Heading south on the Carretera Austral from Hornopiren requires a 4.5 hour ferry ride (actually made up of two ferries with a stretch of gravel road between them). We booked our passage on the ferry months in advance, as we were concerned the high traffic season would impede our ability to secure fare at a later date. As it turns out, there was a standby line for cars without reservations, and from what I could tell, all standby traffic made it onto the ferry.
The ferry ride through Patagonia provided breathtaking views. Pleasant waters with penguins and dolphins, towering snow-capped peaks, and cascading waterfalls. The waters passed along the western side of the northern sector of Pumalin national park. We spent a lot of time on deck to see the landscape.
Once we reached the road again at Caleta Gonzalo, we made our way south through a southern sector of Pumalin national park to Chaiten, where we loaded up on groceries. From there, we pressed on to our rented home in Futaleufu. In all, the travel day lasted about ten hours from Hornopiren to Futaleufu.
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