From Río Tranquilo to Cochrane

Our prebooked bus to Cochrane was supposed to leave around 2pm. That meant we could sleep in a bit, have a relaxed breakfast and attempt a small hike to a viewpoint. To access the viewpoint we had to cross private property which the nearby minimarket owners kindly allowed. The local dogs did more than just allow it, they decided to join us and show us the way. After a short hour we arrived to a nice view over the lake and the surrounding mountains.

Back in town, we packed out tents and went on a 3 hour bus ride. This time the bus wasn't dusty inside and the driver didn't seem to think that gravel roads should be taken slower. A lack of properly working seat belts made it more adventurous than anticipated.

Cochrane seemed a bit like a sleepy town with not too much tourism pushed in your face, so we liked it. However, that also meant that we initially struggled to find information on how to reach nature without a car. The tourist information was closed opposed to their supposed opening times. Two tour agencies were open but their day tour offers were far too expensive for our taste. We opted to reserve rental bikes somewhere instead and closed off the day with some nice local dishes in one of the few restaurants.Read more