Patagonia; even the name sounds somewhat mystical and full of promise. Early explorers to these parts thought the natives here to be giants, and they must have been to those small Spaniards. Patagonia evokes images of rough terrain, unspoiled nature, snowcapped peaks, crystal-clear lakes full of trout, and turbulent Class V whitewater rivers. A true Garden of Eden; a boundless paradise for nature lovers. Chilean Patagonia, or Zona Austral, is a generally wet place. The heavy rainfall on this side of the Andes makes that the countryside is heavily-forested, green, and lush; as opposed to the Argentinian side which is more steppe-like. We had been looking forward to start cycling this stretch for a long time, and it didn’t disappoint.

Another visitor joined us from back home for this stretch of the ride. Bart had flown in to meet us in Puerto Montt and to cycle with us the first few weeks down the famed 1,240 kilometer long Carretera Austral.

Waiting a few days for the skies to clear we rode out of Puerto Montt to Pargua; where the ferry would take us across the Chacao Strait to Chiloé Island.

Chiloé is famous for its many wooden churches. A unique example of Chilota architecture; they are a mix between European Jesuit culture and local skill. There are over two hundred elegant wooden churches on Chiloe, nine of which are protected as national monuments.

Fishing has always been a way of life for Chiloens; with family fish farms found everywhere along the coast. The island, although tiny, is nowadays one of the five most productive marine areas of the planet. But intensive aquaculture and cheap salmon production are starting to take their toll on the once-pristine waters.

Camping out on the beach one night in Manao we had a close call with the rising tide; the following night we camped higher up, in front of the church in Liliuco, where we were watched by a curious onlooker.

Due to abundant southern rains the island is covered in vegetation; wild flowers, wild myrtles, oak trees, hazlenut trees, pangue plants, ferns, and moss are all around.

Instead of following the Ruta 5 to its southern terminus at Quellón, which many people claim is also the official end of the PanAmerican Highway, we decided to ride along the Eastern coast on gravel roads.

Because of the indented coast line, with its deep natural harbors, the road continuously went up and down; forcing us to push our bicycles up the steep hills a lot.

Bicycle touring can be tiring work…

And after a long day of riding there’s nothing better then to relax in the tent for a little while…

which can make you feel like reborn!

After a few days enjoying Chiloé Island we arrived in Castro; the capital city. This town is famous for its palafitos, or stilt houses, erected on the water during the late 19th century. From Castro we take the ferry back to the Chilean mainland to start cycling the Carretera Austral at Chaitén.

During a few days in May 2008 the neighboring volcano erupted, covering the town in a thick layer of ash. This was followed a few days later by a massive flood, destroying what was left of Chaitén. Now it’s almost like a ghost town with an eery vibe.

We began riding under the shadow of the Chaitén volcano; which was still puffing out plumes of smoke.

Not far after Chaitén we arrive at El Amarillo; the southern edge of the famed Pumalin Park, Chile’s largest private nature reserve which includes the Michinmahuida volcano.

Here we have a chance encounter with Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face and ESPIRIT clothing companies, and owner of Pumalin Park. He is now dedicating his life to preserve the pristine wilderness in this part of the world.

Doug takes his time talking to us about the HidroAysén mega-project; a controversial infrastructure scheme to build hydroelectric dams on the Pascua and Baker Rivers, which run further south in the Aysen Region. If allowed to go ahead, roughly 15.000 acres of unique temperate forest will become flooded, and a 2.000 kilometer high-voltage power-line will be build connecting the source to its destination in the north.

Riding onwards, thinking about all this, we pass the Yelcho River; which is the outlet of Yelcho Lake and drains into the Gulf of Corcovado near Chaitén.

Not getting excited cycling in this beautiful environment is impossible…

When we pass Puerto Cardenas and the spectacular Yelcho Lake comes into full view…

Michiel just feels the need to jump off the bridge into the cold, crystal-clear water below.

After crossing over the Paso de Morrane we drop down into Villa Santa Lucia where we celebrate Bart’s 27th birthday by camping in someone’s backyard and eating at a local fast-food diner.

Riding further on the Austral we pass through small towns such as Villa Vanguardia and La Junta…

and we ride out of the Los Lagos region and into the sparsely populated Aisén region; marked by the confluence of the Rio Palena and the Rio Frio.

The first town we come across is Puyuhuapi; a German settlement from the 1930’s…

located on the shores of a beautiful, reflective bay.

Out of Puyuhuapi a long, hard day follows going through Quelat National Park and across the Cuesta de Quelat with its twenty steep hairpin turns. We find our sanctuary at the Las Torres lake where we try our hand at fishing for trout.

Unsuccessful in fishing we slept very peacefully that night; with heavy rains raging outside we were fortunately in one of the concrete cabins…

Which made riding the following day nice and relaxed. We were surrounded by steep cliffs where you could see condors soaring high in the clear skies above.

With the land leveling out it was a quick ride the final day, going through green pastures until…

after almost two weeks since Puerto Montt we arrived in Coyhaique and said goodbye again to Bart.