In this remote region separated by ferries, ox trails and roads that wash out in the blink of a storm, old folks still call a ferry ride to Puerto Montt ‘going to Chile’. And it isn’t hard to see why. For a century, Northern Patagonia has been the most rugged and remote part of continental Chile, where scant pioneers quietly set forth a Wild West existence. While life here may be tough for its residents, it doesn’t lack for scenery. Exuberant rainforest, scrubby steppe and unclimbed peaks crowd the horizon, but the essence of this place is water, from the clear cascading rivers to the turquoise lakes, massive glaciers and labyrinthine fjords. Southbound visitors often bypass Northern Patagonia on a sprint to Torres del Paine, but its backcountry treasures are pay dirt to the adventurous traveler.
An oft-neglected provincial backwater, Northern Patagonia has retained its pristine state only to face an onslaught of industrialization. Chile’s high-stakes salmon farming industry is looking to expand here. But the biggest threat to the region, which even environmentalists and the salmon industry can agree on, are proposals for a dozen hydroelectric dams on major waterways, including Río Baker, Chile’s highest flowing river. Developing the projects would require creating the longest transmission lines in the world. On one hand, Chile sees itself in an energy crunch without the dams. But the proposals herald sad tidings for the great Patagonian wilderness.It may be wise to see Northern Patagonia while you can. With a few ferry interruptions, the gravel Carretera Austral rumbles from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins, some 1200km south. This section runs north to south, from Hornopirén to Villa O’Higgins.
