Thanks to its history as a pioneer port established by Sudeten German immigrants in the 1930s, Puerto Puyuhuapi has a greater air of permanence than any other Carretera Austral settlement between Coyhaique, 225 kilometers to the south, and Chaitén, 195 kilometers to the north. Many of its streets, residents, and businesses still bear names like Hopperdietzel, Grosse, Ludwig, Rossbach, and Übel.

At the north end of Seno Ventisquero, a sheltered extension of the larger Canal Puyuhuapi, Puerto Puyuhuapi (population 505) is also a gateway to Parque Nacional Queulat and the hot-springs resort of Termas de Puyuhuapi.

Getting There

Buses Becker (Übel s/n, tel. 067/325195) stops here four times weekly en route between Coyhaique (US$15) and Chaitén (US$13), while Buses Daniela (O’Higgins 39, tel. 067/325130) goes four times, Buses Eduardo (O’Higgins 39, tel. 067/325130) six times, and Buses Don Oscar twice. All pass through around 2 p.m.

From Puerto Cisnes, Buses Entre Verdes (O’Higgins 39, tel. 067/325130) stops Monday and Friday en route to and from La Junta.