GENERAL CARRERA & BAKER RIVER

General Carrera Lake & Baker River

Región de Aysén
General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo

The second largest lake in South America is located in Patagonia, named 'Chelenko' by the Tehuelches, the native inhabitants from this zone, it is currently known as General Carrera Lake. Through its 978,12 square kilometers of surface a special paradise-like landscape extends, where besides the predominance of the color green in its waters and vegetation, it is possible to appreciate the summits of San Valentín Mount and San Lorenzo Mount, which are both covered by ice.

It is the biggest lake of Chile, 200 kilometers in length, 590 meters in depth and located at an altitude of 350 meters.

In relation to the flora the 'lenga' (Nothofagus pumilio) forests and 'coihue' (Nothofagus dombeyii) cover the both parts of the north and west sides of the bank, while on the opposite side a much drier climate has allowed the growth of little vegetation.

The large size of the lake has created a micro-climate in the area, with sun, good temperatures and lower levels of rainfall than the rest of the region.

The General Carrera Lake drains into Bertrand Lake which is the source of the Baker River, which is probably one of the nicest rivers in Chile, flowing for 200km towards the southwest where it meets the sea at its delta located in the village of Tortel.

This river offers a variety of suitable rapids for rafting down hacienda and is navigable for small boats for some kilometers before the Caleta Tortel river mouth. Bertrand Lake and the Baker Rive are considered to be National Tourist Interest Areas (ZOIT in Spanish).

But General Carrera Lake doesn't just offer this type of tourist attractive, here you can also find on its surrounding areas, to the east of the southern Andes, demonstrations of cave painting. They form the so-called 'Patagonian Art Style', the most ancient of South America. Its most famous representations are hands, guanaco's scenes and borders. Though they are not well preserved, they reach up to some eaves of the pampas region which is at the north of the Magallanes Strait. Because of the isolation of Patagonia respect another cultural currents the basic characteristics of the style stayed inalterable during thousands of years. This entire range of things transforms General Carrera Lake and the Baker River into one of the favorite tourist spots in Patagonia.

How Much Do We Love This Place?

The Good

It's an area of immense beauty with the remoteness that people expect from Patagonia
There are some of the best fly-fishing lodges
A lake with pristine and calypso waters
You can find lands laden with lush vegetation or layered in fields of ice