Cerro Castillo and Other Craggy Places Between Coyhaique and Cochrane, Chile

Alphabe-Thursday time again, and we continue our exploration of Patagonia, Chile from A-Z. This week, as we celebrate the letter C, we’ll be taking a little tour of the craggy peaks, known as cerros in Spanish, in the region between Coyhaique (pronounced coy-eye-kay) and Cochrane. There are lots of cerros, including Cerro Castillo (castle peak).

Coyhaique is the capitol of the XIth region of Chile, or the Aysén region. It is the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, and lies about 1000 miles south of Santiago. It is a small, but growing frontier community with about 50,000 people calling it home.

Cochrane lies about 120 miles further south along the Carretera Austral (or southern highway). The road was built during Pinochet’s regime in the late 1970s, finally connecting the remote southern part of Chile with the rest of the country. (The idea of calling the carretera a highway is kind of a joke, since it IS the major highway running north and south in the region, but it is mostly dirt - dirt with huge potholes – and barely wider than a single lane for much of its 700 mile length.)

Cerro San Valentin, the highest peak in the region at 13,300'...and my favorite. I never tire of looking at it, especially as the light constantly changes on it.

Well, that's it for now. Be sure to stop by Mrs. Jenny's and see what the other Alphabetarians cooked up for your viewing and reading pleasure this week.