Most buses from Santiago leave in the afternoon/evening and arrive in Puerto Montt/Varas the following morning.
Duration: The trip lasts approximately 12 hours.
Prices: To see prices, go to recorrido.cl. Prices vary depending on the type of service and dates of travel. In the high season and holidays prices are generally higher.
https://goo.gl/maps/UH2eWjVDbryDf3y3A
Horarios: Buses from Santiago. Buses from Santiago leave in the afternoon/evening and arrive the next day.
Below are details of some of the companies that operate the Santiago - Puerto Montt/Puerto Varas route:
Check out the website Puerto Montt / Puerto Varas to Cochamó.
Sometimes having updated schedules between Puerto Montt / Puerto Varas and Cochamó is not easy. The companies that operate this route change their schedules very frequently. Below is an Instagram post that generally maintains the latest schedules.
Buses Estuario Reloncaví
+65 2 841 200, +56 9 7940 3630
https://www.facebook.com/nancy.olavarria.90
Booth #42 in Puerto Montt's bus station
Buses Rio Puelo
+56 9 9123 0838, +56 9 7408 9199
https://www.instagram.com/busesriopuelo/
Booth #47 in Puerto Montt's bus station
Buses Transhar
+65 2 254187, +56 9 7759 2237
https://www.instagram.com/trans_har_ltda/
Booth #44 in Puerto Montt's bus station
From Puerto Montt there are generally four daily services to the town of Cochamó and the Cochamó River bridge. During high season there are usually more services. The trip takes between 2½ and 3½ hours.
There are options during the high season of buses that drop you off at the Cochamó Valley trailhead.
* Please note that some buses leave too late to arrive at the entrance time to the trail. The trailhead closes at 3:00 p.m. and after this time it is not accessible until the next day. Please do not insist.
If you want to catch the bus in Puerto Varas, be aware that it does NOT stop at the bus station. It stops on the main downtown avenue. Check the map.
If the bus in full when departing from Puerto Montt, it will NOT stop in Puerto Varas. This happens frequently during high season. It is advisable, therefore, to take the bus directly from Puerto Montt during the busiest times.
If traveling by public transportation from Puelo to Horno Piren, there is the following option. Schedules may be out of date. You should contact the company directly to ensure the schedules.
Buses between Bariloche and Puerto Montt-Puerto Varas only run during the day, with most services departing during the morning.
The trip can take between 7 and 9 hours, depending on the number of people waiting to pass through customs at the border of Chile and Argentina. Tickets can be purchased at the bus terminal in Bariloche, Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas or Osorno, or online. There are more services from Bariloche to Puerto Montt than Bariloche to Puerto Varas. All buses stop at the Osorno bus terminal.
The length of the trip may depend on the time it takes to clear customs at the border. In summer it usually takes longer extending the duration of the trip.
* The map shows the bus route, but the duration of the trip shown on this map is for a private car and does not include the time it takes to pass through customs at the border.
Most travelers arrive from Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas, but it is also possible to take other less visited and more scenic routes arriving by ferry from the south - Puelo, Hornopirén, Parque Pumalín. Below is information about the different options.
To get to the town of Cochamó, the Visitor Center and the trailhead, go to Puerto Varas using Route 5. Take either of the two exits to enter Puerto Varas and drive to the lake. This road turns into route 225 that skirts Lake Llanquihue and goes all the way to Ensenada. From there the road heads south and a few kilometers past Ensenada take the Ralún-Cochamó turnoff. After half an hour you reach Ralún where you cross the bridge built where the Petrohue River discharges its waters into the Reloncaví Estuary. From here it is 17 kilometers to the town of Cochamó. This last section is partly paved, but it is narrow and zigzagging with spectacular views.
After a few stops you may make in town, follow the main road along the estuary for 3 kilometers. When you reach the bridge over the Cochamó River turn left and drive, slowly, for 6 kilometers of narrow dirt road. A few meters before arriving at the Visitor Center you will find several options for parking where they charge by the day. From here walk a few meters to the Visitor Center to register and show your confirmed reservation at one of the campsites. Remember that access to the trail closes at 3 p.m. and after that time there is no other option but to wait until 7 a.m. the next day.
It is possible to arrive from the south via Carretera Austral via roads and two ferries that connect Pumalín Park and Hornopirén. You can also take a ferry from Puerto Aysen or Chaltén to Chiloé or Puerto Montt. Check out Navimag Ferries to see schedules and prices.
If you are driving from the north, it is not necessary to go to Puerto Montt. From route 5 take the exit to Puerto Varas. Look for route 225 along Lake Llanquihue to the southeast and eventually east. This is the last place with more equipped supply centers. If you are coming from Bariloche, you can also use the turnoff to Cascada-Ensenada just past Entre Lagos. It is a very nice road and you save 50 kilometers. What you don't have on this road is a big grocery store, but many smaller stores. Keep in mind that the border closes at 8pm in the middle of the summer season and earlier the rest of the year.
Si llegas en bus, baja en el pueblo de Cochamó. Es el último lugar donde puedes comprar provisiones, acceder a WiFi o datos móviles, etc. Desde allí puedes tomar un transporte hasta el Centro de Visitantes y comienzo del sendero. Recuerda que el acceso al sendero cierra 3p.m.
Si no llegas en ese horario puedes disfrutar de conocer el pueblo de Cochamó y llegar temprano al día siguiente. No es una buena idea tratar de conseguir caballos a último momento o justo antes de subir. Házlo con anticipación.
También puedes optar por bajarte en el puente del Río Cochamó a 3 kilómetros pasando el pueblo de Cochamó y caminar 6 kilómetros - 1,5 horas hasta el Centro de Visitantes y comienzo del sendero. Asegúrate que tienes el tiempo necesario para llegar al comienzo del sendero antes de las 3p.m., de lo contrario no podrás subir ese día. En temporada alta puede haber algún taxi/transporte en este punto que te lleve los 6 kilómetros.
Durante temporada alta hay muchas oportunidades de transporte desde el pueblo de Cochamó al comienzo del sendero.
Leonel tiene un Sprinter que también viaje entre el pueblo y el comienzo del sendero. También hace viajes privados entre Puerto Varas / Puerto Montt, aeropuerto y Cochamó.
+56 (9) 9665 6505
Pedro tiene un combi Sprinter y un minibus para 12 y 20 pasajeros respectivamente y hace múltiples viajes durante el día entre el pueblo y el comienzo del sendero. También ofrece viajes privados entre Puerto Varas/Puerto Montt, aeropuerto y Cochamó.
ped.barrientos@gmail.com
+56 (9) 9789 5601
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