Travel guide · Northern Patagonia
Ferries, gravel and real travel times, step by step.
The route
The Carretera Austral links Puerto Montt with Villa O'Higgins over some 1,058 km of fjords, volcanoes, forests and lakes. According to Chile's Ministry of Public Works, as of April 2026 58% of it is paved and the rest is still gravel, with works under way. In the north the road is not continuous: you cross by ferry wherever the sea or the mountains cut it off.
Futaleufú is not on the route itself but 76 km off it, in the valley of the river of the same name. It is the best-known detour on the northern stretch, and the point where the Carretera Austral comes closest to Argentina.
By road and ferry
Route 7 along the Reloncaví Sound to the first ferry ramp.
Runs all day on a first-come, first-served basis, no booking needed. Pay on board.
A short paved stretch to the port of the bimodal route.
Two linked ferries through the Comau and Reñihue fjords, with 10 km of gravel between Leptepu and Fiordo Largo, sold as a single fare. With a vehicle, booking ahead is mandatory.
Through Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park.
Paved except for a few short gravel sections, along Lake Yelcho.
Leave Route 7 and head east on Route 231, through the Futaleufú and Espolón river valleys.
Other ways in
Overnight ferry
9 h
Naviera Austral sails from Angelmó almost every day, usually at 11 pm, stopping at Ayacara. You sleep on board and reach Chaitén in the morning with your car. There are also sailings from Castro and Quellón, on Chiloé, with schedules that change by season.
Light aircraft
approx. 45 min
Aerocord and Pewen fly from La Paloma airfield to Chaitén. Aerocord also runs charter flights to the Futaleufú airfield, 3 km from the lodge.
From Argentina
98 km
No need to take the Carretera Austral: from Esquel and Trevelin you cross at the Futaleufú Pass and arrive straight in the valley.
Before you go
On gravel you average 40–50 km/h. App travel times almost always fall short.
Tight bends, narrow stretches and little signage: plan to arrive before dark.
A 4x4 is not required, but good suspension, a sound spare tyre and patience with washboard are.
Build your itinerary around sailings, not the other way round. In January and February, book weeks ahead.
Shops, campsites and some ferries do not always take cards.
There are long stretches without mobile coverage between towns. Download maps before you leave and share your itinerary.
November to April. Outside that window ferries run less often and frost makes gravel harder. Uman Lodge is open from 7 November to 31 March.
From Futaleufú
A village founded by German settlers at the head of a fjord, with hot springs on the shore.
The Hanging Glacier, spilling over a rock wall, and the Queulat pass through temperate rainforest.
South of Coyhaique, one of the best-known high-mountain treks in Patagonia.
Marble caverns carved by Lake General Carrera, visited by boat from Puerto Río Tranquilo.
A village with no streets for cars, linked by cypress boardwalks near the mouth of the Baker River.
Common questions
Not exactly. Futaleufú is 76 km off Route 7: the turnoff is at Villa Santa Lucía, heading east on Route 231 toward the Argentine border.
A full day. With ferries and waiting times, allow 12 to 14 hours. Many travelers spend a night in Hornopirén or Chaitén.
Not the Caleta La Arena – Caleta Puelche crossing, which runs first-come, first-served. The Hornopirén – Caleta Gonzalo bimodal route and the Puerto Montt – Chaitén ferry do require booking, especially with a vehicle and in January and February, when spaces sell out weeks or months ahead.
It is not essential, but a high-clearance vehicle with good suspension is recommended. On gravel a reasonable speed is 40 to 50 km/h, so do not rely on map travel times.
Yes. There are flights from Puerto Montt (La Paloma airfield) to Chaitén with Aerocord or Pewen, and Aerocord charter flights to the Futaleufú airfield, 3 km from the lodge. There are also buses between Chaitén and Futaleufú.
Ferry schedules and fares change by season. Confirm them before you travel with Naviera Austral (ferries to Chaitén) and Somarco (bimodal route).
At the end of the detour
Uman Lodge sits above the confluence of the Espolón and Futaleufú rivers, a few minutes from town. After a day of gravel and ferries, it is a good place to stay a couple of nights before heading south to La Junta, Puyuhuapi and Queulat, or crossing into Argentina.
