For the active and adventurous the Carretera Austral is a huge 1 200 km long playground set amid the natural wilderness of Patagonia.<\/p>\n
There all sorts of ways to experience the Carretera, but to give you just a quick idea, check out the list of suggestions below<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n Some Background With the Beagle Conflict with Argentina in the 1970s, however, Pinochet decided enough was enough.\u00a0 Scared of Argentine encroachment, he declared the Carretera be built in order to strengthen the Chilean presence in this vulnerable territory.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t officially completed until 2003 when it finally connected the north with Villa O\u2019Higgins.\u00a0 The village\u2019s lake, Lago O\u2019Higgins, marks the end of the road.<\/p>\n Key Facts about the Carretera Reasons to Travel Along the Carretera Austral<\/b><\/p>\n Road Trips<\/b> Hiking Glaciers Fishing Birdlife Ice Cap Expeditions and Mountaineering Photography Canoeing, Kayaking, and White-Water Rafting The Rio Palena, meanwhile, can be descended all the way from the Argentinean border down to its estuary town of Puerto Raul Marin Balmaceda, on the Pacific coast.<\/p>\n Personal Discovery In short, we LOVE the Carretera Austral and think it\u2019s the perfect (and only!) way to travel around Chilean Patagonia.\u00a0 If you want a properly Patagonian adventure along the Carretera, get in touch<\/a> or check out our section dedicated to this wonderful part of the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the active and adventurous the Carretera Austral is a huge 1 200 km long playground set amid the natural wilderness of Patagonia. There all sorts of ways to experience the Carretera, but to give you just a quick idea, check out the list of suggestions below. Some Background Construction of the Carretera was begun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/i>Construction of the Carretera was begun in the 1970s on the orders of General Augusto Pinochet, the de facto Chilean president of the time.\u00a0 A Southern Highway had been considered a strategic requirement for some time.\u00a0 Patagonia is a highly challenging environment for transport infrastructure \u2013 everywhere you look there is an obstacle of some sort, be it a mountain range, a fjord, or a glacier.\u00a0 As such, there was no land route that provided access to the highly isolated territory of southern Chile.\u00a0 Air and sea travel, meanwhile, was difficult to say the least because of the ferocious winter conditions.\u00a0 As a rather embarrassing result, most Chilean land-based transport had to travel through Argentina.<\/p>\n
\n<\/i>–\u00a0 It extends for over 1 200 km, connecting Puerto Montt in the north and Villa O\u2019Higgins in the south.
\n–\u00a0 The road is unpaved for the majority of its length.
\n–\u00a0 There are points where you are required to cross a lake by ferry in order to continue along it.<\/p>\n
\nWe can\u2019t talk about the Carretera without talking about the awesome road trips that can be made along it.\u00a0 People say that there\u2019s nothing quite like the freedom of the open road.\u00a0 But here at Swoop, we say that there\u2019s nothing like the freedom of the Carretera Austral.\u00a0 Following the Southern Highway<\/i> as it meanders around the endless and breath-taking fjords and lakes, and as it climbs over majestic peaks, is an unforgettable experience.\u00a0 Whatever you\u2019re into, a Carretera Austral road trip is the <\/i>way to travel around Chilean Patagonia\u2026<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>The Carretera passes some fantastic hiking routes, many of them well-kept secrets.\u00a0 It provides access to no fewer than 22 national parks and reserves, meaning you\u2019ll get to hike in acres of untouched beauty, often with few other people around.\u00a0 Spectacular highlights along the Carretera Austral include views of Cerro Castillo or the San Rafael glacial lagoon and the Queulat National Park.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>The glaciers are a key part of the landscape in Patagonia, and one of the major reasons many people choose to visit.\u00a0 Whether you want to take some fantastic photos of some of the best known glaciers in the world, or you want to go ice-hiking on top of them, Swoop will make sure you visit the ones that are best suited to you and that you have the chance to appreciate some unmissable views like those of San Rafael<\/a> and O’Higgins<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Rivers full to the brim with all manner of trout and salmon make this one of the world\u2019s greatest regions for fishing.\u00a0 The Baker and Palena Rivers are of particular note among Patagonia\u2019s various world renowned rivers that provide plentiful opportunities.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Aysen\u2019s birdlife is fantastically varied; uniquely so, in fact.\u00a0 For example, there are Plovers and Sandpipers with their own sub-species that are native and unique either to central and northern Chile or to the south of Patagonia.\u00a0 Yet in the region of Aysen, the two habitats overlap, presenting a fantastic chance to see both kinds of bird in just one area!\u00a0 Winding through the mountains on the Carretera is the perfect way to observe these birds from above and below.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>The Patagonian ice cap is the third largest in the world (approx.. 18 000 km2<\/sup>) after Antarctica and Greenland.\u00a0 Split into the Northern and the Southern ice-fields, it is home to world famous glaciers, such as the San Rafael and O’Higgins, as well as the tremendous peaks of San Valentin \/ San Clemente (4, 058m – the highest in Chilean Patagonia).<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>The region\u2019s beautiful lakes such as the General Carrera and San Rafael Lagoon;\u00a0 the incredible cove of Tortel Harbour<\/a>, which is built upon stilts and raised wooden pathways;\u00a0 its jagged mountain peaks like Cerro Castillo, and the glacial fjords that carve up the entire Aysen region\u2026\u00a0 The fantastic panoramas of the region are a paradise for photographers.\u00a0 Here at Swoop we\u2019re forever blown away by returning customers and the memories that they\u2019ve captured with their cameras.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>The Rio Baker, in particular, is a spectacular and challenging place for rafting and kayaking.\u00a0 It\u2019s home to Class II and III rapids and can provide adventure for those of varying experience at different points along its course.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Finally, the Carretera stretches for about 1, 240 km (770 miles) from north to south.\u00a0 Traversing the Carretera takes you on a journey that begins by winding through the enormous Andes mountains to vast, deserted expanses of dramatic landscapes and wilderness.\u00a0 In such an environment, you can\u2019t help but wonder in awe about how big the world is and how small each of us really are\u2026<\/p>\n