PUYUHUAPI
December 30 – Back on the road, our next stop was Puyuhuapi, a town tucked at the end of a fjord with a very different story. Settled by German immigrants in the early 1930’s, this was a place carved from dense forest by people who battled relentless rain, isolation, and cold to build a life here. Their legacy remains in the architecture, in the steep-roofed wooden houses and tidy gardens, the order of the town. Stopping just long enough to walk all the streets in search of hot & tasty empanadas, which weren’t easy to find.
TROUT FISHING
North of the pass, Jaxon needing to satisfy that fishing fix, we stopped by river for the night. Taking turns, Tim and Jaxon cast a few lines before dinner and caught 2 beautiful Brown Trout. Jax released his young catch, but Tim’s became dinner.
Beyond Puyuhuapi, the pavement gave way to gravel as the road turned inland and climbed steadily through long, dusty switchbacks. Corner after corner, we passed two Canadian seniors grinding their way uphill on loaded bikes. We gave them a whoop of encouragement as we rolled by.
1 January, 2026
New Year’s Eve. By late afternoon we’d settled into a lakeside camp dotted with fellow Overlanders — English, German, Mexican, Swiss. Some had arrived by bike, others in a Land Rover, Land Cruiser, Dodge. That evening, we gathered around a small campfire for a few drinks and swapped stories from the road. Greetings popped into phones of people we’d just met, sent to us from Sara & Huw who connected the dots. Amazing how the travel community is small but spread. A simple, perfect New Year’s Eve and we made it midnight, crawling into bed around 1am!
New Year’s Day, we caught up those Canadian cyclists down the road at the only store open in a 2 store town. A jam packed general store selling everything imaginable including hot & fresh empanadas. Turns out they were from North Vancouver, and we know people in common!
COIHAIQUE
The drive toward Coihaique unfolded under a rare & clear blue sky. For the first time, nothing was hidden. Summer snow capped peaks above rolling green farmland, waterfalls flowing and the scale of the landscape finally revealed itself in full grandeur. It felt like we were driving through a painting.
Coihaique marked our last proper city before pushing deeper into southern Patagonia. A big grocery shop restocking the pantry, had us spending a staggering $750 CAD just for groceries! Then to a fishing store to pick up a new fishing rod for Jaxon, who accidentally broke the tip off his rod.
Making our way out to the river, we parked up just steps from the water and spent the night. Sara and Huw arrived the next day.
The following morning we all set off on a hike that turned out to be more ambitious than planned, but worth it. Past the sign requesting payment for trail access. Thankfully we didn’t meet anyone looking to collect any fees. The trail climbed steadily to the end of the valley. Nearly 17km round trip, 600m of elevation and five hours. We ate lunch at the farthest point and drank cold water straight from the stream. The return walk back along the valley was possibly the most difficult part. Hiking in the full sun, we were all melting. That final stretch was harder than the climb!
Back at camp with sore tired feet, I didn’t hesitate — boots off, straight in, fully clothed. The water was very cold, taking my breath away but felt so good. Jaxon joined me and we soaked there for a good fifteen minutes, letting the current cool our overheating bodies. The warm wind dried our clothes quickly, leaving them slightly cleaner than before.
Jaxon spent the evening fishing, catching & releasing a dozen small brown trout.