Palena

From the junction of Puerto Ramírez, where Route 231 takes us to Futaleufu, Route 235 changes direction towards Palena, which is less crowded, but no less beautiful, while lacking the services of Futaleufu, it compensates with a pastoral integrity that manifests itself in events like late January’s rodeo.It also provides an alternative route into Argentina.. For the sake of the paleninos, Palena is 43 kilometers south of Puerto Ramírez and five Km east of Argentina’s Carrenleufú border post. The Carabineros, who manage the Chilean crossing, can be agonizingly slow.

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
• The Futaleufu is one of the world's top rivers for rafting
• You can find lands laden with lush vegetation or layered in fields of ice

The Bad

• Few accommodation options
• Towns along the way are few and far between
• Some parts of the highway are deserted

Somewhere Special To Stay

HOTEL	FROM	iCATEGORY
Puyuhuapi Lodge	219 USD
Loberias del Sur	180 USD
Yelcho Patagonia	3000 USD
Hacienda Tres Lagos	276 USD