Along Chile’s Ruta 7, the infamous Carretera Austral, in between Chaiten and Coyhaquie lies Conaf operated Camping Ventisquero Colgante, home to the ‘hanging glacier’. The campground is just off the highway and situated just inside the park gates. It is only another kilometre before from the carpark where all the trails to view the hanging glacier start. The hanging glacier is also just visible from within the campground itself.
While it’s possible to see the glacier without staying at the campground it is worth staying a night at least to take time to explore all the routes to view this amazing creation of nature.
Ventesquero Colgante (Hanging Glacier) in Parque Nacional Queuelat. Just off Ruta 7.
The good
The campsite are well spaced apart and very private. A picnic table under a shelter is really well done and water is on tap at each campsite. The toilets are decent and while the showers are cold, if you go while the sun is still up you might get a bit of sun heated water from the pipe!
The bad
Not so much to do with the campsite but the boat rides to the glacier run on a funny schedule. Despite being told they began running at 10am there were no boats operating when we were there from 10-10:30. We put it down to Chilean time.
The awesome
When you wake in the morning take the 3 hour hike up to the mirador. It goes up through a thick forest before emerging out at a wonderful up close view of the glacier. Also, if you’re game, a trail run here would actually be awesome!
Ratings:
- Overall: 4 stars
- Ambience: 4 stars
- Facilities: 3 stars
Price:
- 5,000 CLP per person
Features:
- Electricity: No
- WiFi: No
- Hot Showers: No
- Lighting: No
- BBQ: Not permitted
- Shade/Shelter: Yes
About The Author
Warren
Ever since venturing out the back gate into the bush as a kid, I've had a curiosity to escape and explore as often as I could. It's fair to say that my curiosity has continued to grow instead of fade as the years go on. It eventually came time to turn a few scribbled notes into some legible stories and travel tips for anyone with a similar curiosity as me.