Independent Travel
Arriving in Chile and heading south
Santiago airport (SCL) is located a few kms out of town in the Pudahuel
area of Santiago. Arrivals, immigration and aduana / customs are all on
the ground floor. The second floor has restaurants, post office, telephones,
etc. and the third floor has departures, restaurants, immigration control
and waiting lounges for those taking national flights.
All check-in desks are on the third floor, the greater part of them being
Lan Chile, head for the national flight desks situated towards the right
hand end as you look at the desks. Your connecting tickets (booked through
Patagonia Adventure Expeditions) are electronic, you just need to show
your passport to check in. It is advisable to check in at least 1 hour
before your flight leaves.
National flights are with Lan Chile, Chile`s leading air line. They operate
3 flights a day so there is plenty of flexibility and they connect well
with international flights between Chile, Europe and North America. Lan
Chile is part of the One World alliance.
If you choose to arrive or leave independently the following information
may help. One of the finest characteristics of Patagonia is that it is
relatively inaccessible and not that easy to travel around in. This is
one of the reasons we choose to live here, it is not a place where half
the world is going to turn up, we can pretty much guarantee not meeting
any other groups on the trail. The down side is that travellers can easily
be put off by distances, costs and the lack of information. So. . . this
information should make it easier for you.
Any of these services can be arranged and booked through our offices.
We charge a straight US $50 to make any additional bookings for clients
on our expeditions or US $100 for non-expedition clients. Payment for
services can either be made direct to the provider or through our offices.
Santiago
In Santiago we can arrange to have you met at the airport, reserve hotels
and arrange a series of activities. Museum tours, Valparaiso visit, winery
tours and more obscure, less travelled routes within the city: The “73
Coup” tour for example which visits some of the key historical locations
of the 1973 military coup and subsequent dictatorship. The alternative
culture tour which visits the markets, cafes and meeting places of the
urban market workers, the kind of experience you can`t get on your own.
Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt is the hopping off point for getting into Patagonia. All
hotel reservations can be made through our office. Details on getting
there and back and beyond are included in the following notes.
Overland
There are excellent and regular buses between Santiago and just about
every other town in Chile. Most of the buses that travel more than 6 hours
leave in the evening to arrive by 09.00 the next day. However, to get
to Coyhaique the bus route goes from Santiago to Osorno then crosses into
Argentina and heads south through Bariloche to Rio Mayo and then to Coyhaique
(aproximately 36 hours). For connecting to sea travel south you need to
take an overnight bus from Santiago to Puerto Montt ( 14 – 16 hours
). Buses in Santiago leave from the main terminal on the Alameda (Avenida
O`Higgins) or passenger pick up points in Providencia. Most recommended
service is TURBUS. Check out their web site for details and prices.
By sea
There are regular car ferries between Puerto Montt and Puerto Chacabuco.
Coyhaique, the starting point of most of our expeditions is a 1 hour drive
with regular bus and taxi service from the Chacabuco port. The car ferry
typically takes 24 hours, generally leaves late and has a vague schedule.
The company is Navimag – get in touch with us closer to your travel
dates if you need updated schedules or reservations.
From Puerto Montt there is also a car ferry to Chaiten (not Chalten!),
a 10 hour trip. From Chaiten you follow the northern section of the Southern
Highway (Carretera Austral) through the towns of La Junta, Puyuhuapi and
Parque Nacional Queulat. The drive is best split over 2 days and a great
3rd day to add is a diversion to Futaleufu – rafting and kayaking
meca for whitewater enthusiasts.
A passenger only ferry operates between Puerto Montt and Puerto Chacabuco,
a 10 hour journey. This also stops in Chaiten so you could combine this
fast, comfortable boat trip along the fiords with a road trip along the
Carretera Austral either by van with a driver / guide or in a rented car.
Car Hire
We arrange for the hire of cars, mostly double cab
pick up trucks or 4x4 vehicles. Rates are variable but typically start
at around US $75 per day. Dropping off rental cars in other towns is expensive.
Travelling On
A curious geographical logic seems to drive most visitors south from Aysen
into either Argentina or the Magallanes Region. In either case if the
journey is made overland then it is necessary to go into Argentina. South
of Coyhaique there are border crossings at Puerto Ibañez on the
north shore of Lago General Carrera, at Chile Chico on the south shore
of the lake, at Roballos – just north of Cochrane and then from
Villa O`Higgins which requires crossing Lago O`Higgins and walking to
the border and Laguna del Desierto before meeting a vehicle for the drive
into Chalten. This is a beautiful and spectacular route which leaves you
in the heart of one of the worlds most spectacular mountain areas –
Fitzroy.
To the East of Coyhaique there are two principle crossings: Coyhaique
Alto and Balmaceda, both of which hook up with the Ruta 40 in Argentina
and the towns of Rio Mayo and Perito Moreno. North of Coyhaique there
are crossings from La Tapera, Lago Verde, Palena and Futaleufu, all of
these also eventually link with the ruta 40.
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Note:
Please ask for further details on these services if you require them.
The more detail you are able to provide such as dates, numbers of clients,
your intended route and type of travel and lodging you require, the
better we will be able to make suggestions and give you an accurate
budget.
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