Chilean Patagonia Bike Trips

Chile’s Carretera Austral, or Route 7, is the spine of northern Patagonia: roughly 1,240 km of road threading from Puerto Montt in the Lakes District down to the tiny outpost of Villa O’Higgins. It was pushed through the fjords and forests of the Aysen region only in the last few decades, and much of it is still gravel. For cyclists it is a bucket-list ride, passing temperate rainforest, glacier-hung valleys, the marble caves of General Carrera Lake, Cerro Castillo and Patagonia National Park, with ferries linking the stretches the road cannot reach. These are the classic Guided Chilean Patagonia tours, part of the wider Guided Chile tours.

The route splits naturally into two halves, each around ten days and 450 to 500 km. The northern section runs from Puerto Varas to Coyhaique through the Lakes Region, the fjords and the Reloncavi estuary; the southern section carries on from Coyhaique to Caleta Tortel past the region’s biggest lakes and parks. There is also a longer trip that strings together the best of the whole Carretera Austral in one ride, and, far to the south, a gentler multisport option around the Torres del Paine that mixes kayaking with easy e-biking. All are guided and demanding, among the toughest bike tours in Guided South America tours.

Expect a mix of smooth pavement and rough gravel, known locally as ripio, with long days in the saddle, sharp climbs and fast descents, and Patagonia’s famously changeable weather, from sun to sideways rain and wind in a single day. The trips run with a support vehicle carrying gear and providing backup, the ferry crossings arranged, and the option to rent bikes or e-bikes; a good level of fitness and some touring experience matter here. The reward is near-empty roads, vast wilderness, and the chance to spot Patagonian wildlife, one of the draws of the region’s wildlife tours, from soaring condors to grazing guanacos.

The riding season is the austral summer, from November to March, when the roads are open and the days are long. December to February is the peak, with the mildest weather and the busiest roads and ferries; the shoulder months of November and March are quieter but cooler and wetter. Outside this window many services close and the weather turns hard, so the tours run only in the summer.

Rides on offer in Chilean Patagonia, shorter to longer:

1. Guided Torres del Paine Multisport Tour 5 days of kayaking and e-biking around the towers of Torres del Paine.
2. Guided Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour 9 days and 450 km from Coyhaique to Caleta Tortel.
3. Guided Northern Austral Highway Cycling Tour 11 days and 500 km from Puerto Varas to Coyhaique.
4. Guided Best of Carretera Austral Bike Tour 13 days riding the highlights of the full Carretera Austral.