Futaleufu Kayak Week

ROAM is best known for our multisport adventures in these parts, but if kayaking the Futaleufu River in Chile is more to your taste, our Futaleufu Kayak Weeks are the perfect antidote for adventure cravings. Join legendary Red Bull kayaker, Aniol Serrasolses, and a host of other kayak celebrities (Gerd Serrasolses, Mariann Saether, Ron Fischer) for a week of boating extraordinaire. These intensive programs blend instructional sessions with guiding and are designed for kayakers at a kayaker’s pace. There’s no need to try to keep pace with commercial rafts as we’ll do 2 daily sessions on our own schedule. There’s ample opportunity for other activities like fishing and hiking but this week focuses on learning from some of the best boaters on the planet. We can accommodate all manner of kayakers in class II- IV but a reliable roll and aptitude for adventure is mandatory!

Over the course of one week, you’ll paddle the entire river but in stages appropriate to each paddler’s skills. With a maximum of just 8 participants each week, you will hone your fundamentals and be guided down one of the world’s greatest kayaking rivers and paddle destinations. Book your own custom stay or join one of our 8 scheduled departures. In the indigenous Mapuche language, Futaleufu means “big water” but it doesn’t do it justice.

Itinerary at a Glance

• Arrive in Santiago, Chile and transfer onto a domestic flight to Puerto Montt.  Shuttle to Puerto Varas on Lago Llanquihue for the night
• Transfer back to Puerto Montt for a short scenic flight to Chaiten. Drive through the temperate rainforest and along beautiful Lago Yelcho before arriving at camp
• 2 water sessions everyday (We’ll paddle all the sections in the river throughout the week and spend countless hours on the river, working our skills).
• Afternoon Hikes Futaleufu’s most beautiful hidden spots
• On our final day, drive back to Chaiten for the 40 min. flight back to Puerto Montt for connecting flights home

What’s Included

• Multilingual support & contact person
• Transfers from Chaitén airport to Futa and back
• 7 nights at our exclusive kayak campground including accommodation in tent cabins by the riverside with double or single beds
• Open bar
• Aniol Serrasolses as guide
• Kayak and paddle
• Excursions and entrance fees
• Meals by our wonderful cook Alicia

What’s Not Included

• Airfare to/from Chile/Puerto Montt/Chaiten
• Pre- and post-trip accommodations
• Equipment (dry top, dry suit, life vest, skirt, river shoes, helmet, etc). These can be rented for a small fee.
• Excursions and entrance fees outside of the schedule
• Visa fees and travel insurance
• Personal Expenses
• Gratuities

What to Expect at Futaleufu Kayak Week

Upon Arrival in Chile:

Arrive in Santiago, Chile
You must clear customs and pick up your bags in Santiago and then recheck them onto your domestic flight connection to Puerto Montt. Allow 3 hours between landing and reconnecting as the Santiago airport can be busy.

Arriving Puerto Montt, Chile 

After collecting your bags in Puerto Montt, take a taxi to your hotel. ROAM would be pleased to make you a hotel reservation in the port city of Puerto Montt or better yet, the resort town Puerto Varas. We get preferred rates and can add it to your statement.

A taxi to Puerto Varas is approximately $40. We recommend having at least $100 USD on hand, preferably already converted to Chilean Pesos which would be approximately $85,000 CLP.

Arriving Early for Adventure

Two volcanoes, Osorno and Calbuco, stand sentinel over picturesque Puerto Varas and its scenic Lago Llanquihue. Just 14 miles (23km) from Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas is a top choice for an extended stay. For those wishing to arriving early, we have a ROAM guide stationed in Puerto Varas and we’d be delighted to arrange hiking, climbing, biking, fishing, kayaking, SUP or river rafting excursions for you with advanced notice.

Day One – Arrival in Camp

Your ROAM trip officially starts with a flight from Puerto Montt to the coastal village of Chaiten. It’s a breathtaking start to an outrageous adventure! The night before your flight, ask your hotel to book you a taxi to:

Aerodromo Marcel Merchant Airport (La Paloma)

Located in Puerto Montt (approximately a 45 minute ride). This is a different airport from Tepual (PMC).

The Pewen Airlines flights are scheduled to depart the airport from either Hanger #6 (Aeroregional Airlines) or Hanger #10  at 9:00 AM. 

Plan to arrive at least 45 minutes prior to our departure. The planes are Beechcraft Caravans which carry between 9-12 passengers plus luggage.

There is a baggage weight limit of 33 lbs per person, including your carry-on item. Exceeding the baggage weight limit will require extra fees, if even allowed.

In about 30 minutes we will arrive in Chaiten, a small fishing village and you will get an immediate sense of wild and scenic Patagonia! Along our 1.5 hour drive to River Camp, we pass beautiful Lago Yelcho, multiple hanging glaciers, jagged glaciated peaks, and temperate rainforests. Upon arrival, your guides will lead you to your sweet “home away from home” on the river!

After a welcome orientation, we’ll get you outfitted with your kayak and paddle before an afternoon paddle down the lower section of the Futaleufu (Macal – Puerto Ramirez). Before the first of many delightful meals, we’ll gather by the fire or in the lounge for our first happy hour.

Days Two to Six

We’ll partake in two water sessions each day, paddling all the sections of the river throughout the week. We’ll work on our skills and enjoy countless hours on the river. In the afternoons, we’ll hike to Futaleufu’s most beautiful hidden spots. Each night at dinner, we discuss the following day’s adventure options taking into consideration the weather, people’s desires and energy levels.

Day Seven

Sadly, all adventures must come to an end at some point so today have one last paddle on the river before taking a tour of the town with a little time for souvenir shopping. Then it’s back to camp for a celebration Asado!

Day 8 – Early departure back to Chaiten Airport

We start early today as we have to travel back down to the coast to catch the 10:30 flight from Chaiten back to Puerto Montt for connecting flights either home or to your next destination.

Your Accommodations in Chile:

River Camp offers you everything you need and nothing you don’t. Located on 5 wooded acres on the banks of the Futaleufu, across from a towering canyon wall, we offer private riverside platforms to accommodate 12 guests in cosy safari tents. The tents are wonderful as they keep you connected with the wilds of Patagonia but provide the comfort one needs at the end of an active day. King or twin bed options are available.

River Camp offers indoor/outdoor dining with an open kitchen, cosy lounge as well as a fire pit and asado zone for barbecues and nights under the stars. We have a riverside wood-fired hot tub to rest your weary body after a full day of adventure and hammocks to chill and watch the river float by. The camp is equipped with all manner of adventure gear – kayaks, inflatable kayaks, rafts, stand up paddle boards, fishing gear – and offers easy access to a gorgeous beach right on an island right across from camp.

Nestled in a wooded riverfront oasis, River Camp is a private an inviting place to unwind. The Futaleufu purls by innocently here but we know its massive rapids lay just upstream. Each day we’ll enjoy hearty and healthy breakfasts, delicious lunches and sumptuous dinners, along with all the trimmings. Sourced from local growers and cooked with passion, we also have snacks and appetizers available daily and our open bar and “cocktail of the day” are always popular. We have full bar, cold beers and an eclectic mix of Chilean, Argentine and Spanish wines.

River Camp is the perfect size and allows people to immerse themselves in the Patagonia wilderness away from the crowds.

About the Region

Chile’s long and narrow territory, located on the western side of the southern tip of South America, stretches for 4200 km from north to south between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Chile has an area of 756,096 km on the South American continent and 1,250,000 km in Antarctica. Easter Island, Juan Fernandez Island (of Robinson Crusoe fame), and numerous other islands are also part of the National territory.

The current population is just over 15 million, with more than a third concentrated around the capital Santiago. Chile has a highly varied geography as well as numerous climates. In the far north, between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific coast, lies the Atacama Desert, the most arid desert in the world. This area is characterized by its mineral wealth, fishing, and industry, all of which have given rise to its main cities and ports. Its cities and warm-water beaches, the high valleys and towns of the Andes, and old nitrate offices lend this region its greatest tourist attractions. From the city of La Serena south, the countryside begins to get greener due to the sporadic rains that fall over the small transversal valleys that run from east to west between mountain ranges that reach from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful city of La Serena, with its beaches, resorts and other sites of interest, attracts thousands of tourists every year, and has become an important tourist center.

The central valley is born slightly north of Santiago, Chile’s capital, and extends south between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Mountain Range for approximately 1,000 km to the city of Puerto Montt. Most of the country’s population and economic activity is concentrated in this long valley. Tourism is of great importance throughout the central valley, and is centered on its beautiful beaches, lakes and volcanoes, rivers with outstanding fishing, and lovely cities where visitors receive a warm welcome and excellent service. Chile’s geography changes markedly to the south of Puerto Montt, where the continent breaks up into countless islands, channels, rivers, and glaciers, all amidst exuberant native vegetation that reaches to the very ocean shore, offering ideal surroundings for adventure tourism or for simply enjoying an intimate contact with nature. This is the area where we find the Futaleufu.

Finally at the southernmost tip of continental Chile, and reaching across all of Tierra del Fuego, lies the Patagonian Pampa. The city of Punta Arenas, with its old mansions and unique attractiveness, is the natural point of departure for places of particular interest and beauty such as Torres del Paine, Fuerte Bulnes, and the Antarctic continent.