Outings and excursions · Puyuhuapi

Puyuhuapi in two days: hanging glacier, hot springs and a settlers' village

Photos: Develp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

A must-stop on the Carretera Austral: Queulat National Park, hot springs and the story of its founders.

Photo: Develp, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Puyuhuapi, at the head of a fjord on the Carretera Austral, is one of the loveliest stops on the road. Two days are enough for the essentials.

Day 1: the village and the hot springs

Founded in the 1930s by German-speaking immigrants from the Sudetenland, Puyuhuapi keeps its wooden houses and the story of its settlers. In the afternoon, the nearby hot springs are the best rest after the road.

Day 2: Queulat National Park

South of the village, Queulat National Park protects temperate rainforest and the famous Hanging Glacier, suspended over a cliff with waterfalls pouring down. Trails lead to lookouts and a lagoon facing the glacier.

Tips

Bring waterproof clothing: it rains a lot, which is why the forest is so green.
Check park and hot spring hours and fees.
Fill up with fuel when you can: stations are far apart on the Carretera Austral.