In the middle of the festive season of Fiestas Patrias, Chile’s Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 18th, my brother joins me in Santiago all the way from Texas, and we have quite a big trip in store. Our plans are to go to the south of Chile and drive down the famous southern highway: the Carretera Austral. Having already spent a few festive days exploring Santiago, we rally for the next part of our Chilean adventure with high spirits and a little caffeine and head to the airport.
From Santiago to Puerto Montt: The Launch Point to the Chilean South
Rather than taking a long overnight bus to Puerto Montt, some 1,000 kilometers (650 miles) away, we opt for a short flight. We celebrated Dieciocho last night at a fonda, a large pop-up event, in Independencia, and we feel a bit sluggish from the late-night concert festivities. Even so, we arrive on time, our bags packed with hiking clothes and jackets for the chillier weather down south.
A sub-two-hour flight later, we land in Puerto Montt, after seeing pretty views of the wide landscape and water. Picking up our rental car, we head into the city. It’s grayer than I’d imagined, and looks like an old coastal town, none of the modernness you can find in the newer parts of Santiago. As a working port city, I can see why I’ve been told that Puerto Montt is only a gateway to Patagonia and not a destination in itself.
With a moody sky above and crisp air indicating that we’re indeed in the south now, we make a couple of stops in the city for snacks and water to fuel our upcoming journey to Hornopirén, which should take about four hours. Our maps have been safely downloaded to our phones, along with music playlists for entertainment, so we feel ready to make the drive and take a short ferry to our destination.
Driving to Hornopirén: Misty Rainforest Vibes
Heading south out of Puerto Montt, the road winds through an open landscape with cloudy coastal views on our right. The two-lane highway seems well-paved and lightly traveled today, with a few other cars and occasional trucks passing by. Gentle curves take us around slight hills that begin to rise and fall more dramatically the farther south we drive.
To our left, we see greenery, thick vegetated areas with plants I’ve never seen before. I explain to my brother that this region is technically a rainforest, and includes some of the oldest trees in the world: alerce. The alerce forests here have some trees that have lived for thousands of years. Besides that, we spot a tremendous variety of lush green plant life that’s simply a wonder to see.
A Drive Broken Up By a Ferry
Along the Carretera Austral, on the way to Hornopirén, we must board a ferry to cross the water and continue driving on the other side. We are going to take the ferry from La Arena to Puelche, which should be about a 30-minute ride. When we pull up to the ferry loading dock in our car, we have to wait in line for about 20 minutes, behind other cars. After paying the fee, we inch closer to the loading deck.
The ferry is quite a spectacle; it’s already half-full of industrial trucks and cars, and people are walking around on the upper deck walkway that wraps around the ferry. The calm water laps gently on the shore around the loading zone, and it’s just chilly enough with the windows down in our car to need a light jacket. It’s still fairly cloudy out, making the hilly backdrop look dark along the coastline. Excited for our first time driving onto a ferry, my brother and I document the moment and eagerly wait to board.
All Aboard the Ferry to Puelche
We’re waved onto the ferry, instructed to keep pulling forward behind one row of parked cars. It feels a bit stressful, but after safely parking our rental, we breathe a sigh of relief. Tired of sitting for the last hour and a half or so, we get out and start to explore the ferry. It’s not too large and feels a bit cramped on the main lower deck, thanks to all the bumper-to-bumper cars—one of which is decorated with a giant Chilean flag inscribed with “Viva Chile!”
Climbing up a steep two flights of stairs to the top deck, we admire the gorgeous view. We see a few people walk through a white, heavy metal doorway, so we follow along and find ourselves in the passenger lounge. It’s basically a cafeteria, with some refreshments for sale and tables scattered throughout. Wide windows line the lounge, and through them we watch the dark turquoise water pass by. Before long, the brief journey is over, and we get in our car once again to continue the rest of the drive to Hornopirén.
Coastal Exploration on the Carretera Austral
Within just half an hour of driving along the winding highway, some curves tighter than others, we spot a beautiful open space along the shore and decide to pull off the road. Stepping out of the car, we feel a fresh sea breeze and smell nothing but clean, slightly salty air. This water is Pacific Ocean water that flows through channels and fjords.
Walking closer to the water line, we notice that the beach is actually full of small rocks and pebbles. Upon closer inspection, we see that they’re infinitely varied in shape, color, texture, and size. Some pebbles are smooth and oval-shaped, gray with black speckles. Others are lightweight and airy, orange or red in color. We find smooth pieces of dark brown driftwood and a large log that seems to have washed up recently. Shells of different shades of gray, white, black, and purple are scattered among the rocks. For nature lovers like my brother and I, this scenery is endlessly entertaining.
Preparing for What’s Next
Only another hour or so remains until we reach Hornopirén, and we already can hardly believe the stunning variety of landscapes, plant life, and geography that we’ve encountered. A painted wooden sign welcomes us to Hornopirén, and we’re excited to finally be in our destination town. Continue reading about my trip along the Carretera Austral in Part 2!
