The great region of Northern Patagonia is South America’s ‘wild west’, of rugged backdrops and stunning scenery, pioneer towns and cattle farming. In the past visitors may have bypassed the northern regions on the way to the Torres del Paine. Driving the Carretera Austral, Chile’s famous Route 7 highway which leads from the Lake District into Patagonia, has become a pilgrimage of sorts for intrepid travellers. In Puyuhuapi you can relax in the hot springs, before continuing on your Patagonia tour. The San Rafael Glacier in the Patagonia Ice Field is located here, over four kilometres wide and nearing 70 metres tall. Approaching the eerie sight from the end of the lagoon, the spectacle, though dramatic, is literally just the tip of the iceberg, as it stretches some 15 kilometres from its original source.