The Great south (Sur Grande, also Zona Austral) forms the western part of Patagonia in the extreme south of Chile. It is the largest and most sparsely populated greater region in the country.
While the north of the region is characterized by extremely humid forest areas, the south is determined by glaciers and countless islands. This is also where the southernmost point of America is located, the 1 Diego Ramirez Islands
(even further south than Cape Horn).
Regions
Only two political regions, both of which are very large, share the area:
- Región de Aysén (XI, complete: Región de Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo)
- Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (XII)
The southern part of the Región de los Lagos (Provinces of Palena and Chiloe) is already counted as part of the Great South, as this is south of the traditional end point of the Panamericana (Puerto Montt) is located.
Important places
- 1 Coyhaique
(50,000 inhabitants), largest city in the north of the Great South, center of the Carretera Austral - 2 Cochrane, (3,000 inhabitants), most important center in the southern part of the Carretera Austral
- 3 Puerto Aysén or Aysén (30,000 inhabitants), port city near Coyhaique
- 4 Chile Chico (10,000 inhabitants)
- 5 Villa O'Higgins (1,000 inhabitants, end point of Panamericana or Carretera Austral)
- 6 Puerto Natales (30,000 inhabitants, tourist center, starting point for Torres del Paine)
- 7 Punta Arenas, (150,000 inhabitants, southernmost city in the world)
- 8 Puerto Williams (5,000 inhabitants, southernmost small town in the world)
Well-known national parks
There are countless national parks and reserves in the region (see provincial pages). The best known are probably:
- National park 2 Torres del Paine, at Puerto Natales
- 3 Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, Chile's largest national park, remote and undeveloped in the area of the South Patagonian ice field
- 4 Laguna San Rafael National Park, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the area of the North Patagonian Ice Field Puerto Río Tranquilo and Puerto Aysén
- 5 Alberto de Agostini National Park, Park on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, Gletscherallee
Other goals
The smaller towns are also of touristic importance:
- 9 Puerto Río Tranquilo, Access to Laguna San Rafael National Park and famous marble caves on General Carrera Lake
- 10 Caleta tortel, Pile dwelling settlement on the Pacific fjord and the mouth of the Río Baker
- 11 Puerto Bertrand, small town on Lake Bertrand, rafting and hiking on the Río Baker
background
Along with the Atacama Desert, the Great South is the most natural part of Chile. The rough, extremely humid climate and the difficult connection to the rest of Chile made it unsuitable for cultivation, which is why, with the exception of a few enclaves, the area is extremely sparsely populated. The roads are only paved in exceptional cases (even if the government now wants to change that) and the rivers are often crossed by archaic ferries that are driven by the current.
The north of the area was not until the military dictatorship through the construction of the so-called Carretera Austral opened in the 70s to 90s, in 1999 the southernmost piece was opened up Villa O'Higgins inaugurated. This road forms the southernmost part of the PanamericanaNetwork west of the Andes.
The inland ice area of the Campo de Hielo Sur divides the region into two isolated areas. Only over Argentina they are connected by land. The sense of a road on the missing part would be very doubtful, as firstly numerous fjords and canals would have to be overcome, and secondly the road would have to lead through a largely untouched nature area. Nevertheless, the Carretera Austral is being built a few kilometers further year after year.
language
getting there
The northern part can be reached by car or bus from Puerto Montt can be reached from, but parts of it are covered by ferry. It is also from Argentina via the pass roads Esquel - Futaleufú, Río Mayo - Coyhaique and Perito Moreno - Chile Chico reachable. Another option is to take the ferry from Quellón on the island of Chiloe Chaitén on the mainland.
The southern part, on the other hand, can only be reached from Argentina. There are border crossings at Puerto Natales (of El Calafate and Río Turbio off), between Río Gallegos and Punta Arenas as well as on the archipelago fire land at San Sebastian in the north of the main island.
Puerto Williams is mainly used by Ushuaia (Argentina) and Punta Arenas served from with passenger ferries.
mobility
Public transport is only available in parts, especially in the north of the area. Tierra del Fuego and the region around Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas however, it is relatively well developed.
Tourist Attractions
- Laguna San Rafael. Glacier lake near Puerto Aisén.
- Torres del Paine. Pointed rock mountains in a glacier landscape in the national park of the same name.
activities
kitchen
nightlife
security
climate
The climate in the north is extremely humid, it is one of the rainiest areas on earth (approx. 5,000 mm per year!). Therefore, the region is also densely forested. In the south it is a little drier, but also almost polar. There the temperatures rarely rise above 20 ° C, even in midsummer, and snow is very common in winter (at an average of 0 ° C).
