Comau fjord

A new route has opened just this season in northern Patagonia and I couldn't resist trying it. I bought a bus ticket and left Puerto Montt for the 10-hour trip by gravel road and by water south to Chaitén. It would be much easier to take the 8-hour boat directly, but this route appealed to me. The bus departed Puerto Montt at 10am. After the first 90 minutes by road along the Gulf of Reloncaví, we arrive at La Arena where our bus joins transport trucks, cars and motorcycles for the 30-minute crossing of the entrance to Reloncaví fjord.

Our boat arrives at the ramp.

Passing Reloncaví fjord, Yates volcano in background. I was on the other (eastern) side of this volcano one week ago in Cochamó.

We arrive at the town of Hornopirén at the northern tip of Comau fjord. There is no land road connecting with central Patagonia, but there are three choices of sea travel south.  I chose the new route that passes through this fjord. We leave at 2pm.

Fishing village of Cholgo. Notice the water color indicating a glacial source.

Our boat traveling south on Comau fjord. I was one of 23 passengers on the bus for the 10-hour trip from Puerto Montt to Chaitén. About half of the passengers were young men working on a construction  project, building a new fishing lodge on Yelcho Lake in central Patagonia. The boat holds about 15 vehicles. It's a great day for a suntan(burn).

Entrance to Quintupeo fjord. In 1915 a German warship was evading the English navy and entered this small fjord to make some repairs. It is about 3 miles long and only one half mile wide. The narrow entrance to the fjord allows for a sneaky hideout. When the English were about to discover them, the Germans left a decoy of a large raft with lights and fled the area in their ship. Click here for photos from my 2011 visit to the fjord.

At 4pm we pass by Cahuelmo fjord. We continue traveling south along the Comau. The weather is warm and clear, which does occur in this rainy part of the world.

Passing the northbound boat. We soon arrive at the ramp at Leptepu for the 6-mile land crossing to the next fjord.

Our third and final boat for the day.

Just before docking at Caleta Gonzalo we get a great view of Michimahuida volcano. We are entering the huge southern portion of Pumalín Park that was established by the north American Doug Tomkins. His plan was to purchase huge tracts of land as a nature reserve and then donate it back to the Chilean government. Many Chileans believe he has ulterior motives. Much of the distrust is because his land reaches from the Argentine border to the Pacific Ocean. From here our bus travels the final 58 kilometers to leave us in the town of Chaitén. Click here for more photos of this town destroyed by a volcano in 2008.

Chaitén