Aysen

In the 1970s Chilean President Pinochet ordered a new road to connect up Southern Chile, a notoriously challenging environment of mountains, fjords, glaciers and rivers. It took 30 years to forge the 1,200km road which meanders through the most beautiful and secluded areas in Patagonia.

Now, the Carretera Austral is something of a phenomenon, attracting visitors from all over the world for the way it opens up this remote region. You'll pass by mountains for hiking, lush rainforests to explore, rivers for canoeing and white-water rafting, peaceful lakes for fishing, and you'll be driving through some of the best scenery in the region. This is the way to travel in Patagonia.

Not many people live in the isolated region of Aysen, but those that do are incredibly proud of their culture and roots. Rodeos are still held where you can watch gauchos show off their horsemanship, and we recommend to never pass up the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with the locals over a yerba mate, a tradition which goes back centuries.

Food and drink are incredibly important traditions here, Coyhaique is now one of the best places to dine in Patagonia, and the growing craft beer scene means you can sample a new beer on every night of your trip.

The untouched nature of the Aysen region means wildlife has flourished. Close to Coyhaique you can visit a condor nursery, where condors fly within metres of you. In the Chacabuco Valley, puma numbers are steadily increasing due to an abundance of guanacos, and in the Tamango area of the Patagonia National Park there is a higher density of the endangered huemul deer than almost anywhere in Patagonia.