December 3rd 2024 – Coyhaique, Chile

It is that time of year again.
Rafael, our host in Valdivia, turned out to be as crazy about Christmas as Katrine. He spent hours decorating the house during our stay while humming to Christmas bangers. No one paid me any attention when I pointed out that it wasn’t December yet.

Valdivia had been a great place to spend a few days but when a window of good weather appeared we were ready to move on.
We left town under a dramatic cover of low hanging clouds.

Taught from earlier experience we stayed clear of Hwy 5 as much as possible.
Patches of blue sky appeared during the morning as we made our way inland. Even with the sun out we needed the occasional coffee break to stay warm.
It had been the plan to camp for a few nights. The temperatures and occasional spots of rain made us reconsider. We enjoy camping but only when the conditions are right (dry weather and moderate temperatures). At lunchtime we decided to postpone camping and find a proper bed for the night. After 5 minutes on Google maps and Whatsapp I had booked a place for us further down the coast.

In the afternoon the riding went from great to spectacular on road V-69 along the fjord Reloncaví Estuary. The road surface alternated between asphalt and gravel seasoned with dirt/mud sections where heavy machinery had churned up the road. A few times we had to wait a bit at roadblocks due to roadwork or blastings.

It was getting late in the afternoon when we finally connected with the famous Carretera Austral and shortly after we arrived in Hornopirén where I had booked a room. It was a simple homestay with a very nice family. A private room was about the same price as camping would have been.

Just down the road we found a place that served delicious burgers for dinner.
While waiting for the food we started looking into the route for the following day. It was only then that we learned that we would need to get on a ferry, leaving from Hornopirén where we currently were, to continue south on the Carretera Austral.
A quick google search served us the following information:

  1. You should book your tickets well in advance if you want to bring a vehicle – motorcycles included.
  2. The ferry sails from Hornopirén to Galeta Gonzalo twice a day: 10 am and 6 pm.
  3. The crossing takes at least around 5 hours.
  4. When you get to Galeta Gonzalo there is a 57 km ride on dirt roads through a national park to reach any kind of accommodation.
  5. There were no 10 am tickets available for the next couple of days and only very few for the days after that.

What to do?
I didn’t feel like staying put right after several days off the bikes in Valdivia.
Taking the 6 pm ferry seemed like a really bad idea. It would mean that we would miss the views during the latter part of the crossing followed by a long dirt ride in the cold and the dark that could easily last until well after midnight.
We could try our luck and just show up at the ferry in the morning hoping for the best. But if we couldn’t get aboard, we would stand there with packed bikes and nowhere to go.
There were no alternatives to the ferry if we wanted to do the Carretera Austral and skipping it would involve a huge detour back north and days of less interesting riding on Ruta 40 in Argentina.

An evening walk through town, down to the ferry ramp and the closed ticket office, didn’t bring us closer to a decision. A talk with some local riders by the waterfront confirmed that we needed a booking for the bikes. I was frustrated as we walked back and snapped at Katrine which didn’t help the situation.

Back at the house we continued to weigh our options in the living room by the pleasantly warm wood stove – relishing that we were not camping.
Eventually we realized that the only viable option was to book tickets for the first available 10 am crossing and take it from there. It was now Thursday night and we got the last available Sunday tickets.

In the morning we walked down to the ticket office to see if they could move our departure forward. No problem. 2 minutes later we walked out with tickets for 10 am the following morning. With that sorted we focused on getting the most out of our day in Hornopirén. It was a charming little town with a scenic setting.

Several other motorcycles joined us at the ferry ramp Saturday morning. Boarding went smoothly. It seemed like there was plenty of room for bikes, even on a sold out departure.

There was a great atmosphere on the ferry. The staff was friendly and most of the passengers in vacation mode. We had conversations with various people during the crossing.

We shared a table with 2 siblings from central Chile. They had just started a month-long road trip in a car with their respective partners on the Carretera Austral. They treated us with cherries and coffee while we talked.
Initially we sailed through the fjords beneath low-hanging clouds. It gradually cleared up. Around noon patches of blue sky appeared. I often went outside to take in the stunning views.

On one of my outings I scratched a dog behind the ear. At the other end of the leash there was a Dutch guy.
They had been traveling non stop for 4 years in a big overlander rig. He told me that he experienced the Chilean people as very reserved which made him feel isolated in the country. He mentioned that his lacking Spanish skills probably didn’t help. He seemed pretty miserable. He was looking at his phone during most of our conversation and never took his sunglasses off. I’m not sure he even noticed when I left to join Katrine and the talkative Chileans on tour. He was a good example that you get what you give.

After 3 ½ hours everyone disembarked at Leptepu. There was nothing there but the ferry ramp. Only 1 road leaves Leptepu. It travels 11 km to reach Fiordo Largo, which is also just a ferry ramp, on the other side of the peninsula.
Cyclists were released first, then trucks and buses, followed by the cars and finally the motorcycles. A handful of guys on big GSs were busy overtaking everyone else in fits and starts on the narrow twisty road. It was difficult to see the point..?
It was an easy ride across the peninsula for everyone except the bicycle travelers. A guy in a truck had been kind enough to take all of their luggage between the ferries. But they still only had around 20 minutes to cover 11 kilometers. They were working hard when we passed them.
At Fiordo Largo we all lined up again. The motorcycles were allowed to board the ferry last. The last bicycle, ridden by the only girl in the group, arrived just as the last motorcycle rolled aboard. She was completely shattered and just collapsed on the car deck as the ferry pulled away from land.

The second ferry ride only took about 30 minutes and delivered us at Caleta Gonzalo. This time the motorcycles were leased first. The same group of GS riders that had been in a hurry between the ferries took off like bats out of hell again. This time Katrine and I followed them. We soon let them pull away to get out of their dust, but kept a pace that allowed us to stay in front of everyone else on the dusty gravel road. When the road, after almost 40 kilometers, turned to smooth blacktop, Katrine excitedly exclaimed that she had never before ridden that fast on gravel.

A Cabaña was waiting for us in downtown Chaitén. I had found the place on Google maps and called the owner the previous day to make a reservation. It was expensive like every other accommodation in Chaitén, but significantly less so than anything I had found on Booking and Airbnb. For the price we got a charmingly decorated, fully equipped cabin with central heating and covered parking for the bikes.
We met several other passengers from the ferry as we went for a walk through town. Some of them were obviously hunting for a place to stay. The town is one of the few places you can get under a roof on this section of Carretera Austral.
We spent a cozy evening at home with the rain hammering down on the roof of our little cabin.

The morning sun reflected off the many puddles left by heavy rain all through the night. We took our time in the pleasantly warm confines of our cabin while waiting for the temperatures to rise and the roads to dry a little.

We hit the road wearing our warmest outfits. Combined with heated grips it was almost enough to stave off the cold. Being a bit cold was a small price to pay for what we had in store. Carretera Austral delivered bigtime! The road conditions and scenery changed constantly. There was never a dull moment.
Katrine remarked at the end of the day’s ride that it was almost incomprehensible that so much beauty could be squeezed into just one day.

Another homestay was lined up for us in Coyhaique. Our host was out when we arrived, but had left a key and a lit wood stove for us. We settled in and prepared dinner while soaking up the warmth. With a 360° mountain view and the bikes parked under a roof just outside our bedroom window we really couldn’t ask for anything more.