Under the Castle
- Apr 19, 2016
- 2 min read
Cerro Castillo towers above the tiny town that shares its name. As the sun sets, the glowing jagged towers cast their shadows down on Villa Cerro Castillo.
I sit and eat fresh homemade lamb ravioli in a small café that sits humbly beneath the craggy castle. I wash the savoury parcels down with locally brewed red ale.
It’s been a cruisy day on the Carretera Austral. The all paved section from Coyhaique to Cerro Castillo a testament to Chile’s rapid rate of progress.
On a bright sunny day I left the Coyhaique city life behind and headed further south - into the heart of Ruta 7.
The road runs past the pretty Laguna Chiguay and through a rocky gap guarded by La Piedra del Conde and other stone formations. Signs point to the presence of the rare and beautiful Huemules deer but none a feeling frisky enough to jump into out path.
The “Cuesta del Diablo”- a tight curvy drop into the Rio Ibanez Valley – appears below me. A lookout is the perfect stop to nibble on some stale bread that I had forgotten about in my pannier. The Snickers for dessert helps sweeten the leaden loaf.
As I snack, I watch a poor cyclist pushing his bicycle up the steep curves. I offer him a sip of water when he eventually reaches my lofty perch. I would have offered a Snickers but I only had 7 left. The poor young lad had ridden from Brazil but now was lugging around a bike with a broken pedal. A passing truck will ultimately be his saviour.
It’s hard to keep my eyes on the road during the step descent of the Devil’s curves. The wickedly winding drop affords magnificent views of the Rio Ibanez Valley, and the surrounding mountains including Cerro Castillo.
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