GETTING THERE: LanChile Airlines (www.lan.com) offers flights from Dallas through Santiago to Balmaceda, 35 miles south of Coyhaique, for $1,223. Or fly American Airlines (www.aa.com) from Miami for $1,168. Hertz rents 4x4 Toyota HiLux double-cab trucks for $770 a week, but most outfitters arrange transport from Balmaceda down the gravel Carretera Austral.

WHEN TO GO: You'll always experience sun, rain, cold, and wind in Patagonia, but November to April is the best time to visit Aysén.

IN THE CAPITAL: You can't drive cattle through town anymore, but Coyhaique is still a frontier outpost with a civilized twist. El Reloj Hotel offers doubles overlooking an apple orchard for $66 a night (011-56-67-231108, htlelreloj@patagoniachile.cl). Fuel up on lamb and pisco sours at La Histórico Ricer, then dance all night at the Piel Roja disco.

OUTFITTERS: Patagonia Adventure Expeditions guides ten-day treks on the Aysén Glacier Trail for $2,300 per person, all-inclusive, from Balmaceda, as well as 11-day ice-to-ocean raft trips down the Río Baker and 14-day horsepacking trips over the Andes' Pioneer Trail (011-56-67-219894, www.adventurepatagonia.com). Peter "Cado" Avenali's Salvaje Corazon outfitters runs two April photo safaris with Colorado-based landscape photographer Linde Waidhofer ($3,750; 011-56-67-211488, www.salvajecorazon.com).

LODGES: South of Coyhaique, on Lago General Carrera, Terra Luna Lodge rents lakeside doubles starting at $100 a night, as well as fly-fishing weeks and expeditions up 13,239-foot Monte San Valentin (011-56-67-431263, www.terra-luna.cl). Outside Puerto Bertrand on Lago Plomo, John Hauf's Patagonia Frontiers ranch offers fly-fishing and horsepacking weeks, starting at $3,500, all-inclusive, from Balmaceda (307-332-7260, www.patagoniafrontiers.com).