The Carretera Austral that cuts through the southern sector of the Aysen Region is, mainly, more inland and at a lower altitude than the sector north of Coyhaique. This means that the scenery is a little different to the northern Aysen sector.
The geography, for example, between Villa Cerro Castillo to Puerto Guadal, is jagged mountain peaks interspersed with glaciers and snow coverings, cascading waterfalls, meandering rivers, and remnants of forests devastated by volcanic eruptions.
Principally the species of tree in this southern sector are Lenga and Nirre. In parts it is typical Patagonian Steppe country, the kind of scenery you may have seen in parts of the “cowboy country” in the U.S.A.
Here, there are vast valleys that have been carved by ancient, massive rivers, leaving sedimentary layers as the rivers reduced over millions of years. And, at altitude, within the sediment, there are often fossils to be found, including ammonites that lived between 65 – 240 million years in the past as well as dinosaur, other reptiles and mammals.
Some of the rivers and lakes are a fantastic, turquoise colour as a result of minerals in melting glacial water. There are lagoons with icebergs from glaciers and access to some of the largest glaciers in Patagonia, especially Glacier San Rafael.
On the coastal area of this part of Aysen there are islands, inlets and fiords, however these are mainly difficult to access until you get down to the final sector around Caleta Tortel and Villa O’Higgins or have taken the catamaran from Puerto Chacabuco (west of Coyhaique) to see the San Rafael Glacier.
