Having just finished a ten-day drive through the Aysen region of Chile with two team leaders from Far South Expeditions, Claudio Vidal and Susanne Widmer, I’ll be very excited to return next year with one of my photography tour groups. I should preface by saying that I have toured southern Patagonia and Torres del Paine National Park on 5 occasions. It’s a magnificent area, meaning the Aysen has a lot to live up to, and to be sure, it measures up very well.

I was there in April-May which is the fall season. The colors on the lenga, nirre, and willow trees are marvelous. Quite vivid, they flow along the valleys and up the mountains as well. It can be spectacular fall foliage. In many parts of the Aysen, snowcapped mountains rise above the valleys adding even more drama to these locations. Water flowing from the mountain tops creates fascinating, multi-layered waterfalls as the water cascades into rivers such as Rio Simpson, Rio Baker, Rio Chacabuco, and others. Rio Baker is well known as a fishing and rafting destination.  It’s also a gorgeous blue, almost turquoise color, that sparkles wherever light moves across it. And at its confluence with Rio Neff are several viewpoints where the mountains, rivers, and foliage create wonderful landscape scenes.

The Aysen region is also the location of the new Patagonia National Park which is well worth some time to explore. Mountains, Patagonian steppes, lakes, and wildlife are all present here. The largest park in the Aysen, Laguna San Rafael National Park, is the site of the San Rafael Glacier with its deep blue color, a lagoon filled with floating ice, and a colony of leopard seals relaxing on the icebergs. The trip to the glacier can be done in different ways, but my route was via Catamaran from Puerto Chacabuco, a full day trip through the fjords to the lagoon, but we spent a spectacular 3 hours in front of the glacier complete with time on a Zodiac to the glacier face. There were outstanding opportunities to photograph this magnificent glacier and the ice in the lagoon.

Another highlight in the Aysen is Lago Carrera whose vivid blue color is eye catching in the right light. It is the largest lake in Chile. It was formed by glaciers and is still fed by the flow from the Northern Patagonian icefield. The lake is stunning in itself, but on its shores, roughly midway, are the Capilla de Marmol, the Marble Caves. These cut outs within the limestone and marble rocks were formed by wind and water starting more than 6,000 years ago. The caves are small, but can be explored by motor boat. A skilled boat operator can hold the boat inside a cave where the shapes can resemble a slot canyon with additional beauty added by the deep blue of Lago Carrera. It’s quite a unique location for photography. 

My purpose in visiting was mostly for photography, but throughout the region there were numerous hiking trails or small dirt roads where the hikes could take you into beautiful areas. Whether exploring on foot or in a vehicle, it will be interesting.

My route started in Coyhaique and went as far south as Cochrane. We traveled over the Carretera Austral which was constructed in the 1980’s to link the Patagonian regions of Chile with the north. You might think, being a relatively new road, that this would be 4 lanes of smooth pavement. But be prepared, it’s mostly a dirt track through the mountains and along the rivers and lakes. You won’t make time, nor would you want to on this route. There are way too many interesting places to pull over and enjoy the scenery. Just take it slow and it will be a wonderful experience. There is so much to see, enjoy, and photograph in the Aysen region of Patagonia.

Eliot Cohen