaky and impassable due to the elements: all of these characteristics have contributed to making the Carretera Austral one of the most remote - and therefore most enticing - roads in South America. So of course I had to get on it right away.
Not so pleasant volunteering in Cochrane
The first major town I visit is Cochrane, the starting point for visiting Patagonia National Park. The park offers some great day and multi-day hikes. Both the trails and the campgrounds here are beautifully maintained, and the whole park feels much more peaceful and natural than the tourist-crowded Torres del Paine. In addition, cougars are often seen here. According to the locals, they are harmless and used to humans (which I had trouble believing).
What I would definitely recommend is both before the actual trip and before trekking, keep an eye on the weather forecast. Conditions can change quickly and treks can become difficult to do in a matter of moments. Most national parks often close some routes due to rain, and the Carretera Austral can be impassable for several days.
I decided to help out in the national park for a few days taking photos of new campsites, viewpoints and hiking trails. Totally cool for me, walking around the mountains and taking pictures (which I would do anyway) and having free accommodation and meals in return. Wonderful! UNLESS, again, some asshole will ruin the whole thing for me. How the hell can some 40+ year old dude say: gee, a 21 year old girl started working with us yesterday, why don't I lean in and try to French kiss her? Agghhh. My stomach's still turning. Well, let's just say I didn't stay that long.
It's the first time I've seen how many people hitchhike in Chochrane. Sometimes some give up after a few unsuccessful hours. The reason is not so much the lack of cars as the fact that they often hitchhike in pairs or groups, which is a lot more difficult because they don't always build cars for more people. I'm on my own, so it's much better and faster. I even had a local cat join me for a while and hitchhike with me.
Kayaking around the Marble caves
Puerto Rio Tranquilo, which sits right on the shore of the second largest lake in South America, is at least a one-day stop for anyone passing through Carretera. The place is famous for its marble caves, where hundreds of visitors kayak daily.
It's a really unique place, but it's also very popular. What's the solution to see it with not so many people around? Sunrise. There are countless providers of these kayaking experiences in Rio Tranquilo, but perhaps only two companies offer a cruise and visit to the caves this early.
So at 6am I wake up and climb out of my tent at one of the many campsites around Rio Tranquilo. The mornings and evenings are particularly cold in Patagonia, so I throw on perhaps four layers of clothes and lazily walk towards the meeting point. I am very lucky, yesterday it rained all day but this morning is perfect for sunrise kayaking on the lake!
In the afternoon I need to hitchhike from Rio Tranquilo to the town of Coyhaique. The original plan to stop for a trek in Cerro Castillo didn't quite work out, as the weather is getting pretty bad again and a lot of the treks are closing again. To all of you ever considering driving Carretera Austral: don't trust google maps! Because they don't account for the fact that the road is absolutely unmaintained and you're usually driving 20 km per hour.
So I arrive in Coyhaique quite late, it's slowly getting dark and already three hostels, which I desperately ran to, told me that they were full. Finally I found a small hostel, something in the style of a bed and breakfast, with a room available. There are also a bunch of bikers, one of whom is a 20 year old girl from the USA who is trying to break the world record for the youngest woman circumnavigating the world on a motorbike. So fingers crossed!
Hanging glacier and 24/7 rain
In Queulat National Park there is a rather unique glacier located above the lagoon between the rocks looking like it’s hanging in between them. No surprise it’s called the Hanging Glacier. However, on the way there it rained all day. At the campsite near the national park I sleep under a little shelter (thank goodness) because it rains all night. In the morning the weather is no better, but I go to the glacier anyway. The hike is only three hours, so hopefully it will be doable.
The path is muddy and sometimes it looks more like a little river than an actual hiking trail. Only now I realize how much nature has changed since the beginning of Carretera. The original rugged and wind-swept Patagonia is now a temperate rainforest with lots of humidity.
Me and some U.S. TikTokers driving a broken car
I hitchhike in the rain, which I don't find very pleasant. However, there are almost no buses that go north today, so I have no other choice. Rain and not so many cars passing makes it even more long and tiring. After two hours of me standing in a pouring rain two guys from the United States stopped and are heading, like me, to Puerto Montt. So it looks like I'll have company for the rest of Carretera.
They proudly announce to me that they are TikTokers and that they are now travelling across Patagonia. Unfortunately, the guys didn't quite make it with the car rental (or driving on Carretera), as they managed to get two flat tires in the last three days. Apparently they had to change it in the rain, so the inside of the car is all wet and dirty. Since I'm soaked and even more dirtier, I don't mind at all.
Along the way we see countless travelers hitchhiking in the horrible rain and hope someone gives them a ride soon too. In the evening we arrive in the small town of Chaiten, where I try to find a hostel for the night. As in the previous towns, this takes some time as many of them are full.
Suddenly I get a text from my new U.S. friends: "Hey we thought we'd go swimming in the sea, do you want to join us?" It's raining outside, it's freezing cold and I'm soaked, so I logically reply, "Yeah, sure, I'll be right there!" It's nice to run into crazy people like me.
They are supposed to take the ferry that night. However, at midnight, they called me to say that the ferry wasn't going because of the weather and if they could stay at my place because all the hostels are now closed. So the three of us squeeze onto one single bed in a tiny room. The next ferry I’m taking with them. We need to be there around six in the morning so we drive our half-decayed car to the ferry in the dark. Somebody serves coffee and breakfast by the roadside, we don't hesitate and run straight to the smell of coffee.
Towards evening we sail to Puerto Montt which is the official start/end of Carretera Austral. Since it has been raining for almost a week straight, I get to the hostel soaked and dirty, where I find that everyone is soaked and dirty. A few girls even use a hair dryer to dry their clothes. We are all hoping for more warmth and less rain further north.
