Rio Futaleufu rafting holiday in Chile
| country: | Patagonia, Chile |
| location: | Patagonia |
| departures: | Departures can be arranged at anytime to suit you with a minimum of 2 people |
| price: | From £1395 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes all rafting and camping equipment, fully qualified, experienced river guides and safety kayakers, necessary permits and licenses |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Rio Futaleufu in Chile is no ordinary river on which to take a white water rafting adventure challenge.
Born in the Los Alerces National Park in Argentina, the Futaleufu flows west into Chile. These are landscapes dominated by snow capped volcanoes and rich rain forest. The Futaleufu, which ‘Great River’ in the local Mapuche dialect, eventually arrives at the coastal town of Chaiten. It has astonishingly clear waters and flows through deep canyons and pristine wilderness. This helps to create explosive and untamed white water, unparalleled anywhere in the world. This trip is designed to immerse you in the beauty, magic and culture of Patagonia.
We also offer a similar 11 day/10 night trip over Christmas and New Year rafting trip. Please make an enquiry for more information.
Born in the Los Alerces National Park in Argentina, the Futaleufu flows west into Chile. These are landscapes dominated by snow capped volcanoes and rich rain forest. The Futaleufu, which ‘Great River’ in the local Mapuche dialect, eventually arrives at the coastal town of Chaiten. It has astonishingly clear waters and flows through deep canyons and pristine wilderness. This helps to create explosive and untamed white water, unparalleled anywhere in the world. This trip is designed to immerse you in the beauty, magic and culture of Patagonia.
We also offer a similar 11 day/10 night trip over Christmas and New Year rafting trip. Please make an enquiry for more information.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival. You will arrive in Bariloche, Argentina and be met by your guide. We will spend the rest of the day in this charming little town where you can unwind from your flight. Bariloche San Carlos is on the edge of Lake Nahuel Huapi and has amazing views across the lake to the snow clad peaks and spectacular forests. The afternoon is yours to explore the town, go for a swim or just relax. (No meals included). |
| Day 2: | Futaleufu. After breakfast we’ll take the gorgeous drive to Futaleufu from Bariloche San Carlos. We wind our way through the mountains and tree clad hills to Esquel in the heart of the Andes. This is also home to the Coho Salmon that swim unimpeded up the river to spawn. This is unquestionably one of the few remaining fishing paradises on the planet. After lunch, we’ll drive into Chile and by late afternoon we will arrive in time for a leisurely float down the scenic upper section of the river to the camp, sampling the fine local wines and cheeses along the way, where the rest of your guide team will have your cabins ready for some sundowners and snacks. Settle into the comfort of your cabana on the banks of the gorgeous Futaleufu River. (Included :Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) |
| Day 3: | White water rafting. You awaken to the sounds of nature, the steady flow of the river past camp and the busy morning chorus of the local birdlife. Enjoy a hearty breakfast in this wonderful setting. Our guides and trip leaders are seasoned professionals in their fields. Your safety is their number one priority. We take time with a comprehensive talk on safety and paddling instructions to get you accustomed to your new mode of transport, whether or not you have done this before. Depending on crews and water levels, we may opt for the Bridge to Bridge or Bridge to Casa sections today, both reputedly some of the best rafting sections anywhere in the world. We start at La Passarella, one of many suspended rope bridges used by locals to cross the river and we immediately plunge into some exhilarating white water fun with ‘Thousand Wave’ rapid, smashing through ‘Pillow Wave’ and into ‘Mundaca’. We take out at Futaleufu Bridge after our first thrilling day on the river… this is only the beginning. |
| Day 4: | White water rafting. Our luxurious camp, situated above the town of Futaleufu, encompasses small cabanas nestled within the native bush on the banks of the river. Enjoy your morning coffee on your veranda as the clear waters run quite literally beneath you. After breakfast we launch the rafts and float down towards the magnificent Inferno Canyon where 4km of adrenaline surging white water awaits us. With its steep sides and deep clear pools we enter into an area of complete remoteness as we head towards Tres Nonas. With a flat section to follow there is plenty of time to sit back, reflect and marvel at the serenity of this beautiful place. However in the distance the roar of the infamous “Zeta” or ‘Z’ can be heard as we enjoy lunch at a scenic spot by the river. This rapid is not commercially runnable and so the rafts are portaged through before we again take a leisurely float in preparation for the might of El Throno. Perhaps one of the fastest and most spectacular rapids in the world we may also opt to portage this rapid, depending on water levels, but not before marvelling at kayakers trying to avoid ”Toaster” as they negotiate this exciting course. No matter by which route, they will be at the bottom in a matter of seconds. Following El Throno is a gorgeous white water section we term the Magic Mile. Our vehicles will meet us at the Rio Azul and we return to camp for a well deserved soak in the hot tub. (Included :Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) |
| Day 5: | White water rafting. Freshly baked bread and eggs benedict is on the menu this morning, with the standard fresh brew of coffee. We have another great day ahead of us. A few, fun warm up rapids before we reach the legendary “Terminator”. Depending on river levels, crew aptitude and ability we may need to portage this one…… because it’s BIG!… actually it’s a bit BIGGER than BIG! This is the largest Class V “sneak line” we run on any of our trips worldwide. And if that isn’t enough for you there is the superb “Khyber Pass” and the hugely exciting “Himalayas” to finish the day. On our return to camp we enjoy a sumptuous meal washed down with Pisco Sours or a glass of fine Chilean red wine. (Included :Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) |
| Day 6: | Fishing or horse riding. With a range of activities on offer today you will have the chance to explore more of this stunning part of the world. An opportunity to try your hand at fly fishing. The Futaleufu is a world class trout fishing river, so why not try your luck catching dinner (but don’t worry we will have made other plans for dinner in case you are not successful). For those of your wanting something more active there are some wonderful horseback riding trails, catering for all abilities including beginners. One of our most popular suggestions is a guided horse ride into the Rio Azul followed by a paddle downstream in a ‘Ducky’, a two or three person inflatable. A chance to self-guide, under the ever watchful eye of one of our guides. A truly enjoyable day. Or, if you choose to, simply sit back and relax at camp and soak up the scenery. |
| Day 7: | White water rafting. The morning’s rafting begins with a blast through the centre of ‘Mundaca’ once again, to ensure we are truly awake. Followed by another amazing stretch of water with ‘The Fish Bowl’ and ‘Aquarium Wave’, and the aptly named ‘House Rock’ to finish. By tradition we finish our trips with the customary ‘Asado’. All day our neighbours and good friends, Carlos and Alicia, have been preparing a feast of salads, fresh meats and breads. The evening is spent experiencing real Chilean hospitality and enjoying recounting your stories from the past week, on one of the best white water rivers in the world. (Included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner days 2 - 7). |
| Day 8: | Depart. An early start to meet the van that will take us back to Esquel and Bariloche. (Included: Breakfast & Lunch). |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
Since 2006 we have been supporting the Huchuy Yachaq community project in a marginalised neighbourhood of Cusco. We set up the web site for no cost and donated USD 3000 in 2006 & 2007, USD 5000 in 2008. We send volunteers. The money we raised has refurbished community building, installed toilets and washing facilities, pays for a volunteer teacher, school materials for 120 kids, a part time psychologist & holiday workshops. We contribute USD 1000 a year for school materials for the community where the porters we work with in Peru come from. We are members of IGTOA and LATA. Both support charitable projects in destination countries. IGTOA is active in conservation, preservation & promotion of responsible tourism, in Galapagos. LATA has a foundation to support tourism related projects in Latin America, promoting a responsible and sustainable tourist industry. To support the local communities, we buy our produce from them along the way, sleep and eat in locally-run establishments where possible, and interact sensibly with tribes on the riverbanks as we believe in positive cultural exchanges so as not to change their lives – this means trade not aid. Our camp in Chile uses only local people to run it (apart from some of the guides) we use only solar and wind power to generate power for the lights at camp, and toilets are the New Zealand composting type. Environment In the office here, we only use recycled paper and envelopes, we recycle all cardboard, envelopes, waste paper and other recyclable materials i.e. milk cartons, and we all cycle to work, and have taken advantage of the cycle to work scheme. We print on the reverse side of paper we receive from suppliers to save paper, we only have two energy saving light bulbs in use in the winter (none in the lighter summer days) and always drink fair-trade tea and coffee. We are environmentally-friendly in as many small ways as possible, eg in our indoor office we prefer emailing instead of letter-writing, recycling everything we are able to recycle, and to make up for anything we cannot recycle (because the recycleman won’t accept it), and for this trip we plant one tree for every client. On our trips we do not leave anything behind where we camp – all rubbish is carried out and dealt with at the end of the trip, same with human waste. We leave places like we found them, (sometimes even nicer than when we found them!) Let’s face it, rafting is an environmentally sound way to travel, the only energy needed to propel the boats forward is provided by the river and your arms! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |