San Rafael Glacier

A brief escape from Esquel to Chile

Esquel is a good departing point to visit San Rafael Glacier, one of the most beautiful places in Southern Patagonia, located at the Ice fields of Northern Patagonia (CHPN, Campos de Hielo de Patagonia Norte in Spanish). In this round trip journey to the glacier (partly by land and partly by boat) everything is worth seeing.

How to get there

From Esquel, one can cross to Chile through Futaleufú or Palena passes. Both have debris roads and they join near Villa Santa Lucía. One of the distinctive features of this stretch of the “Southern Road” (Carretera Austral in Spanish) is that it goes through the thick and charming Valdivian Forest, along a narrow and winding road, surrounded by thousands of huge nalcas.

Dozens of suspension bridges cross over the rivers and streams descending from the mountain. One passes near the hotel “Termas de Puyuhuapi”, an idyllic place, worth recommending. At night, one arrives at Aysen Port.

The excursions heading for San Rafael Lagoon depart from Chacabuco Port, situated 15 kilometers from Aysen. The boat leaves in the evening, it navigates through the lagoon the following day, returning to the port on the morning of the third day. More adventurous travelers get to the glacier to make the ascent of San Valentín Mount, which is behind the glacier.

The boats to the glacier depart from Chacabuco Port

After visiting the glacier, it is possible to continue the journey southwards, visiting other places of unique beauty. Cochrane is 400 kilometers away from Aysen Port, towards the South, going along the edge of General Carrera Lake, on Chilean territory. The first stretch of the road is made of asphalt but the last kilometers are full of bends, taking an hour to cover 30 kilometers.

Bordering the same lake, but in the North East direction, towards Argentina, one gets to Chile Chico, which is 200 kilometers away. But it takes at least six hours to cover this distance. One skirts the Carrera Lake (Chile), which holds the name “Buenos Aires Lake” on the Argentinean side, through a very narrow road. Once in Argentine territory, one can spend the night at Los Antiguos, Perito Moreno or “La Serena” ranch, a charming place by Buenos Aires Lake, owned by the Belgian colonists Michel and Geraldine de Decker. La Serena offers, among other services, excellent gastronomy.