Puerto Puyuhuapi

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 [1], 225 kilometers to the south, and Chaitén [2], 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 [3] and the hot-springs resort of Termas de Puyuhuapi [4].

Getting There

Buses Becker (Übel s/n, tel. 067/325195) stops here four times weekly en route between Coyhaique [1] (US$15) and Chaitén [2] (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 [5], Buses Entre Verdes (O’Higgins 39, tel. 067/325130) stops Monday and Friday en route to and from La Junta [6].