Puerto Chacabuco, Chile. Excursion: Northern Patagonia & Coyhaique City

The tour group had a nice scenic drive from port to Simpson River National Reserve, with snow-capped mountains & waterfalls in the distance; rivers and valleys.

At Simpson Reserve Visitor’s Centre we had time to find out more about the reserve.  Unfortunately the information was in Spanish but Patricia, our guide, was able to give us an overview of it.  We had time to stretch our legs and take a walk along the river.  It was pretty, and very peaceful.

Our next stop was at Coyhaique to visit the village square and handicraft market.  The square was pretty with its fountains and trees – it had a park-like feel to it, more so with many families out and about relaxing.  A few handicraft shops were open but most places were closed because of today being a Sunday.

Lunch at Fogon Restaurant was buffet-style with a nice selection of empanadas, fruit and liquids.  Over and above the soft drinks wine and Pisco Sour went down a treat for the guests.

Scenic drive back to port with brief photo stop (from bus window) to see Cascade of the Virgin which was a pretty waterfall.

As always, it has been good to get out and about.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Simpson River National Reserve

 

 

Cascade of the Virgin

Coyhaique 

More scenic driving and an old toll bridge.

Our route today, more or less

We did another stunning drive down towards Dolgellau, turning off to head down through a pass to Tywyn where we stopped honey ice cream.  Yes, I know we had ice cream yesterday and are not winning the battle of the bulge but not we couldn't pass up the opportunity for one last morsel of the ice cream.

We drove along the coastline to Dolgellau and crossed over River Mawddach using the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge.  Penmaenpool Toll Bridge is an old wooden bridge which was built in 1879 to replace the river ferry.  We paid 70p to go across the bridge which was a beautiful sturdy-made old bridge and well worth the 'costly' 70p.   After crossing the river we drove to Barmouth and then up to Penrhyndeudraeth, not far from Porthmadog, using side roads off the main road.  The mountainous roads were very narrow with very infrequent passing points.  We had to go through a couple of farm gates but the views and the excitement of being on the road was worth it.

From Penrhyndeudraeth we headed to Bets y Coed via Beddgelert and stopped for hot chocolate and scones at Caffi Gwynant which was a church that had been converted into a tearoom/restaurant.  It was very nice inside. 

From Bets y Coed we drove down to Ffestiniog and took a squiggly north easterly and south easterly route via small narrow roads back to Bala.

We wanted fish and chips for dinner but, after going up and down the main street in Bala, we didn't see any takeaway fish and chip signs.   Eventually we saw a chap walking down the road with his fishy meal so we asked him where we had got them.  He gave us a few directions and we eventually found the fish and chip shop.  The entrance to it was very narrow, squashed between two large shops, so no wonder we hadn't seen the place.

Dinner was yummy...!

PHOTOGRAPHS

Heading towards Tywyn

Penmaenpool Toll Bridge

Off the main road, somewhere between Frafnant Farm and Bryn Bwbach 

(on a greater map scale:  between Barmouth and Penrhyndeudraeth)

Caffi Gwynant

Between Beddgelert and Bets y Coed with views of lower slopes of Mt Snowdon 

and a lake

Circular drive and beautiful scenery.

Our route today, more or less.

The area around Bala is truly lovely.

Using a book that we had, The Most Amazing Scenic Journeys in Britain by Reader's Digest, we used one of the suggested routes.  We tried to stick to it closely to it as we could, as well as deviating off it now and then but getting back onto the suggested route.

We started off by driving down the east side of the Llyn Tegrd lake near Bala then took an unnamed narrow road over the mountains to Trawsfynnyd.  Farms along the road were remote, the moorland and landscape at times bleak but yet beautiful.  I was given the task of opening and closing farm gates as we went along. 

St. Cybi's Well

From Trawsfynnyd we drove over to Porthmadog, around the Lleyn peninsula via Pwlheli and Abersoch, Aberdaron, over to Nefyn and then Llangybi.  At Llangybi we stopped to see St Cybi's Well - the water of which was believed to have caused miracles - sick people would get well if they bathed in the waters or drank the water.  We took back roads from Llangybi to Porthmadog then went back to Bala via the B4391 and an unnamed road.

Wowwww...!!, when seeing such beautiful surrounds I am so grateful to be alive but humbled by mother nature.  Her formidable forces that craft and make the landscape to what it is: pushing up mountains and seemingly squashing in valleys, or the wind and rain that erodes away at rocks and cliffs; and so much more.

PHOTOGRAPHS

 

 

St. Cybi's Well