Chile Guide
The Carretera Austral
Termas de Puyuhuapi
The luxurious thermal baths, lodge 
and spa at TERMAS DE PUYUHUAPI ( 
67/325103 & 67/325117; in Santiago, Fidel Oteiza 1921, oficina 1006 2/2256489, 
2/2748111, 
info@patagonia-connection.com, 
www.patagoniaconnex.cl ) enjoy a fantastic location, marooned on the edge of a peninsula on the opposite side of the fjord from the Carretera. Behind rises a steep jungle of rainforest, making the resort inaccessible by land and reachable only by boat. Four times a day from December to March (10am, 12.30pm, 3.30pm & 7pm), and less frequently off-season, a motor launch collects passengers from a signposted wooden jetty a few minutes beyond the village's rarely used airstrip, 15km south of Puyuhuapi, and whisks them across the water on a ten-minute ride to the lodge. It's hard to imagine a more romantic form of arrival, even in one of the frequent downpours that plague the region. Phone ahead of your arrival, especially during off-season, to ensure that you are met by the launch.
Apart from its spectacular location, the main reason to come here is to soak in the steaming hot springs, channelled into three outdoor pools reached by a short walk through the forest. Two of the pools are large enough to swim in, and sit right on the edge of the fjord, while the third one, containing the hottest water, is a small pond enclosed by overhanging ferns and native trees. There's a large indoor pool, too, part of the new state-of-the-art spa centre (closed Mon) specializing in "thalassotherapy" (treatments involving heated seawater and seaweed) and massage.
You don't need to be an overnight guest to visit, though day visits are limited when the lodge is full, so you should phone ahead to book: a day visit costs CH$10,000 for the outdoor pools, CH$20,000 for the use of the indoor pool and CH$5000 for the round-trip boat ride (free to guests). The restaurant serves delicious three-course meals made with fresh local produce, and there's also a cheaper cafeteria by the hot pools. If you do decide to stay, you're richly rewarded, as you can indulge in the magical experience of lying in the steaming pools in the middle of the night, gazing at millions of stars overhead. It's worth paying the extra for one of the eight shoreside rooms whose floor-to-ceiling windows give fabulous views across the fjord.