Chile's Route 7: astonishing 1,240km of mostly gravel road from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, through rainforest, fjords, glaciers and almost nobody. There's no park ticket and no permit race here. The budget is decided by the car — how you rent it, and above all whether you return it where you picked it up — and the one thing to book early: it’is a ferry. Two more vital things to plan around: cash, because only six towns on the road have an ATM, and distance, because on gravel everything takes longer than the map says.
What a Carretera Austral Road Trip Really Costs
Drive the Whole Road or Fly In? The Carretera Austral Choice
The Carretera Austral Ferries: Which One You Have to Book
When to Drive the Carretera Austral
What to Pack for the Carretera Austral