Chile: The Carretera Austral: A Guide to One of the World's Most Scenic Road Trips

by Hugh Sinclair, Warren Houlbrooke, Douglas Tompkins (Foreword by)

Overview

This new, thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt's Chile: the Carretera Austral is written by resident expert Hugh Sinclair and remains a unique guide to this stunning and remote part of the world, complete with information which in some instances has taken over a decade of experience to compile. This is the only guidebook focussed entirely on the magnificent and historic road uniting northern and southern Patagonia. The few hardy travellers that embark on this journey struggle to find even basic information about the region. The book provides visitors to the often-visited Bariloche and Chilean Lake District with a spectacular alternative means to reach the southern extremes of Patagonia.
Completing three entirely new traverses of the Carretera Austral and speaking to countless visitors encountered along the way, the authors have updated the guide comprehensively while offering an expanded suggested itineraries section to aid in planning. Meanwhile increased focus on conservation is helping to preserve the region's pristine beauty.
Packed with everything you need for a successful trip, from practical advice such as accommodation and eating options en-route to history, culture, trekking and rafting, new features and information include the Route of the Parks, details of new ferry services, coverage of islands previously not included, an expanded section on micro-breweries, new maps and further details on parks and reserves.
Increasingly established as one of the definitive road-trips worldwide, the Carretera Austral continues to evolve, firmly placing it as the definitive means to travel between northern Patagonia and the deep south. Bradt's Carretera Austral offers everything you need to plan and complete a successful trip from the high Andes to the remote Pacific coast.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784770037
Publisher:	Bradt Publications UK
Publication date:	02/07/2016
Series:	Bradt Travel Guide
Edition description:	1st edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 5.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Hugh Sinclair lives in Bariloche (Argentina) with his Dutch wife and two daughters. He is an author, economist, former investment banker, and has worked in the development finance sector for the last two decades. In 2001 he successfully established the Guinness World Record for the fastest traverse of the Americas (Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina) by motorbike, fully sponsored and raising money for UK charity Action Aid. He has traversed the entire Carretera Austral fifteen times, by car and motorbike, including one trip with his heavily pregnant wife, and three trips with his eldest daughter, now aged 9, and a contributor to the ‘travelling with kids' section.
This edition has been updated with the help of Edward Menard, a gap year student who was looking to do something exciting and innovative before starting his degree at UCL when he became involved with the Carretera Austral. With family in Bariloche and a love of the great outdoors, and unburdened by jobs and studies, he became an obsessive Carretera expert and spent days wondering about why huemuls are dying out and buses don't ever arrive when expected, hoping that such insights may help others to explore this glorious region. Based in the south of England, he speaks Spanish and German.

Table of Contents

PART 1 GENERAL INFORMATIONChapter 1 Background InformationGeography, Climate, Natural history & conservation, History of the Carretera Austral – an overview, Government & politics, Economy, People & culture, LanguageChapter 2 Practical InformationWhen to visit, Highlights, , Tour operators, Tourist information, Red tape, Embassies, Getting there and away, Health, Safety and hassles, What to take, Money & Budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating & drinking, Public holidays, Shopping, Activities along the Carretera Austral, Photography, Communications, Cultural etiquetteChapter 3 Suggested ItinerariesOverview of travelling in Patagonia, The bridge connecting northern and southern Patagonia, The Carretera Austral as part of a broader tour of Patagonia, The classic route, The northern Carretera, The southern Carretera PART 2 THE NORTHERN CARRETERA AUSTRAL Chapter 3 Puerto MonttHistory, Getting there and around, Tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment & nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, What to see and doChapter 4 Puerto Montt to Villa Santa LucíaTowards Hornopirén, Hornopirén, Parque Nacional Hornopirén, Towards Chaitén, Chaitén, Parque Pumalín, El Amarillo to Villa Santa Lucía PART 3 THE CLASSIC ROUTE Chapter 5 Futaleufú to La JuntaFutaleufú, Palena – a detour, Puerto Ramírez, La Junta and around, Raúl Marín Balmaceda – a detour, Lago Verde – a detour Chapter 6 La Junta to Puyuhuapi and CisnesPuyuhuapi, Puerto Cisnes – a detour, Villa Amengual and a detour to Paso Río Frías-ApelegChapter 7 Puerto Aysén and ChacabucoMañihuales and around, Puerto Aysén/Puerto Chacabuco, Reserva Nacional Río SimpsonChapter 8 CoyhaiqueHistory, Getting there, Tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, Sightseeing and excursions Chapter 9 South of Coyhaique: to Cruce El Maitén via Lago General CarreraLakes south of Coyhaique, Balmaceda – exiting the Carretera Austral, Puerto Ibáñez – a detour, Cerro Castillo, Bahía Murta and Puerto Sánchez – a detour, Puerto Río Tranquilo, Cruce El Maitén, Chile Chico – a detour PART 4 THE SOUTHERN CARRETERA AUSTRAL Chapter 10 The Deep South: Cruce El Maitén to Caleta TortelPuerto Bertrand, Parque Patagonia, Cochrane, Caleta Tortel – a detour Chapter 11 Exiting/Entering the Carretera Austral: Villa O’Higgins and beyondVilla O’Higgins and around, Crossing into ArgentinaChapter 12 The Islands AppendicesLanguage Further info Index