Road trip on the Carretera Austral

The Carretera Austral in Chile was one of the highlights of our journey through Patagonia. The 1350 km long road leads through the most scenic places in the region, passing by numerous mountains, lakes, and national parks.

Tourism in this area is not well developed, making it difficult to find bus connections and accommodation. But that's exactly why the small villages are often so beautiful. We teamed up with another Frenchman and rented a pickup truck for a total of three days.

Since the construction of the road is mostly unfinished, we encountered gravel roads full of potholes. The roads themselves were an absolute adventure. Thanks to the large tires and four-wheel drive, our new vehicle mastered every section of the route with flying colors.

With a car, we had all the freedom in the world. We stopped at beautiful viewpoints, had picnics by the lake, and hiked through parks and forests whenever we felt like it. We visited small fishing villages and swam in the river to cool off on warm sunny days. In the evening, we parked by a river at sunset, only to wake up the next morning with a breathtaking view, greeted by the first rays of sunshine.

Our car was not just our means of transportation, it was also our dining and sleeping place, and our most loyal friend. The beautiful days passed far too quickly, until we had to return the red pickup truck to its starting point.