The Carretera Austral is the name of Chile's Route 7. The highway runs about 770 miles from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins through rural Patagonia. The Carretera Austral provides road access to Chile's Aisén Region and southern part of Los Lagos Region. These areas are sparsely populated and despite its length, Carretera Austral provides access to only about 100,000 people.