The Land of Lakes and Fire - Region Los Lagos

This is the northern half of the Carretera Austral, ridden in the opposite direction to the classic run, and then over the Andes into Argentina.

From Coyhaique the route heads north up the Carretera Austral and through Parque Nacional Pumalin, the 400,000-hectare park created by Douglas Tompkins and later gifted to Chile. Ferries carry the group through the fjord country where the road simply gives out altogether, which is a large part of the appeal of going north. The route then crosses the border into the Argentine lake district and finishes at Temuco.

It is volcano country throughout. The Lakes Region is one of the most active volcanic zones in South America, and the riding alternates between temperate rainforest, lakeshore and high passes, often within the same day. Wild Tracks rate this one medium, with some difficult sections, which makes it the more approachable of their two Patagonian road trips and the better choice for a first long ride in Chile.

The bikes are vintage Royal Enfield Classic 500s, which is a deliberately unhurried way to cross a landscape this big. Accommodation is in private rooms, local meals are included, and a mechanic and a support vehicle travel with the group. The guides on this route work in English, German, Spanish and Dutch. For riders who have heard about the Carretera Austral and want it without the hardest sections of the southern run, fourteen days is about right, and this is the half with the rainforest, the fjords and the ferries in it.