Chile

Chile is a beautiful country, perhaps the most beautiful in South America, especially in the lake area, the Paso Agua Negra and the oases in the north. The south is recommended for everyone, the dirt roads to Illapel are a bit more adventurous, but the Paso Agua Negra is especially for experienced cyclists. There are many cyclists who cycle from the lake area to Tierra del Fuego.

The itinerant cyclist, following the adventurous gravel road (Ruta 7, Carretera Austral) from Chaiten to Villa O'Higgins, will notice few historical areas of traditions and culture in the Region X and Region XI regions of Chilean Patagonia. He / She is mainly dependent on the many nature reserves or national parks along the route. On the stretch from Chaiten to Cochrane, the dense rainforests of Pumalin and Queulat National Parks, glacial scenery of Rio Simpson Nature Reserve and wooded mountain scenery in Cerro Castillo Nature Reserve are the attractions of the region. There are plenty of walking and hiking routes in the national parks. In the vicinity of Puyuhuapi there are facilities to take a break from the adventurous journey by using the thermal baths, Termas de Puyuhuapi. Between Cerro Castillo and Cochrane, travelers imagine themselves in a different world, which is mainly determined by the untouched nature and wetlands along the meandering Rio Ibanez and Rio Murta rivers. The last part of the Carretera Austral shows a fairly inaccessible fjord landscape near Puerto Yungay (Tortel district). This piece can be regarded as one of the last wildernesses of Patagonia, where man has not yet intervened. The last part of the gravel road ends in Villa O'Higgins, where the cyclist can make the crossing to Argentina via a ferry. For many cyclists it is a challenge to complete the approx. 20 kilometer long mountain bike route from Candelario Mansilla (Chile) to the lake Lago del Desierto (Argentina) in five hours. The cyclist braves many steep slopes and will make a lot of crossing over the pools in the dense forest, before reaching Argentina.

The tourist attractions of the Region XII region in the very south of Chile are located in the walking & hiking paradise of the world, Torres del Paine. This world-famous park is a worthy end to a journey of discovery through Patagonia. The attraction of the famous Torres del Paine peaks makes many tourists decide to take the nine-kilometer hike so that they can immortalize themselves with the vertical granite towers.

The return trip to the civilized world of Patagonia can be made with a ship from shipping company Navimag. The cruise from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, 1500 kilometers away, takes four days and heads north along the Chilean fjords, narrow sea passages (Patagonia Channels) and glaciers. If the sailing schedule and weather conditions permit, you can visit the glacier Amalia. From the boat you have a view of the barren mountain landscapes along the Chilean south coast for days. The low-hanging clouds can obstruct the beautiful view of the Patagonian ice fields.

In the lake district of Patagonia you can find historical areas with traditions and culture of Mapuchu Indians and Jesuits. European influences and the Christian faith have mainly left their traces on the island of Chiloe and in the major cities of the region IX. Several colorful wooden churches are located in the center of picturesque fishing villages and towns. However, the attractions of the Lake District are the many volcanoes and national parks (P.N. Villarrica, P.N. Nahuel Huapi and P.N. Vicente P. Rosales).

The Atacama Desert is very dominant in the north of Chile (Region I and II). In the desert you will find deserted ghost towns near the mining areas. Impressive natural phenomena such as dune formation, moon landscape, volcano tops, vast salt plains and geothermal activities can be found especially at San Pedro de Atacama. In the mountain valleys near the coastal town of Arica, the giant figures drawn on the mainly bare mountain flanks (petroglyphs) and ancient storage sites of the Incas are nice historical sights.

The remote mountain villages are located on the plateau (Altiplano). The remote mountain roads through the national parks show the diversity of flora and fauna. National park P.N. Lauca is recommended for cyclists who cycle from Bolivia to Arica and want to enjoy the many volcano peaks (+ 5000 m) and lakes. In the vicinity of the national park, many houses in mountain villages are deserted. The residents (shepherds) only return during religious festivals.

It is very useful if you speak Spanish. People are friendly and helpful.

Some nationalities can enter Chile without a visa.

Source: Wikipedia.

Chile is a safe country. Only in and around Santiago and Valparaiso are less safe neighborhoods, beyond that the country looks safe, but even Santiago seems to be a safe city by South American standards. In general it is not a problem to cycle alone, cycling is accepted as a means of transport as well as a sport. Both men and women get on their racing bike or mountain bike in tight cycling clothing.

Drinking water

In general, the tap water is perfectly drinkable, in the cities it has a strong chlorine taste and in Northern Chile drinking is not recommended (not only because of the chlorine, the water simply tastes dirty).

Restaurants

In the south along the Pan Americana and in the lake district are good restaurants (as in Western Europe).

Shops

Even in the smallest villages there are shops selling food and drinks. However, these are generally more expensive than larger supermarkets and the quality is less; often snacks with a lot of chocolate.

In the desert in the north, the distances between villages are a lot longer, are a lot longer than in the south, but still doable without having to carry too much food. Hardly any people live in the north on the high mountain passes, so bring plenty of food. Please note that on Paso Agua Negra you cannot buy food in Juntas (customs office only).

Burners

It is difficult to obtain fuel for a methanol burner. Camping gaz is also hard to come by. For a gasoline burner you can often buy so-called bencina blanca at a ferreteria or paint shop, benzene actually.

**Mandatory vaccinations
**

No compulsory vaccinations.

Useful vaccinations for cyclists

Nowadays a good vaccination against rabies (rabies) is available, it consists of three vaccinations.

Best bike period

Seasons (dry / wet)

• For the part south of santiago you better go in the summer (our winter). Long pants, a sweater and certainly good rain gear are still necessary
• In the north it can be very hot in summer (our winter).
• On the high plains (altiplano), one must take into account rapidly changing weather conditions in the summer months (december to march). Weather change is often accompanied by heavy rain and thunderstorms, strong gusts of wind and falling temperatures. These weather phenomena mainly occur in the late afternoon. The weather is often stable in the early morning.

Tourist high season

January / february is high season, december and march are less busy.

Prevailing wind directions

The wind comes from the sea, turns north above puerto montt and south below puerto montt. Cycling from north to south seems to be the most attractive. The wind always blows hard in the far south.

Average temperature

Varies by region.

Spare parts

In the larger cities and tourist places (such as pucon) good material is available, both parts (up to deore xt) and tools. Beyond that, if there are bicycle shops at all, the range is limited / often unsuitable for touring bikes.

The most common tire size is 26 inches, this tire size is not difficult to come by (everyone rides mountain bikes). You see a lot of racing bikes in big cities. Here it should be possible to get other tire sizes, but perhaps without a profile.

In santiago, all bicycle shops are located in (calle) san diego 800 and higher. Further south (carretera austral) you will find good bicycle repairers in coihayque and punta arenas. There is little or nothing in between.