A high level summary:

• The majority of camping grounds were open, however bear in mind some close for the season around the start of May. We had no issues wild camping.
• 3 weeks is the perfect amount of time to travel from Punta Arenas to Puerto Varas, moving at a steady pace but still having time to stop and enjoy time in the national parks.
• The X Wing was super comfortable, the basically brand new Toyota Hi-lux was a great vehicle with all the necessary gadgets and the 4WD came in handy multiple times, the fuel economy is roughly 12l/100km of diesel. The camper was space efficient, with the comfiest bed and had all the required necessities to live out of it for 3 weeks easily.
• The national parks were open but after May, some required guides to do specific hikes due to the weather, including Torres del Paine and Cerro Castillo.
• The weather was generally (location dependant) bright in the day, cold of an evening and sometimes cloudy and unpredictable towards the middle of May. We found that being closer to the water and lakes increased the chance of rain, but we got lucky for the most part.
• The diesel heater and additional duvet were very handy and definitely needed for the Autumn travel.
• Travelling in Autumn, the landscape was beautiful with all the different colours of trees.
• It was also less busy in Autumn, which made it easier to be more spontaneous, with less people on roads, camps (wild and paid) and hiking trails, which made the whole experience so much more special. We felt like it was the best time to do the trip.
• In total we drove circa 4000km across the 3 weeks, with some days not driving at all and the most we drove in a day was around 8 hours.
• All the names of the wild camping spots are denoted in speech marks (“”) and as found on the iOverlander 2 app, which was very helpful especially as it works offline. If you are using the free App and visiting both Chile and Argentina you will have to delete and redownload the different countries or have them each downloaded on different phones.
• Whilst the majority of places accepted card there were some remote locations where cash was needed. We would recommend having at least a minimum of $100 US of each currency (CLP and ARG) for emergencies or to get better prices.
• You can see our whole route, including points of interest, camping spots and petrol stations here: https://trips.furkot.com/share/RV2rSg

Please continue reading for our day by day itinerary, which includes the routes we took, points of interest, where we camped and our recommendations.

Day 0 – 21/04/25 – The Idea

• We enquired about the booking, saw the camper in Punta Arenas and agreed to rent the camper the day before we planned to start our journey, a very spontaneous decision. But when you see it in person and with the responsive communication from Pedro we knew that this was the right company and camper that we wanted to travel with.

Day 1 – 22/04/25 – The Beginning – PA (Punta Arenas) to TDP (Torres Del Paine)

• • We picked up the truck around 11AM, from Yoer (affiliate of Camper World) and Jose showed us everything, pump, heater, battery, water refill, waste, gas, diesel, fridge, he even got the hot water shower out on the side of the road and connected it up, I’m glad he left the demonstration of the toilet out though. He provided an amazing service (photo).
  • We done our cleanliness and damage inspection and the only thing was a couple of scratches, a small crack in the windscreen and a few utensils needed to be replaced.
  • We paid for the truck with no issues alongside the security deposit both via Credit Card.
  • They brought us another duvet as requested, gave me the contract and off we went to pick up our bags.
  • Our Argentinian Permits had arrived just as we left and we were told that it was record timing as we’d only submitted our documents to CamperWorld that same morning.
  • Inside the camper there was tons of space and all our supplies fitted and were packed away neatly.
  • We head back to Yoer to pick up the printed off permits and then we left Punta Arenas around 14:30.
  • The drive was fine, the truck is sturdy but I found on the first drive a little jittery at points when the wind picks up as it was blowing the top section and for me to get used to the camper. I need to be considerate to take it at a steady pace, and also to be conservative with diesel (average consumption is around 12l/100km).
  • The car was fully equipped with Bluetooth, apple air play and a separate portable speaker so it was easy to navigate, play tunes and listen to our audiobook.
  • The road from PA to PN (Puerto Natales) was pretty bare, a few hills but mostly flat land, with cows and we saw a few Guanaco. (See vid).
  • A few hours later we get to PN, top up on diesel as well be heading into TDP national park for the next few days, (we highly recommend doing this to save you coming back to PN after the park).
  • About 1.5 hours later down a semi dirt road we arrived at the Acceso Serrano (southern gate) around 8PM, a fair bit later than planned and after the proposed 6PM closing time, we found a place to wild camp outside using the iOverlander 2 App, (the app was really helpful as there’s no signal round here.)
  • The views along the way during sunset were amazing (see photos).
  • I said to Laura that with the truck I feel like I could travel around the whole world.

• We wild camped overnight outside Serrano gate (Acesso Serrano) ”Next to main road with amazing view” $0.

Day 2 – 23/04/25 TDP – Mirador Las Torres and Lake Pehoe

• • We arrived to the gate before sunrise and once they’d opened, they said we were only allowed the remaining two of the three day pass that we’d booked as I had booked the entrance for Tuesday and it was now Wednesday. You may want to ensure the day your pass starts will be the day you arrive.
  • We drove all the way through the park as the sun rose, stopping at the mirador viewpoints to take photos of the beautiful sunrise hitting the mountains from different views along the way (photos/videos).
  • The road was bumpy and the truck handled the hilly trails well, but somehow loads of dust got inside the back.
  • The Mirador Torres trail was lovely, the weather as forecasted cloudy, overcast with a light drizzle of rain. The path was nice, but quite busy and we felt there were still lots of people for this time of year, it must be so busy in Summer and one of the most popular treks in the park. The last section was steep, I would recommend checking out more information on a page like AllTrails. (Circa 20-22km distance, 1km Elevation, 5:30 hours + time at the top)
  • It was too cold to use the outdoor water heater and as there is no wild camping allowed in TDP, we agreed to stay overnight at Camping Pehoe (roughly 45 minute drive back the way we had come in).
  • We arrived next to Lago Pehoe, the campsite was nice. A hot shower and pasta dinner picked us both up before meeting Julian from Costa Rica who gave me some tips for Calafete and El Chalten our next stops along the way.

• Stayed at Camping Pehoe which was $18,000CLP per person but negotiated to $20000CLP all in for one night as it’s not busy.

Day 3 – 24/04/25 – Crossing into Argentina and towards El Calafete

• • We woke up and decided to hike up condor viewpoint for sunrise from Camping Pehoe, it was a 45 minute hike up hill and the sunrise was around 8:30/8:50, so it wasn’t too early. (Photo)
  • After a lovely hike, breakfast and a hot shower we set off.
  • In TDP they were undertaking lots of roadworks and after waiting 10-15 minutes for a road to be opened up we were let through. The 4WD came in handy as we drove through the national park.
  • We were heading to visit the Los Cuervos viewpoint on the way towards the main entrance, but the weather took a turn for the worse so we decided to set off on our journey rather than the viewpoint.
  • On the way out of TDP we picked up a hitchhiker who worked at one of the local hotels and dropped her off at Cerro Castillo before attempting to cross the border there.
  • We drove and parked up at the Cerro Castillo border and with our broken Spanish got our passports stamped to leave Chile, we were just about to be let through customs (aduana) but when providing the documents for our Argentinian permit it came to light that we had the wrong documents for a completely different car. Fortunately we had the electric copy on my phone with the correct dates and vehicle and today the border crossing guy was feeling helpful as he printed them out for us and saved us driving back to Puerto Natales. (We were very grateful for this man and this is a reminder for you to check that your documents are the correct for you and your vehicle (dates, vehicle registration etc.)
  • Once we’d crossed the Argentinian border it was time for Laura to get behind the wheel of the truck. She got to grips with driving on the opposite side to which we normally drive on a bumpy dirt road as we were welcomed into Argentina.
  • We switched back over as we got to the main road. I drove onwards and at a dirt road shortcut we were going to take I asked the police if we should go that way which was when they advised us it’s better to head to Esperenza. We were also conscious of how much fuel we would have and knew there was a petrol station in Esperanza.
  • It was a beautiful drive down to El Calafete, but a long journey for a late start.
  • El Calafete was a small town and we couldn’t decide to park up in town or outside we found a place to camp on the way to Perito Moreno Glacier at Estancia Alice on a small beach by the riverside, it was very windy and we thought the truck was going to blow over, so we moved so that we were near a bank and more protected. If the weather is nice this place could be good but not ideal in the wind.

• We wild camped “Next to Rio Centinela” -50.352702224674,-72.5067945756693 $0

Day 4 – 25/04/25 Perito Moreno Glaciar

• • We were woken up by the sound of vehicles heading towards Perito Moreno glacier so quickly and left our wild camping spot. We bought the Los Glaciers flexi-pass (3 days for the price of 2) to get entry to the glacier and it also works at El Chalten too and then we drove the hour journey to the glacier.
  • We parked at the upper car park and got there around 9:30AM before all the tour buses arrived.
  • The view of the glacier was super cool, it was so good seeing the gigantic ice sheet and hearing the noise they make and the big thud and vibration when they were calving. (Photos and videos)
  • Against popular knowledge I don’t think that the glacier is advancing anymore and I looked into it and it seems that of recent (the last year or so) it’s started to shrink on the northern front due to global warming.
  • We walked the top (orange route) taking lots of pictures as the sun was rising before heading back to the truck to warm up have some breakfast as it was freezing.
  • After that we went back to the glacier and followed the blue route round to the lower car park before taking the shuttle bus back to the top car park (this took less than an hour).
  • We were finished by about 13:30 and set off back to Calafete, with Laura driving once we left the park. We stopped at the Glacierium but at roughly $20 each thought it was expensive for a museum, so left it.
  • Then we headed into town for a spot of lunch at a restaurant called Punto Argentina, very good Locra which helped us to warm up. (Photo)
  • The sun was shining and we didn’t want to spend the whole of the nice day in the car so after we topped up on more fuel (our 3rd top up of the trip) and we decided to wild camp on the north side of Lago Argentino on the way to El Chalten.
  • It was really windy on this part of road and near the lake but we found a cool spot near a sand bank that was protected and in the sun. (Photo)

• Wild camped at “next to Lago Argentino” -50.11537651104499,-72.12198478333471 $0.

Day 5 – 26/04/25 – El Chalten Day 1 – Chorillo Salto Waterfall

• • We woke up on the north side of Lago Argentina and today we had a lay in, after moving quickly for a few days on the spin, it was nice to just take it slow.
  • We slowly woke up and I stayed true to my word that I would jump in the lake. So we layered up, grabbed our towels and ran 1 mile (1.6km) down the dirt path to the stony beach.
  • After we had warmed up we set off. The road was windy and I mean proper windy. The truck was swaying with the camper acting like a big sail on top and we had to take it steady.
  • On the way we say a massive condor teaching his baby how to fly and tons of guanacos. (Video)
  • As you approach El Chalten you could see Fitz Roy right there along the whole road, such an amazing view. (Photos and Videos)
  • After driving into the town we had messaged to stay at Paredon Camping (10,000 ARG each $8) but nobody was there to greet us and they didn’t pick up my messages.
  • Instead we drove to Chorillo Salto waterfall to check out the short 10 minute trek and stretch our legs.
  • After we drove back into town and parked at the free camping spot next to the auto bus terminal. We would recommend staying here if there is space but can imagine it gets busy in summer, we were one of 5 vehicles. Here there was free water top up, possibly electricity (although we didn’t try), average Wi-Fi connection, waste drop off and rubbish and you can use the Bus terminal toilets between 9AM – 10PM. It is a little exposed to the wind.

• Stayed at the public parking “Chalten Parking Area” next to the terminal de Omnibus/tourism office in El Chalten $0.

Day 6 – 27/04/25 El Chalten Day 2 – Torre Lagoon – the warm up

• • Today we were planning to tackle Laguna de Los tres (the base of Fitz Roy) but with the wind being high we decided to try Cerro Torre and if it was ok follow onto to Torre Lagoon (18KM round trip).
  • Whilst it felt windy at camp it wasn’t so much on the trails as you are in a valley and the forest, we walked up to the viewpoint and then decided to continue to the lagoon. What a good decision that was. (Photos)
  • We walked fast and were back at camp 5 hours later, ready for some well earn’t dinner.
  • I tried to have a hot water shower in the open but it was so cold and windy and could barely feel my feet so decided to have a wash instead.
  • The sky was amazing tonight and the sunset over El Chalten and Fitz Roy was truly a sight to behold (photo).
  • We made a hearty 3 bean stew for dinner with veg after speaking to our family and getting ready for the big hike to Laguna de Los tres.
  • We had some issues with the battery draining over night but it was because the inverter had been left on, we spoke to Camper World Travel Support (who were there on call during the whole journey) and they told us to switch off the inverter via a switch on top of the black box on the right inside the cupboard.

• We wild camped at “Chalten Parking Area” again $0. (Photos)

Day 7 – 28/04/25 – El Chalten Day 3 – Loma Del Pliegue Tombado – A change of plan 

• Today we were meant to hike to see Laguna de Los tres as the weather was meant to be clear, that was until Laura saw the sunrise over Fitz Roy.
• We then decided to hike Loma Del Pliegue Tombado today (20km distance, 1km up) and Fitz Roy (Laguna del Los tres) tomorrow for sunrise.
• Loma started well and it was a constant uphill until the trees cleared where it became very exposed and windy. (Photos)
• Our legs were heavy and exhausted from the hike the day before and we both had reservations about Fitz Roy tomorrow, as we had heard it was much harder.
• Even though the weather was clear with sun it was freezing at the top in the bitter winds, which we could really feel. But the view was worth it. (Photo’s)
• We saw 3 giant condors whilst we were at the top which was so majestic. (Video) The chill set in and we had to get back down before heading to the second higher viewpoint, but we didn’t see anyone else attempt this and the path wasn’t too clear. In fact we only saw about 4 or 5 other groups during this whole hike and it’s nowhere near as popular as the others which made it all the more appealing.
• After 5ish hours we were back at the truck. We moved from the free camping to Paredon Camping (the first place we tried) to treat ourselves to a hot shower, which unfortunately they didn’t have, the water was slightly warm.
• The place was very basic and the kitchen was dirty, it was quite a weird place, it came recommended and from what we read there were not too many other good options in El Chalten, but maybe try somewhere else if you are going to pay.
• For the sunrise hike tomorrow we needed to hire a spare head torch and went into town to Viento Oeste a hiking/outdoor equipment shop which we would recommend for hiking goods and with everything at list price, a rarity in an expensive tourist hotspot. We ended up buying a head torch as they didn’t rent them but were happy with our purchase .
• We ate out and headed back home (to the truck) for an early night and to make lunch for the hike tomorrow.

Stayed at Camping Paredon $10,000ARG per person per night ($8 each).

Day 8 – 29/04/25 – Mt Fitz Roy (Laguna de Los Tres) – The main event

• The alarm went off at 3:30AM, after a restless sleep because of the wind and the burning in our legs we reluctantly got up. A couple of hot drinks, a warm flask of mint tea and we set off for the trail around 4:30AM.
• We walk the extra 20 mins to the start of the trail through the village, bonus mileage. (Photos)
• The trail is completely pitch black, we were very grateful for the head torch and we managed to stay on the trail the whole way up.
• We made good progress hiking up the trail and got to the top in around 3.45 hours. The last section was steep but it was light work for us and we got up it in under an hour with no breaks (included as part of the 3:45). We made it just in time for sunrise and on the last stretch
•  could see the sky starting to turn yellow on the way up. (Photos)
• What a sight it was to see Fitz Roy in that light, it was totally worth the early rise, the freezing cold winds and the strenuous trek up. We got some amazing photos and waited at the top for around an hour and a half. (Photos and Videos)
• After that amount of time and still early the cold started to set in and we both made the decision to head back as we lost all feeling in our fingers and toes. Fortunately that returned after an hour of walking back down.
• The hike back was just as beautiful, as we had missed all the views on the way up, it made the way back just as interesting. We kept stopping to turn round and look at Fitz Roy. But it was VERY long. We stopped off had some lunch at a viewpoint and then stopped off at Laguna capri for another snack.
• By the time we got back we were exhausted, the 3 days hiking on the spin had hit us.
• We ended up getting back to the truck around 13:00ish, 27km round trip and around 7 hours of moving (Laura’s just got Strava) we managed to have a hot shower (finally), done our washing at Laundry Lavazaca2 ($16,000ARG but same day pick up at 7PM), chilled in the beautiful sun and then head out for a well deserved beer.
• We stayed at Camping Paredon again and made the most of the shared kitchen, Wi-Fi and electricity to charge our devices before leaving tomorrow.

Stayed at Camping Paredon $10,000ARG per person per night ($8 each)

Day 9 – 30/04/25 – moving on from el Chalten 

• • After 4 nights in El Chalten it was sadly time to leave. We set off on the road quite late heading for Bajo Caracoles as a base to visit Cueva de Los Manos the following day.
  • On the way out of El Chalten we were stopped and the police checked our documents and my driving license, before letting us continue with Fitz Roy and the Los Glaciers National park behind us.
  • We question which national park was better Torres del Paine or Los Glaciers and couldn’t come to a conclusion as they were both special, but definitely the best time to see them was for sunrise, if hiking.
  • The drive was empty, barren and long like most of the roads on Ruta 40 and at Tres Lagos we stopped off for fuel and to grab some empanadas. (Photo)
  • Unfortunately the internet was down so we had to pay for fuel in cash (effective) but only had Chilean peso’s so paid at the rate of 1CLP:1ARG. There was not any other choice as the next fuel station is at the end of our journey or around a 1 hour detour. (It would be wise to bring both ARG and CLP pesos if you are venturing down this route, we just managed to spend all of ours).
  • Ruta 40 turns to gravel and we head down it for a good 100km before taking the Ruta 29 shortcut through Estancia La Verde to save us some kilometres. We were only taking this because we’ve got the truck and 4×4 if needed. The road was also gravel the whole way and thankfully Laura takes a turn at driving. (In hindsight it would probably be better to drive to Gobernador Gregores to get fuel).
  • We were a bit worried and had about 50km of fuel left on the range compared to the journey, so took it conservatively approaching our destination. Fingers crossed Bajo Caracoles firstly had diesel and secondly accepted card.
  • The fuel station here had diesel but super expensive (1900ARG per litre) and didn’t accept card, so we had to pay with CLP again at a rate one 1:1, which cost us slightly more. (Photo)

• We stayed outside in the car park of “Bajo Caracoles – Hostel y Gasolinera” and they had free Wi-Fi you can join as there is no signal round here $0.

Day 10 – 01/05/25 – Cueva De Los Manos and Chile Chico

• • We woke up and got ready to leave for Cueva De Los Manos, fortunately we got fuel the night before as the shop still wasn’t open until after we had left at 9AM.
  • The journey was an hour down a dirt road off of Ruta 40 and again I was grateful we had the comfort of the truck.
  • We arrived around 10:30AM just behind a big group starting at 11AM so had to wait until 12:00. This wasn’t a problem as it gave us a chance to have some breakfast in the truck. (Photo)
  • The tour and the hand paintings were insightful, though it cost $32,000ARG each (about $27) and was 1 hour down a dirt road, we both thought it was cool to see artwork from tribes dating back up to 9300 years ago. (Photos)
  • We then followed the road back before taking a different way back as we were heading north and crossing through a gorge to meet up with Ruta 40 again, the 4WD came into play and I’m not sure if I would have liked attempting that road without it. (Photo)
  • We continued north for an hour and a half, until we got to Perito Moreno where we knew there was a big fuel station so we topped up with a full tank and they also offered us a free shower. I took the hint and had a quick spruce up after cleaning the windows of the car from the dirt roads.
  • We then set off west towards the Argentinian/Chilean border for about an hour towards Los Antiguos with a final destination of Chile Chico in our sights. At the border it was much easier this time round with the right paperwork. They inspected all our goods and bags, took the fresh vegetables we had and then let us on our way.
  • We arrived in Chile Chico looking for a supermarket to get something for dinner but everything was closed, it was only then that I realised that today was labor day. We found one store open to get some veg and took a stroll along Lago General Carrera/Buenos Aires where the pastel colours of sunset were mesmerising before I insisted on joining the queue to get some fresh-ish vegetables. (Photos)
  • We wild camped near Lago General Carrera on the stony beach near the lake and whipped up dinner, before hitting the sack. The road was a little busy even though there were road works going on and it was partly closed, until around 10ish and then it died down.

• Free camping near General Carrera Lago “Inicio Da Costaneira” $0.

Day 11 – 02/05/25 – Chile Chico and Carretera Austral (Ruta 7)

• • We started off the day slowly admiring the beautiful colours of the sunrise, taking a slow walk down the beach before I plucked up the courage to jump into the lake. (Photo)
  • We decided to give Lago Jeinimeni a miss as it was an hour and back down the same dirt road and whilst it had its own hand paintings, we had already visited the UNESCO protected site in Argentina which was well preserved.
  • We stopped off in town to get some breakfast, top up our SIM card and stock up on food at Supermarcado Del Sur for the next part of the journey.
  • We set off on a journey west down route 265 towards Carretera Austral. We stopped a few times to admire the size of Lago General Carrera which felt like the sea, Laguna verde and some other sites. One of which was Cascada El Maqui, a short but steep 20 minute hike up a waterfall before Puerto Guadal. (Photos)
  • We hopped over the fence once continued along a well trodden path before it filtered off and became quite steep, a little slippery and a bit sketchy. The waterfall was nice and definitely worth a stop, however I would caveat only if you can find the right path, the route we took was not suitable for children or those that are less able or not good with heights. Funnily enough in town there was some graffiti that said free Cascada Maqui so I don’t know if a tour agency are trying to make it a guided excursion instead of a public trail. (Photos)
  • We contacted our planned camping spot Alma Verde Permacultura & Camping, which had a shower and sauna where we planned to stop but unfortunately they were closed for the season (maybe try and check them out if in season).
  • We tried to find other wild camping spots along the way, we checked Puerto Guadal but it was very close to the residents, and as it was getting dark we settled for a spot near El Canal just short of where we had planned to stay in Puerto Rio Tranquilo.

• Wild camped at El Canal “River sound campspot” $0.

Day 12 – 03/05/25 – Marble Caves and Puerto Rio Tranquillo

• • We left El Canal and arrived at Puerto Rio Tranquillo around 11ish (45 minute drive, we made breakfast whilst overlooking the lake. (Photo)
  • I ventured into town to check out the tours for the marble caves. There were two options either a full (2.5 hour) or a simple (1.5 hour) tour priced at $30,000CLP and $20,000CLP per person. We got a last minute discount on the full tour as one was leaving in 15 minutes (12:30) and got the two of us for $50,000 with Marmol Expediciones. (Whom we would recommend).
  • The marble caves are aged at circa 300 million years old, but the marble cannot be used for anything as it is still too young (imagine that) so its not dense enough for extraction and usage.
  • The full tour takes you across the lake to private land to see a shipwreck from the mineral extraction between the 1930s and 1970s and then docks at a small town Punta Sanchez. You then cross the lake and go to the more familiar site which includes the tunnel, cathedral and chapel of the caves. (Photos)
  • We were both glad we done the tour and managed to catch it on the same day, but it was awfully cold being on the water for 2.5 hours as winter was now coming. Fortunately they do the tour year round but I’d recommend wrapping up properly.
  • We went into a really nice restaurant next door called Restaurante Turisítico Pai to try and warm up and ordered the menu del dia.
  • The plan was to drive down route X-732, to spot a glacier and a waterfall but even after late lunch we were so cold we decided to continue on Carretera Austral aiming for Villa Cerro Costilla. If it was warmer we would have driven down x-73, at check out the glacier at 10km and the waterfall at 27km.
  • On our drive towards Cerro Costilla we saw some amazing sites and the photos speak for themself (Photo).
  • Laura found a nice little wild camping spot at Mirador Ibanez with lovely views of Cerro Costilla and Rio Ibanez and the valley. It’s high up, very windy and bitterly cold dropping to minus’s over night so the diesel heater came in handy.

• Wild camped at “Mirador Ibanez (Cerro Castillo view)” $0.

Day 13 – 04/05/25 – Cerro Costilla to Coyhaique

• We woke up freezing cold, not wanting to leave the warm bed. The outer duvet and pillow were ice cold to the touch. I like a cold pillow but not that cold.
• Once the sun had started to rise we ventured outside and caught it just as it was coming over the mountain. Some exercising and sun salutations as the sun shone was pretty magical. (Photos)
• The night before we had decided that we weren’t going to hike to Laguna Cerro Costilla, it was something we would usually do, but now it was winter season (after May) a hiking guide we messaged had told us we could only do it in the company of a private guide.
• Either way it was $18,000 CLP per person you need to pay to enter the park. We thought that this was going to work out quite expensive for what should be a relatively simple activity if we could have done it ourselves and with 80km/h winds forecasted and a night below zero the night before we decided to give it a miss.
• The cold weather was starting to get to Laura, the shock of going back into Chile and the temperatures dropping again had taken its toll. We decided it was best to get to Coyhaique find a nice campsite or accommodation with hot shower and just get on top of everything. So that’s exactly what we done.
• We first tried El Camping but they were shut for the season and instead headed for Camping Ammonites. It’s a nice family run camp at $8000CLP per person with hot showers. They have lots of pets and chickens and we fell in love with the neighbours dog that we nicknamed Buster.
• After that I whipped up a quick pasta dinner before we knuckled down to sleep. Tomorrow Puyuhuapi for the thermal hot springs, hopefully.
• We stayed at camping ammonites which cost $8,000CLP per person, hot showers, a kitchen, common area, a pull up and dip bar, some Wi-Fi and electricity.

Camping Ammonites $8,000 CLP per person.

Day 14 – 05/05/25 – Back on Carretera Austral towards Puyuhuapi

• We had a relaxed morning (it’s bank holiday Monday back home so we treated it like one) and made a nice cup of tea and caught up with our family using the Wi-Fi.
• I enquired for hot springs at Termas Ventisquero but the timings didn’t work for us (either 10:00-13:00 or 14:00-17:00) and at $35,000 per person we thought it was expensive for a natural hot spring.
• We begrudgingly said goodbye to our new friend (Buster the puppy) and set off on our way to stock up on food. (Photo)
• We went to Hiper Patagonica in Coyhaique which was the most well stocked supermarket we have came across yet and would recommend if you’re passing through town.
• After that we set off on our North back on the Carretera Austral and noticed a large influx of land designated to the timber industry and logging, lots of lorry’s carrying logs, empty fields and planted ones.
• We continued down the road before it opened up to snow topped mountains, beautiful rivers and miles and miles of fjords. The mountain pass took longer than expected so by the time the light was fading we decided to stop off just before Puyuhuapi near Queulat National park. (Photos/Videos)
• We are hoping we can enter Queulat National Park tomorrow to do the hike and wild camped in a single parking space in the forest near the entrance but just outside the border.
• Wild camped at “Antes de Puerta Al Parque Queulat” $0. (Photo)

Note: If you are planning on visiting Queulat National Park you will need to book your national park tickets before leaving Coyhaique or check into a camp with Wi-Fi as there is limited/no signal on this journey.

Day 15 – 06/05/25 – Queulat National Park to Termas El Sauce

• • The rain poured all night. It was drizzly and dark outside come the morning and we got up and drove to the entrance of the national park to see if we could get in.
  • The park rangers said you can only enter if you have pre-booked the entrance pass (which we hadn’t managed as there was no data since Coyhaique) and that with the clouds and rain we would not have been able to see the glacier anyway, so we were kind of glad we hadn’t pre-bought the pass.
  • We head off to our contingency plan which was dolphin spotting about 3km south of the national park entrance. There was another camper parked up and we were greeted by a wet stray skinny black dog who we named Jack, after Laura’s dream the night before. We had an hour coffee stop, some unsuccessful dolphin spotting and then decided to head off to Puyuhuapi. (Photo)
  • I had to get some internet to catch up on emails so we stopped in a nice little cafe called La Pica De La Malela for some desayunos (breakfast). We had eggs, with freshly made bread and homemade plum jam and some cheese on the side for good measure. At $7000CLP per breakfast including coffee, some warmth and WiFi for an hour or so we would recommend the stop off. (Photo)
  • The night before I had been looking through iOverlander and found another hot springs called Termas El Sauce, I sent them a message for a last minute reservation and we were in luck, there was space for the afternoon slot from 15:00-18:00 and it was about an hour away which would give us time to drive there nice and slowly.
  • It was still pouring down when we arrived and had barely stopped for 5 minutes all day when we arrived. We were going to check it out before confirming our booking, but the setting and the steam coming off the pools was too inviting to say no, even if it was raining. The natural hot spring gets as hot as 88oC nearly at boiling point and you then mix this with the fresh cold stream water at 10oC to get your ideal temperature between 40-45oC. We spent basically the full 3 hours in it switching between hot and cold pools. At $15,000CLP per person this was great value, especially compared to the other hot springs around Puyuhuapi. (Photos and video)
  • We knew there was a campsite across from the hot springs which was possibly down a private road but confirmed with the staff at Termas El Sauces. We drove the 3km off the turning and straight over for another 3km down a very muddy and puddly road, which we wouldn’t have attempted without a high vehicle or 4WD in the rain, until we reached a “beach” near Rio Palena. It’s a lovely spot but was exposed to the wind and the rain, so we took some shelter behind two small bushes. (photo)

• Wild camped at a beach near Rio Palena opposite Termas El Sauce hot springs “River Side Camp” $0.

Day 16 – 07/05/25 – Through Futaleufu towards Parque Nacional Los Alerces

• • We woke up to it still raining, when you are in the camper it does sound like it’s raining slightly heavier than it is outside, but we were a bit worried of the river water level rising and that the muddy dirt road back was going to be accessible.
  • We’d decided the night before that if it was still raining that’s we’d give Chaiten a miss as we were only heading there for the volcano hike. So instead we head through Futaleufu and back into Argentina in the hope of some better weather for the coming days.
  • On the way we had planned to stop off at the Villa Santa Lucia Flood Museum, which tells you about how the whole town was wiped out in a glacier flood, but unfortunately it was closed. We turned right and continued along the 235 before turning left toward Futaleufu, this section of road was splendid, it was just a shame it was so cloudy and raining as we didn’t get to admire the full effect. (Photos)
  • We stopped in Futaleufu for breakfast in the back of the van, before heading back into Argentina (for the 5th time during our travelling but the 3rd of this trip) and continued onto the Welsh influenced town of Trevelin.
  • The border crossing was fairly easy, we were a bit worried about the fresh produce that we had bought but I think it’s more of an issue when going from Argentina to Chile.
  • Once in Trevelin, where supposedly the dragon on top of the tourism office breathes fire, we stopped at a few shops and were approached and asked a few questions about the camper by an Argentinian man. Whilst he seemed a friendly the encounter was a little odd, and we’d notice online there had been a few reports of robberies and thefts as we continue north (Parque Nacional Los Alerces, El Bolson and Bariloche specifically for foreign vehicles which this was) so from this point we decided to stay extra vigilant.
  • We’d read that Los Alerces national park was meant to be really nice and as it was not summer believed there was no entrance fee, we drove towards the rangers gate and was in luck as it’s free in the week and you have to pay on the weekends (not sure if this was because it was out of season or all year round). We got some really good tips from the ranger about the best hikes, the tour to see the 2500 year old tree (circa $70,000-100,000 ARG pp) and where to camp for free for the night (Punta Mattos) before heading off on our way. (Photos)
  • We parked up at Punta Mattos car park where we were the only ones there and went for a walk around the campsite, done some exercise and went down to the “beach” to see Lago Futalaufquen, before settling down for dinner and to sleep.

• Wild Camped at Punta Mattos “Down to the Lake” $0.

Day – 17 08/05/25 – Los Alerces National Park to El Bolson

• • Not sure how, but we woke up at 10AM this morning. Thats over 11 hours of sleep which must be because of the super comfy mattress in the camper. (Photos)
  • We were pleasantly surprised to see that it had stopped raining and got ready and then set off to Arrayanes. It was pretty poorly signposted and the parking wasn’t manned so we continued a bit further towards Lago Verde.
  • We sat in the sun, meditating and grounding and dried the back of the camper out as in the cold, wet weather some condensation had accumulated. (A reminder to open the top vent whilst sleeping and the windows/door whilst cooking). (Photos)
  • Afterwards we done some exercise on the beach and I took a dip in Lago Verde. (Photo)
  • We warmed up in the truck and I stuck it in 4WD to get back up the hill. The drive to El Bolson was pleasant, we passed Lago Rivadavia and exited the park before heading down route 71 to rejoin route 40. It’s nice to have a paved road again and no rain.
  • When we arrived to El Bolson we went straight to the camping Mirando Al Cerro. It costs $11,000ARG pesos per night per person if you pay by card.  It was simple but nice, the hot water was pleasant and we cooked up the rest of the stew with red cabbage and rice in their kitchen facilities. Laura always manages to cook rice well whereas I can’t get it. There were signs for additional costs for things like cooking and doing your washing but we weren’t charged these, probably as it was out of season, we also didn’t wash our clothes there.
  • The camp was flat and has good views over the mountain range Piltriquitron.

• Camping Mirando Al Cerro $22,000ARG for 2 people.

Day 18 – 09/05/25 – El Bolson Refugio Piltriquitron

• • We woke up to the sunrise over the mountains and admired the pastel sky. We made use of the internet connecting to our family’s and getting some admin tasks completed before the weekend. (Photos)
  • We spoke to the owner of the camp who said the Cajon Azul hike was closed (not sure why) but that we could hike to Piltriquitron, you could see it from the camp and it looked far. We set off around midday which was pretty late for a hike of this scale 12+km and over 1200m of elevation to the refuge.
  • At this point we decided to stay at Camping Mirando Al Cerro for another night.
  • We walked through El Bolson town to the start of the road before Laura (quite cleverly) decided to turn back. Me being stubborn and impatient thought I could find a quicker path through the forest oppose to the switchback’s and started rushing through with haste. Sadly this ended up with me getting lost in the forest after about an hour and a half of hiking I was deep in the dense trees and bushes and was half twig by the time I managed to back track to the road again.
  • Determined to continue I kept pushing upwards until I got to the car park (unfortunately only cars under 2.4m can take the track and I’m sure the truck is over that). I continued on for another 20-30 minutes before getting to El Bosque Tallado, which has to be one of the highlights in El Bolson. An up cycled dead wood craft art exhibition in the middle of the forest about 1400-1500m high just before the forest parts for the mountain. It was $5000ARG to enter which was money well spent, the artwork dates back to the 90s and it was well maintained and highly skilful work. I would recommend visiting, although maybe try to drive the majority of the hill or set off earlier.
  • After the art exhibition you naturally walk the additional 20 minutes to the refuge to admire the views of town and get a hot drink (the caliente chocolate went down a treat). After a 30 minute rest it was approaching 5PM and was losing daylight so I got a move on and hiked down until I got to the dirt road when I ran back to the camp, it took about 3 and a half to 4 hours up, 1:45hours down and around an hour admiring the art and at the refuge. (Photos)
  • I got back to the camp had a nice hot shower, and we made a nice pasta dinner in the kitchen with a nice Chilean wine. Tomorrow we move into Bariloche.

• Camping Mirando Al Cerro $22,000ARG for 2 people.

Day 19 – 10/05/25 – To Bariloche

• I wake up stiff as a board from the hike/run the day before and try to stretch to ease up.  Whilst waiting for Laura to get up I made some phone calls to my nearest and dearest and watched the sunrise, today’s a nice day for the weather.
• We get ready, have a shower, sort the van out and say sayonara to head to Bariloche. The drive here is so picturesque, the tree lined hills, snow topped mountains and the winding road through the lakes. (Photos)
• As we are approaching Bariloche, looking for campsites we read what we had already found out, it’s not safe to leave the truck here in the city in unpaid parking, definitely if it’s a camper and especially if it’s from another country, we fit the bill.
• We ring a few camps and most are closed for the season and are recommended one in Villa Los Coihues (a town about a 25 minute drive away from Bariloche). The campsites nice (Camping y hostel Los Coihues) albeit on the more expensive side of what we have been paying ($15,000ARG each plus they tried to charge us $10,000 for the vehicle. We negotiated it for $30,000ARG all in.
• They recommend some hikes for tomorrow near Villa Los Coihues including Cascada de los Duendes and Mirador del Lago Guitierrez. And they lend us a SUBE card to get the bus into the town, just like Buenos Aires.
• We stroll 5-10 minutes to the bus stop and luckily didn’t have to wait long for the bus at it arrived 5 minutes after got to the stop, the journey was quick (45mins) and allows us some time to check what to do in San Carlos de Bariloche. As we’re not driving tonight a good restaurant, some nice wine, a sample of the local snacks and a few drinks are on the agenda.
• We get off in the town and check out the Mexican restaurant and one called Chili, the latter home cooked warm food, we decide we’ll get dinner there later when they reopen. It’s early afternoon and we spot a wine shop (Winehouse would recommend) with two tables outside in the sun, we stop for a nice glass each before we head down towards the Plaza Catedral and the local skate park and spend some time watching them in the sun and Laura’s belly starts rumbling. (Photo)
• We decide we’ll suss out the local empanada scene so wander round the town trying a few different ones, by far the best we tried was Oveja Negra Villegas. After that we head to Cervecería Bachmann to sample some local beers (the honey beer comes recommended) and then wander back to the lake to catch the sunset from Mirador Lago Nahuel Huapi (the Bariloche sign), which was beautiful but got cold once the sun went down. (Photo)
• After 20 minutes or so we head for our next stop the Reconquista Bar Gintoneria y Tapas, nice strong cocktails but the free crisps with alioli were something else. One aperitif was enough in there and it’s time to head to the restaurant, we walk down the main strip, bustling with locals and stop in Rapa Nui chocolate shop, Easter island is next on our agenda and Laura fancied chocolate so it’s a no brainer. The smell, the free tasters the maze like store that gets bigger and has a coffee shop, patisserie, ice cream shop, bar, chocalateria there’s a lot going on, we pay the $17,000ARG for the 250G box and I pick up a stout for $5,500ARG, yes expensive but worth it.
• The restaurant (Chile) is empty, much to our surprise and when we eat there only one other table arrives. The free bread and dip were nice but Laura’s main leaves a bit lacking (Pechugita con Hongos). My main dish was nicer albeit a bit rich a Corderita lamb stew with cream and peppercorn. The wine was nothing on what we had earlier. At $60,000ARG the meal wasn’t that expensive but where we’ve been enjoying such good home cooked food in the truck, we were underwhelmed.
• We get an Uber back home to the camp ground, and chill before hitting the sack.

Camping y hostel Los Coihues $30,000 ARG for 2 people plus car.

Day 20 – 11/05/25 – Hasta Luego Argentina

• • We wake up in Camping y hostel Los Coihues to an overcast sky and it being cold and drizzly, we decided to leave the hike as we were both feeling a little rusty.
  • Instead our plan is to drive to Cerro Cathedral the ski resort onwards to Colonia Suiza and then head around Circuito Chico. Unfortunately for the first part of the drive the weather was pretty poor and we couldn’t see any of the viewpoints but as we got to the Circuito Chico it started to get better. We were both glad we didn’t do the hike or cycle the circuit with the poor weather as we wouldn’t have seen much. (Photo)
  • We drove through Bariloche town and after topping up fuel continued onwards towards Puerto Angostura where we stopped at mirador Malvinas for lunch. (Photos) It was a beautiful place to stop and we were joined by some locals whilst we ate a late lunch, finishing off the fresh produce we had before we crossed the border to Chile for one more time.
  • This was by far the busiest border we had come to as of yet and although most of the traffic was coming the other way we still had to wait a little time, as it was Sunday night we think this may have been the main reason. We checked out of Argentina and drove the circa 40km distance to get to the Chilean border. The drive between was very scenic and spooky as the sunset and we passed through the thick fog as we descended to the Chilean side. (Photos)
  • When we got to the border we declared a few organic items, and when they searched the truck opened everything up and handed over the fresh vegetables (a couple of onions and some garlic again).
  • When we got into Chile we were confused with the timing (clocks go back an hour, so we had gained an hour) but we still chose to leave out Agua Calientes (more hot springs) and head straight for Entre Lagos where we stopped at a supermarket for some essentials before continuing onto camp at Camping Puyehue on the lakeside which is highly recommended and very good value.

• Camping Puyehue $15,000CLP for both of us and the vehicle.

Day 21 – 12/05/25 – The Penultimate – Volcan Orsono and Rio Petrohue

• • We woke up and were pleased to see it lighter earlier, the time zone going back gained us an hour (sunrise was at around 7:30AM). The campsite was even better in the daylight and with a more mild temperature around 14oC we could enjoy sitting outside, finally. (Photo)
  • We made the most of the weather, meditated, practised gratitude, some yoga and saluted the sun.
  • We also made the most of being at the campsite and made breakfast using up the rest of our food stuff, we then booked our tickets to Petrohue waterfalls (roughly $7,800 CLP pp)
  • We planned to see Volcan Orsono and drove the whole way up to the cable car but unfortunately as we were getting higher the overcast skies came over and we didn’t get to see much, maybe another day. We then continued onwards to Petrohue waterfalls to get there before 17:00 when it shuts.
  • We arrived at the falls and had lunch outside before heading in. There was about an hour left before close time so we saw the main miradors before heading down river to walk the lovers trail (Sendero Los Enamorados). The flow of the river and the force of nature through the different waterfalls was mesmerising. (Photos)
  • I the waterfall system was interesting and the walk through the creek and jungle was really peaceful. We even caught a glimpse of Volcano Orsono, the peak still hiding above the clouds. (Photo)
  • We decided to wild camp for our final night and knew that the best place was close to the falls rather than nearer Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas so we decided to drive upstream a couple of km’s to have our final night wild camping by the side of the river.
  • We had our last pasta for dinner and finished off the Rapa Nui Chocolates with the Manusha stout I bought which was delicious.
  • When we went to sleep the sound of the light drizzle hitting the roof of the camper it sounded like white noise and drifted us off into the calmest deep sleep.

• We wild camped by the river Petrohue at “wild camp by the river” on iOverlander 2 for free $0. (Photo)

Day 22 – 13/05/25 – The Finale – to Puerto Varas

• • We woke to weather which fitted a day in which we had to give back the van. It hadn’t stopped raining all night, with the mountains hiding behind the clouds.
  • We didn’t plan on doing anything except from enjoying the camper by the river and slowly making our way back to Puerto Varas.
  • We enjoyed waking slowly by the river, reading and writing and enjoying the comfort of the truck and the bed whilst being sheltered from the rain outside.
  • We made our last breakfast and tea, prepared lunch for later and packed away our stuff and cleaned the truck.
  • We journeyed to the end of Petrohue and drove over the black volcanic beaches but again being overcast and cloudy prevented us from enjoying the full view. (Photo)
  • We managed to find a recycling plant for the  rubbish we had with two cute dogs and then headed for our final journey to Puerto Varas. We drove slowly to make the most of our final drive and reflected on the last 3 weeks. It was definitely the right amount of time as any less would have made it a rush and coming later than May would have been in the height of winter, with weather a lot worse and which would have been its own adventure.
  • We stopped off in Puerto Varas at the lakeside for our last lunch, it felt like we had arrived to a city. We then topped up with fuel and drove to the Tattersall office to hand back the van.
  • We met Pedro and Nicolas and it was nice to put a face to a name. They were really friendly and personable and came down to meet us to hear all about our journey, and feedback from our 3 weeks in Autumn and offered us tips for our onwards travel. They seemed like such cool guys and we’d love to see how CamperWorld as a business continues to develop.

• We had so much fun in the van that we are contemplating buying our own one for the next leg of our journey in South America.