Patagonia and Altiplano Expedition | #38 – Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda

I’ve read many enthusiastic reports about Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda, a small village located at a fjord west of La Junta. Although I have been driving this section of the Carretera Austral twice in the past I never had enough time to do the side trip to Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda. Finally, it was time to explore this remote place.

(Editor’s note: We were in Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda in March 2023.)

From Puerto Puyuhuapi it’s a short 45 km drive along the Carretera Austral to the junction at La Junta.

From La Junta we took the X-12, which follows the Rio Palena for the next 75 km before it finally reaches Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda.

It’s a small gravel road in relatively good condition that leads through a stunning landscape with beautiful forests, ferns, waterfalls, and small ponds.

65 km after the junction we reached a small ferry across the Rio Palena. To get to Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda you have to take this ferry. It runs from 8:30 am to 1 pm and between 4 pm and 9 pm, although the schedule varies according to the season. Prior reservations of the ferry are neither required nor possible. Due to the long way, the necessary ferry ride and the long afternoon break of the ferry a day trip to Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda from the Carretera Austral makes in my opinion no sense. You should spend at least one night there, better two.

The ferry ride just takes 10 minutes and doesn’t cost anything.

On the other side of the Rio Palena, the road continues through an impressive landscape with countless orange flowers and beautiful birds in the trees (bird image shot by Linnéa).

Just before sunset, we reached the small village, where we had rented a cabin for two nights.

It’s recommended to bring at least some food since there are only two small restaurants in the village, which are often closed, and no supermarkets or larger stores.

On the next day, we explored the small peninsula. The following map shows the available trails (source: http://puertoraulmarin.cl/).

First, we walked the short Sendero Sector Mallín which takes about 1 hour and leads to a beautiful beach southeast of the village.

From there and the nearby Muelle we were able to watch some dolphins playing in the fjord.

Next, we explored a short 4×4 track that starts northeast of the village and leads to Punta Frutillar at the northern end of the peninsula.

It should only be used by 4×4 vehicles due to the soft sand along the track.

In addition, there were some deeper water crossings.

From the end of the track, we hiked for about an hour along the sandy beaches on the west coast of the peninsula.

It’s a lovely place and we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere there.

We were completely alone on all the trails during our stay. Compared to the Queulat National Park this place is still a hidden gem and I hope it will stay like this. The fact that it takes some time and effort to get there will probably help.

Next, we explored the Sendero Chucao for about one hour. It starts at the northern end of the village and leads through a stunning dense rainforest.

Our last hike on that day was the Sendero Arrayanes. Sadly we were running out of time and it was already getting dark. Therefore we could only briefly explore this lovely trail.

The next morning we left Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda very early before sunrise to catch the first ferry of that day.

The early morning atmosphere at the Rio Palena was very special.

Since the weather was great on that morning we took some drone shots of the beautiful landscape surrounding Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda on our way back to La Junta.

Several photography stops later, we were back at the Carretera Austral.

The side trip to Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda can be highly recommended. It’s indeed a very special place and worth the time and effort to get there.