Our next destination was Puerto Puyuhuapi. From Coyhaique it’s a 230 km drive along the Carretera Austral to get there. The main reason to visit Puyuhuapi is the Parque Nacional Quelat. But it’s not the only reason.
(Editor’s note: We were in Puerto Puyuhuapi in March 2023.)
Puerto Puyuhuapi
At the end of the day, we reached the small village of Puyuhuapi, located perfectly at the end of a spectacular fjord.
We had booked a small cabin in Puerto Puyuhuapi for three nights.
The village was founded in 1935 by German settlers. Some traces of this history can still be found. But compared to my last visit 10 years ago Puyuhuapi now feels more Chilean. I can’t really say which version of Puyuhuapi I liked better. It still has some kind of special atmosphere. Not as special as Caleta Tortel but it is very different from the average small village in Patagonia.
Parque Nacional Queulat
Puyuhuapi is surrounded by the Queulat National Park. The characteristic feature of this national park is the vast Valdivian temperate rainforest. If you follow this blog for a longer time you probably know that I absolutely love temperate rainforests and have visited them all over the world.
Sadly, one of my favorite trails in the Queulat National Park, the Sendero Bosque Encantado was closed during our visit. But there are a couple of other very nice trails in the National Park which we visited during the two days.
Salto Padre García
My favorite waterfall in the Queulat National Park is the Salto Padre García. The trail to get there from the parking lot is very short and takes less than 30 minutes.
In addition to the stunning waterfall, surrounded by countless shades of green, the vegetation along the short trail is also very beautiful.
Salto El Cóndor
Another beautiful waterfall in the Queulat National Park next to the Carretera Austral is the Salto El Cóndor.
Ventisquero Colgante
The most famous highlight of the Queulat National Park is the Ventisquero Colgante, also known as the hanging glacier. Contrary to the other trails in the National Park you have to pay an entrance fee (of 9€ per person) to get there and also have to make an online reservation in advance. If you drive a larger truck or a large RV it’s important to know that you won’t be able to drive into this area of the park. You either have to walk, hitchhike, or take a taxi to get to the parking lot and starting point of the trails. The largest vehicles that were accepted were vans of the size of a Mercedes Sprinter.
There are a couple of trails in this sector of the park. The short Mirador Panorámico Trail leads in 10 minutes to a lookout point, with views of the hanging glacier. The longer Mirador del Ventisquero Trail takes about 2 hours (out and back) and leads to another viewpoint of the hanging glacier.
The Laguna Témpanos Trail leads in about 20 minutes to the lake below the Ventisquero Colgante. This trail passes through a spectacular and dense temperate rainforest.
The trees were often covered with lichens.
And the forest is full of mosses and ferns.
About 20 minutes later we reached the Laguna Los Témpanos.
From the shore of the lake, you have one of the best views of the spectacular Ventisquero Colgante.
We decided to do a boat trip across the Laguna Los Témpanos (for 12€ per person).
The weather was perfect (which is extremely rare in this location) and we thoroughly enjoyed the one-hour boat excursion.
Most of the time, the boat travels very close to the shore offering views of hidden small waterfalls, rock formations, and beautiful vegetation.
Puyuhuapi and the Parque Nacional Queulat are definitely worth a stop, especially if you love temperate rainforests. Just be prepared for a lot of rain. It’s one of the wettest places on earth. There is a reason for the countless shades of green and hundreds of waterfalls.
Wild Places 
Congratulations to the blue sky during your boat trip and the spots of sunshine on the glacier – I have passed Puyuhuapi three times, in my memory the rainiest place along the Carretera. But good for waterfalls …..
Indeed, it is one of the wettest places of the world.
Hello Boris,
thank you for your latest post, which as always contains beautiful photos and lots of interesting information. It was a big surprise for me to learn that you now have to register online for the Ventisquero Colgante! Can this be done on the same day, or is there a maximum number of visitors that might already be exhausted?
And do you have to pay the entrance fee every day, even if you want to come back the next day only for a very short time?
Kind regards and my very best wishes for the New Year, Brigitte
Hello Brigitte,
thanks for your comment. The registration can be done on the same day but it is not recommended since the number of visitors is limited. We did it two days before our visit and had no problems. Of course it also depends on the season. In January it could be more difficult than in March.
I think if you want to return the next day you would have to pay again. But I’m not 100% sure.
Wie Gemälde, die Bilder vom Ufer der Lagune!
Danke Malte!
So gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for commenting!