Typically, our guests
come via Santiago and on through Puerto Montt, then to Chaiten. If you don´t
travel well, or if you arrive in Puerto Montt after noon, we recommend that
you spend a night in either Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas. Puerto Varas is
an on-foot friendly community which is a pleasure to walk around and makes
for a nice overnight stay. Puerto Montt is a busier town with some fine
sites such as the feria artesenal, or artisan fair which is one of the largest
in the country and a great place to find hand-knit woolens and other artisan
goods. From Puerto Montt, we will arrange a small charter flight for you
to arrive in Chaiten, this flight usually leaves around midday and takes
about 35 minutes. The cost for this flight is $250 and includes transfers
to and from the Puerto Montt airport to the Paloma Airport, where this plane
usually departs.
Normally, our guests fly in on the new plane which is a 14-seater, Cessna
Grand Caravan. Weight restrictions on this flight are lighter than on the
full size jets and during high season 12 kilos, or 25-30 lbs, is the limit,
so if you need to leave something behind in a hotel in Puerto Montt or Santiago,
you´d want to arrange it then. We have daily laundry service available
and included with your stay at the lodge, so you can travel light. Chaiten
is a small coastal village and serves as the gateway for this portion of
Chilean Patagonia, we will meet you here with our trucks and drive you the
remaining hour and a half to where our boat will be waiting to take you
the final ten minutes to Isla Monita.
Another option is to come through Argentina via Buenos Aires and into
Esquel or Bariloche. In Buenos Aires, it is necessary to allow for a transfer
from the international airport to the domestic airport, usually 45 minutes-1
hour. This way you can travel on a full size jetliner and avoid the smaller
charter service. The flight from Buenos Aires to Esquel is limited to
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. There are daily flights from Buenos Aires
to Bariloche if the Esquel option doesn't work for you, but Bariloche
is a 4 1/2 hour drive from the border, so unless you are fishing up that
way Esquel is a better option. Esquel's airport is only one hour from
the border and another 2 hours to Isla Monita. An additional pickup fee
is charged with these options to accommodate the shuttle services, but
if you are inclined to fish a week in Argentina and then come over into
Chile, this is a very nice way to go. We are an easy jaunt over the border
from the Esquel area.
It is relatively easy to organize a flight which comes in through the
Chilean side and one which leaves via Argentina, or vice versa, for those
wanting to combine the two countries, please contact us if you require
assistance setting up your travel plans.
|