Futaleufu - a landscape painted by god!
The Rio Futaleufu is world class!
With many Class IV and V rapids the quality of whitewater is unbelievable. However it is not just the rapids that make the Futaleufu so famous. Situated in the heart of Patagonia the turquoise water colour provides a dramatic setting with tower mountains all around, Condors soaring high add to the ambience of being deep in the heart of Patagonia.
The locals of the Futaleufu valley are super friendly and welcoming. They like to take time out of their day to sit down and talk to you about where you are from and how life is there over a maté (a type of loose leaf green tea that is drunk through a metal straw). As well as listening to stories of afar, they love to tell you about life in the Futaleufu valley.
The Futaleufu is one of our top ten rivers in the world, so why not come along on one of our trips and let us show you just what makes the river and valley so so special.
Tour Overview
By far the easiest way to reach the Futaleufu is by taking an internal flight from Buenos Aires to Esquel in Argentina. Esquel is close to the border of Chile, we will meet you at the airport and drive the couple of hours back into Chile and onto our accommodation for the duration of our time in Patagonia.
Later in the day we fit out our kayaks, then relax in the evening with maybe a change to see a mighty condor soaring high above us.
The following 10 days we will be kayaking various sections and rapids of the Rio Futaleufu, whether it is a warm up on the El Macal section or the lower part of the Bridge to Bridge section, the plan is to get you used to the strength and gradient of the Futaleufu before kayaking the more challenging rapids.
Once we have got the gradient and volume of the river dialled in, we spend time getting to know the lines and moves on the Bridge to Bridge section. Be it the Class IV Entrada rapid, or Pillow rapid through to the famous Mundaca, a class V- just below the Cara del Indio campsite there are plenty of opportunities to work on technique, maintain the line and of course have a whole lot of fun on this stunning river.
If everything is going well and we are paddling the Bridge to Bridge section confidently and dynamically, we can start checking out rapids and sections such as the Terminator and Casa del Piedra and if the stars aline and the levels are good we can go and explore the Inferno Canyon!
However, it is not all full on paddling. There are a couple of tributaries of the Futaleufu such as the Rio Azul and Rio Espolon that we can also head to and kayak for a bit more of a chilled days kayaking in the Futaleufu Valley.
The final evening we make a typical Patagon Asado (bbq), hopefully see the condors soaring above and if we are really lucky, get to the see the stars shining brightly over the Futaleufu Valley. The following morning we drop you back off in Esquel for your flight out of Patagonia.
Whatever rapids or sections we end up kayaking in the Futaleufu, we will have made plenty of memories and great times kayaking, hanging out, exploring and just enjoy being in such a special place in the heart of Patagonia.
Practicalities
Why us?
We are a professional kayak school based in the heart of the Austrian Alps. We have a strong reputation for coaching, guiding and our trips runs like clockwork! Yes, we spend a lot of our time planning and preparing so that our trips run as smooth as silk which means you get more time to spend on the river. If we say we start at 0900, then we are there by the truck ready to go. Our kayak school has been operating for over 15 years and some of us have over 32 years of experience in teaching kayaking, leading expeditions and exploring some of the remotest places on the planet. We are extremely proud of our Team here at Kayak School Arlberg, their coaching and guiding are second to none, we do not employ any kayaker or someone who is trying to extend their holiday, this is what our guides and instructors do for a living and they love it! Some have represented their country at canoe slalom, others are assessors and trainers for Paddle UK but what stands out the most is their love of whitewater kayaking. All of our guides/instructors/coaches are fully qualified through either Paddle UK (formally British Canoeing) or the American Canoe Association so whether you are looking to improve your technique while kayaking the Futaleufu or getting tips on how to nail that move or keep that line, our team of coaches and guides will be more than happy to share their knowledge with you!
Our Futaleufu Kayak Trip is run by Chilean Josefa with Axel, plus Steve (the boss) is also part of the crew.
To find out more about professional and World Class Team just follow the link.
Experience Required
You should have plenty of experience of kayaking Class 3 and Class 4 whitewater such as the Sanna, Landeck Gorge and the Lower Oetz in Austria at good levels. Your roll should be good. Chile’s river classifications tend to be solid so if the majority of rivers you are kayaking are Class 3(4) then we suggest you check out our No Stress Pucon Kayaking Class 3 Trip. We will be kayaking for around 4-5 hours a day so though you do not need to be an Olympic athlete, you should have a certain amount of paddle fitness and stamina.
If you are not too sure you have the right experience for our Patagonia Kayak Road Trip then just get in touch. Our team have kayaked all over the world and so we will have some idea of your experience and ability once we have spoken to you.
Patagonia Kayaking Season
Since we are in the Southern Hemisphere, everything is the opposite. Spring in Chile is October/November, Summer is December/January/February and Autumn is March/April. Our Patagonia Kayak Trip can run from Christmas through to March!
As it is Patagonia the weather can be unpredictable, you can and should expect 4 seasons in a day. We have had beautiful sunny days with little wind to classic Patagonia storms that set in for a few days!
Group Composition
Our ratios are extremely low, be it in Austria, India, Peru or Chile! The ratio of the group is no more than 1 guide to 3 guests! We will also not take more than 6 guests on this trip! This gives you plenty of whitewater action with the opportunity to become a much more all rounded confident kayaker where you can see the guide or instructors line down the rapid and with such small group sizes you also feel secure and have more contact to your guide/instructor! This is why we like to keep our group sizes small!
Accommodation
We spend our nights in Cabañas (wooden cabins). They are the perfect place to relax, get a good nights sleep and of course when it is raining or the wind is howling, there is plenty of space for everyone to chill out before enjoying their meal! If it is cold and rainy then we light the log fire to make the cabin nice and toasty, it is also an ideal way to dry out our thermals and kayaking kit ready for the following days kayaking! There is nothing better than putting on dry, toasty kit before heading out in the Patagonia weather!!
There is no need to rough it on our trips!!
Food & Drink
Food can be a real highlight in Chile. Throughout the Patagonia Kayak Trip we eat extremely well with a mixture of cuisines from Europe, South America and also India. Our curries are renowned with our guests and though not spicy they contain amazing flavours and are a real highlight. Also let’s not forget the asado Patagon - a local sheep that has been carved open and is cooked over a fire throughout the afternoon and evening. It is full of flavour and a real treat. However, if you are a vegetarian then we have some flavoursome options that are roasted over the fire! The spring water is so pure and is extremely refreshing. We also have different tea options and we take our freshly roasted coffee down to Patagonia from Madd Goat Coffee Roasters in Pucon, one of our core partners in Chile.
Beer and wine can also be purchased on the way to the Futaleufu or in the village itself.
Transport
We have our own 4x4 pick up truck that will be our main workhorse on the Patagonia Kayak Trip, depending on the group size we may have an extra vehicle to make life a little more comfortable on those Patagonia roads. If we use just one vehicle we have a small dirt bike (motorbike) that we do the shuttle with!
Kayaks and Equipment
We have a bunch of kayaks out in Chile and paddles for you to use. We teach a modern, dynamic style of kayaking and so our equipment represents that. With various models of kayaks from Waka, Spade and Zet available and our paddles are either from AT or Striebel Designs/Spade.
For more information about our kayak and paddle models just get in touch. We have kayaks that fit even the smallest paddler to some of the biggest!
Kayak and paddles are included in the price of our trips!
Click on our kayaking equipment to find out more..
Dates & Prices
Tour Dates
We have tours planned on the following dates:
23 Dec 2025 - 03 Jan 2026
08 - 19 February 2026
No dates to suit your plans? Just let us know through the contact form, we are pretty flexible here at the Kayak School trying to give you more of a chance to make that dream trip to Chile.
Tour price
The cost of our Patagonia Kayak Trip is EUR 4000.- per person
Like we said we guarantee to run our trips with just a minimum of 2 persons, however if there are 4 people or more then the price will be cheaper.
Included in the price is:
All coaching and guiding from fully qualified and extremely experienced Expedition Kayakers and Instructors / Guides
Full Board Accommodation - Rustic wooden cabins (cabañas) based on 2 people sharing and wholesome, healthy meals cooked by ourselves.
Private 4x4 truck and fuel throughout the trip
Transfer to and from Esquel Airport in Argentina.
Modern whitewater kayak and paddle.
Not Included in the price is:
Visas & permits, passport and vaccination charges
International Flights
Medical & Kayak Insurance, laundry, personal clothing and any items of a personal nature
Medical expenses or Emergency evacuation charges
Alcohol for the duration of the trip
Domestic Flights or Bus Journeys
Excess baggage charges both international and domestic
