Aysen

Not many people live in the isolated region of Aysen, but those that do are proud of their culture - whether it be the horsemanship skills that they demonstrate at the numerous rodeos that take place, the sharing of a yerba de mate whilst exchanging pleasantries about friends and family, the delicious food that has made Coyhaique one of the best places in Patagonia to dine or the craft beer scene that has grown up in recent years, meaning you can sample a new beer on every night of your trip.

The sight of the glaciers of the northern ice cap easing their way down to Laguna General Carrera or into the fjords is immense. They can be explored with a combination of boats and on foot. In this area of the Andes you will likely go for days without seeing another soul. The Cerro Castillo range is a forbidding range with hanging glaciers and rocky pinnacles, and offers a fantastic 4-6 day trek. In all these areas you will see glaciated wilderness and very few people.

The Steppe is the dry area that spreads out from the Andes to the Atlantic. In Aysen the steppe is rugged, dry and a great place to experience Tehuelche cave paintings and wildlife. The area above Coyhaique, known as Alto Coyhaique or the Chacabuco Valley, are both wonderfully wild and beautiful and contrast completely with the glaciated valleys and forests to the west. Here you will see guanacos, nandu, condors and, if you're lucky enough, huemul deer or pumas.

Close to the coast the climate becomes wetter and you find yourself in humid rainforest and a great number of plants, dominated by the huge leaves of the nalca (rhubarb). The Queulat National Park has a series of day hikes that head off from the road into the forest and up to hanging glaciers. By boat you can explore the forests that descend into the fjords, whether it be the Queulat National park further south at Laguna San Rafael, where it is well worth camping overnight and spending a day in the forests around the glacier, listening to immense hunks of ice falling from one of Patagonia's most dynamic glaciers.

The untouched nature of the Aysen region makes it is a good place to see wildlife. Close to Coyhaique you can visit a condor nursery and have condors flying within metres of you. In the Chacabuco Valley you will be astounded by the number of guanacos which have, in turn, increased the number of pumas. In the Tamango area of the Patagonia National Park there is a higher dendity of huemul deer than most places in Patagonia.

Tourist infrastructure in Aysen is not very well developed. In Coyhaique there is a large range of places to stay but in other towns there may just be a homestay or basic hospedaje.