341 Northern Patagoniamedia.lonelyplanet.com/shop/pdfs/2612-Chile... · Face a whirl of white...
Transcript of 341 Northern Patagoniamedia.lonelyplanet.com/shop/pdfs/2612-Chile... · Face a whirl of white...
NO
RTH
ERN
PA
TAG
ON
IA
In this remote region separated by ferries, ox trails and roads that wash out in the blink of a storm, old folks still call a ferry ride to Puerto Montt ‘going to Chile’. And it isn’t hard to see why. For a century, Northern Patagonia has been the most rugged and remote part of continental Chile, where scant pioneers quietly set forth a Wild West existence. While life here may be tough for its residents, it doesn’t lack for scenery. Exuberant rainforest, scrubby steppe and unclimbed peaks crowd the horizon, but the essence of this place is water, from the clear cascading rivers to the turquoise lakes, massive glaciers and labyrinthine fjords. Southbound visitors often bypass Northern Patagonia on a sprint to Torres del Paine, but its backcountry treasures are pay dirt to the adventurous traveler.
An oft-neglected provincial backwater, Northern Patagonia has retained its pristine state only to face an onslaught of industrialization. Chile’s high-stakes salmon farming industry is looking to expand here. But the biggest threat to the region, which even environmentalists and the salmon industry can agree on, are proposals for a dozen hydroelectric dams on major waterways, including Río Baker, Chile’s highest flowing river. Developing the projects would require creating the longest transmission lines in the world. On one hand, Chile sees itself in an energy crunch without the dams. But the proposals herald sad tidings for the great Patagonian wilderness.It may be wise to see Northern Patagonia while you can. With a few ferry interruptions, the gravel Carretera Austral rumbles from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins, some 1200km south. This section runs north to south, from Hornopirén to Villa O’Higgins.
Northern Patagonia
© Lonely Planet Publications
POPULATION: 105,000 AREA: 121,012 SQ KM ELEVATION: 0–2500M
HIGHLIGHTS
Plonk into pristine hot springs after a hard day’s paddle in the misty fjords of Parque Pumalín ( p345 )
Giddy up into pioneer Patagonia ( p353 ) on remote Andean trails
Face a whirl of white water, rafting the world-class rapids of Río Futaleufú ( p351 )
Forget what day it is and stop caring as you dally in Caleta Tortel ( p370 ), a seaside village set on boardwalks
Scout for cave paintings and spy on flamingos in the little-known Reserva Nacional Jeinemeni ( p366 )
TortelCaleta
JeinemeniNacionalReserva
FutaleufúRío
PumalínParque
341
NO
RTH
ERN
PA
TAG
ON
IA
N O R T H E R N PATA G O N I A l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m
���������
�������������
�������
��
��������������������������������
�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���
����
�����������������������������������������������������������
��
��
������
������
�
��������
����
��
��
San FranciscoEstuario
ExploradoresBahía
CorcovadoGolfo
ChacaoCanal de
AncudGolfo de
de PenasGolfo
O C E A N
P A C I F I C
nésiA
odroiF
R í o N e g r o
C h u b u t
S a n t a C r u z
R e g i ó n X
R e g i ó n X I
ChacabucoEstancia Valle
MansillaCandelario
El Vagabundo
YungayPuerto
O'HigginsVilla
Villa Santa Lucía
MONTTPUERTO
BalmacediaPuerto Raul Marín
CaracolesBajo
BertrandPuerto
MaiténCruce El
MorenoPerito
SenguerAlto Río
IbáñezIngeniero
Puerto
MañihualesVilla
VerdeLago
RamírezPuerto
PuyuhuapiPuerto
CárdenasPuerto
GonzaloCaleta
CostaGobernador
VanguardiaVilla
AmengualVilla
AisénPuerto
ChacabucoPuerto
CisnesPuerto
GregoresGobernador
AntiguosLosChico
Chile
GrandeMallín
GuadalPuerto
MurtaPuerto
TranquiloPuerto Río
TortelCaleta
San MartínJosé de
Villa Cerro Castillo
COYHAIQUE
Hornopirén
Quellón
Chonchi
Chaitén
Cochrane
Balmaceda
La Tapera
MelinkaLa Junta
Palena
Futaleufú
CarelmapuPangal
Calbuco Puelche
Río Mayo
TeckaCorcovadoCarrenleufú
Trevelín
Esquel
El Bolsón
El Maitén
Ñorquinco
QueulatNacionalParque
JeinemeniNacionalReserva
PumalínParque
SimpsonNacional Río
Parque
Alerce AndinoParque Nacional
HornopirénNacionalParque
Lago PueloParque Nacional
CoyhaiqueReserva Nacional
Dos LagunasMonumento Natural
KatalalixarNacionalReserva
Los AlercesNacionalParquePumalín
Lago RosselotReserva Nacional
Isla GuamblínParque Nacional
Reserva
Isla MagdalenaParque Nacional
ChiloéParque Nacional
ChiloéParque Nacional
Cerro CastilloReserva Nacional
TamangoNacionalReservaLaguna San Rafael
Parque Nacional
O'HigginsBernardoNacionalParque
VolcánChaitén
(2700m)Castillo
(502m)Paso Huemules
Río FríasPaso de
HornopirénVolcán
(1572m)
(2300m)Corcovado
Volcán
Cerro
MichinmahuidaVolcán
(2404m)
CarrenleufúPaso Palena
(2600m)Volcán Hudson
(647m)Paso Roballos
ValentínMonte San
(4058m)
se
dn
As
ole
da
relli
dr
oC
Paso Alto Coyhaique
72ºW76ºW
70ºW72ºW74ºW76ºW
48ºS
46ºS
44ºS
42ºS
48ºS
46ºS
44ºS
42ºS
RafaelLaguna San
YelchoLago
PalenaLago
VintterLago General
La PlataLago
FontanaLago
StrobelLago
CardielLago
AiresBuenosLago
CarreraGeneral
Lago
CochraneLago
GuafoIsla
de ChiloéGrande
Isla
Hielo SurCampo de
PeninsulaAycaraHuequi-
de los ChonosArchipiélago
de ChiloéArchipiélago
de las GuatecasArchipiélago
las ManosCueva de
Campo de Hielo
Hielo NorteCampo de
de TaitaoPenínsula
Tres MontesPenínsula
El Portezuelo
Natales
Puerto
Ferry to
VentisqueroTermas del
El AmarilloTermas
PuyahuapiTermas de
A R G E N T I N A
El TepualAeropuerto
RP
RP
RP
RP
RP
RP
RP
RP
RN
RN
RN
RN
RN
RN
RN
12
39
37
62
19
55
43
20
258
258
25
40
26
26
40
5
7
7
7
anacire
manaP
Car
rete
ra A
ustr
al
Border Crossing
NORTHERN PATAGONIA 90 miles0150 km0
342