Tired of cycling that same old route? Check this out. The Carretera Austral is known as one of the most spectacular and challenging cycle tours in the world.

Snaking through 1,240 kilometres of untouched rural Chilean patagonia, the route begins at the seaside town of Puerto Montt in the north, and ends at the village of Villa O’Higgins in the south.

Some 10,000 men from the Chilean Army’s Engineering Command spent thirty years building the road, many of whom lost their lives; markers and shrines dot the road.

Before the route was built, the only road access to this remote end of Patagonia involved driving through Argentina, which is why the region still feels so isolated and pristine.

On the route, riders are treated to vast lakes vistas, snow capped mountains and lush green forests. It truly is a South American wonderland.

There are, however, two major dam construction projects (taking up seven dams) that will soon be underway. The installation of the HidroAysén and Energia Austral dams will mean that the route may well be marred by cranes and bulldozers until 2025.

Construction hasn’t begun just yet – so get in there before it’s all ruined.

[Source : BBC Travel]