“Cycling can be lonely, but in a good way.”
The Carretera Austral (or route seven if you are looking at a map) which passes through rural Chilean Patagonia has been described by all as a cyclists paradise, and after just four days of cycling on it, I can definitely see why. Though the road is unpaved it is in pretty good condition, and with only a dozen or so cars passing by a day, it’s the perfect sort of road for those who like to be alone with nature. Between the beautiful waterfalls which literally cascade down right beside the road, the hills and mountains covered with glaciers everywhere you look, the incredibly beautiful lush green forest which you ride through every day, and the stunning blue rivers and lakes you camp by and fish in every night, there isn’t a single thing not to love about this exquisite rural Patagonian road.
A typical scene on the Carretera Austral.
The beautiful forested road.
Our favorite kind of camping!
The four of us Oregonians really felt at home here in the wet and green forested Carretera, a pleasant change especially after the months of desert like terrain in Turkey, and the dry arid sections of Argentina we have been on these last few weeks. Kevin and Mike especially liked this section as they were able to fish along the way, and since Kevin has now been carrying his fly fishing rod attached to his front rack for the last year, he was incredibly excited to finally put it to good use.
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