When: November to March for the boat trip; the rest works year-round
How hard: Moderate: one long day of hiking and one long day on a boat
This is the full Aysén Region route as it stands on the portal today: two cities and what you can reach from each. The Laguna San Rafael day is the one that sets everything else —boats leave from Puerto Chacabuco, spaces are limited and it depends on the weather—, so book it first and build the rest around it.
From November to March there are more departures and more daylight. In winter the route still works, but the boat trip to San Rafael becomes uncertain.
It's 55 km from Balmaceda. The afternoon is for the pentagonal plaza, the view of Cerro Mackay from town and an unhurried meal: the rest of the week starts early.
Coyhaique National Reserve begins 5 km from downtown and has trails of one to four hours through coigüe and lenga beech forest, with small lakes and viewpoints over the city. It's the best day to acclimatize before Castillo.
In the afternoon, the Museo Regional de Aysén (Aysén Regional Museum) and the crafts market explain where this city came from—a city younger than many of its trees.
The big day in Aysén. About 96 km south on the Carretera Austral to Villa Cerro Castillo, at the foot of the massif that gives Cerro Castillo National Park its name, with the trail to the lake—about 14 km and eight hours round trip, on your own in season and only with a guide in winter—or the view of the massif from the village for those who'd rather look than climb.
Bring water and layers: up top, the wind can change the day.
The 66 km on Route 240 take an hour, but it pays to linger: along the way are Río Simpson National Reserve and Cascada La Virgen, a waterfall, both right beside the road.
In Puerto Aysén, don't miss the Puente Presidente Ibáñez, the longest suspension bridge in Chile when it opened and still the town's symbol, and drive the 15 km down to Puerto Chacabuco, where tomorrow's boat leaves from. Seeing it the day before saves you a scare.
In the afternoon, Parque Aiken del Sur has short trails and good signage on the local plants.
A full day on the water from Puerto Chacabuco to Laguna San Rafael, where the Northern Patagonian Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Norte) reaches the sea and breaks apart into icebergs. It's many hours by boat through fjords and channels, and the reward is one of the few places in the world where a glacier at this latitude still comes down to the water.
Spaces are limited and it depends on the weather: book weeks in advance and have a backup plan in case the day falls through.
Bring seasickness pills, a windbreaker and more clothes than seem necessary.
The Termas de Chilconal hot springs sit on the Aysén Fjord, in the area of Cinco Hermanas Natural Monument, and they're the natural way to close a trip that had two days of hard effort. You get there by boat from Puerto Chacabuco: check with the operator beforehand about the departure, how long the trip takes and whether they're open.
Then back to Coyhaique and on to Balmaceda: between the boat and the drive to the airport, a good part of the day is gone, so an afternoon flight is best.
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