Laguna San Rafael National Park
Heart of the Northern Ice Fields
Visiting the Laguna San Rafael National Park protects the immensity of the Northern Ice Field. Sailing through its lagoon allows you to reach the San Rafael Glacier, one of the most active in Patagonia, famous for its detachments that form ice floes of different sizes.
You can also explore fjords by kayak and walk along trails where mosses, ferns and evergreen trees abound. Pudúes, foxes and condors inhabit these forests, while Commerson's dolphins and black-necked swans often appear in the waters, forming a beautiful natural landscape.
Plan your trip to Laguna San Rafael National Park
How to get there
How to get there by air
Fly directly to Balmaceda Airport (BBA) in Coyhaique. From there, you must take a transfer service or taxi to Puerto Chacabuco (approximately 150 km along the Carretera Austral) to board the boat that will take you to the glacier. Maritime tours must be booked in advance, as they are full-day excursions (12 to 13 hours in total).
How to get there by land
Start your journey from Coyhaique driving 77 km along Route 240 to Puerto Chacabuco. Once there, embark on the tourist navigation that crosses the Patagonian channels to the lagoon and its imposing glacier. Alternatively, drive south along the Carretera Austral to Puerto Río Tranquilo, from where you can hire maritime or aerial (small plane) excursions to the park.
Must-Know Tips
From Coyhaique, you will have to travel two hours along the Carretera Austral to Puerto Chacabuco, from where boats depart to Laguna San Rafael, on a journey of about five hours. Another option is to go to Puerto Río Tranquilo and navigate through General Carrera Lake and the Exploradores River to reach the lagoon.
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