All activities / Motorcycle Adventure Touring / Carretera Austral
Motorcycle Adventure Touring in Carretera AustralCL
Chile's Ruta 7: 1,200 kilometers of fjords, rainforest, and hanging glaciers from Puerto Montt into deep Aysen, stitched together by ferries and gravel.
Why here
The Carretera Austral is on every serious rider's list for reasons no other road replicates: 1,200 kilometers threading fjords, temperate rainforest, and the hanging glacier at Queulat, with two fjord ferries, Hornopiren to Caleta Gonzalo, built into the route, an expedition texture that pavement can never fake. Long gravel sectors reward real riding skill, Puyuhuapi's hot springs reward the end of a wet day, and the route chains into Argentina's Ruta 40 for the full Patagonian loop that National Geographic Traveler once listed among its Tours of a Lifetime, the only motorcycle tour ever named. Guided fleets run current BMW GS bikes with support trucks.
Best months
November through March is the season, with operators running mid-September to mid-March at the southern end. Rain is guaranteed somewhere on the route; gravel sectors demand two-plus years of riding experience, which operators enforce. Ferries and fuel stops shape each day's plan.
Getting there & around
Tours typically start in Puerto Montt (PMC) or Punta Arenas (PUQ) over 12 to 16 days, often crossing into Argentina; operators handle border paperwork. Book six months or more ahead, as bike fleets are small.
Skill levels: intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Moto Patagonia
OutfitterA Chile-based operator running a 12-day guided Carretera Austral tour plus motorcycle rentals from Puerto Montt.
Patagonia Rider
OutfitterA Punta Arenas BMW GS rental and guided-tour operator covering far-south Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, season mid-September to mid-March.