Pucon has gained a reputation as one of THE best kayaking towns not just in the Southern Hemisphere but on the planet! However, with conflicting reports and tales of either rivers being too big or with no water, here at the Kayak School Arlberg we have put together this blog to give you some idea of when to come to Pucon, Chile to kayak and to make sure that long flight was worthwhile!!
Kayaking a waterfall on the Upper Palguin in Pucon.
We have tried to divide up the seasons to give you some idea of climate, levels and popularity and also include topics and headers for those that wanting to kayak down those classic creeks in Pucon or are looking for more river running with pristine rivers and amazing colours. We have written this with kayakers that are Class 3, Class 4 and Class 5. If you are a Class 2 kayaker or even a beginner just get in touch with us to see what time of year is best to visit Pucon to enjoy those pristine rivers and white water!
However, we have first put a little bit about ourselves so that you can see the experience we have be it for leading trips, coaching and for the knowledge of the rivers of Pucon and Chile.
Spring Kayaking on the Lower Trancura in Pucon
Kayaking Seasons in Pucon
With each season in Pucon the weather and water levels dictate just what river will be pushy, high, low, medium volume, big volume, what creeks will be working and what waterfalls in Pucon can be kayaked.
We have also tried to explain the weather conditions, river levels and which of the classic rivers would be running.
Spring Kayaking Season in Pucon - October, November to the beginning of December
The Spring in Pucon is a local kayakers dream! In October and November the rivers are BIG and everything is running in Pucon. The snow is melting and the rains that fall top up the rivers quite a bit.
However, what this means is that everything is at the grade given or at least ½ a grade harder!!
Pucon, Chile has a reputation of under grading its rivers or drops so be very aware about coming to Pucon to kayak at this time of the year!
If I was to explain it in kayakers terms, you should be comfortable running sections on the River Oetz in Austria such as the Wellerbruecke, Middle Oetz or Upper Oetz at SOLID levels. If you have never kayaked in Austria then the equivalent would be something like the North Fork of the Payette in Idaho!!
As we get to the end of November and the beginning of December, the rivers drop a little and start to become more manageable and friendlier compared to a couple of weeks ago!! Again everything will be running and at a solid grade but by the end of November the rivers are not as intimidating and you will not need to go to the toilet as much before you put-in!!
Rivers and sections such as:
Upper Palguin, Lower Palguin, Upper Trancura, Lower Trancura, Rio Maichin, Rio Nevados, Puesco, Upper and Lower Licura will all be running with possibilities of a todo Palguin (a whole run of the Palguin) possible. Rivers close to Pucon such as: Lower Fuy, San Pedro and Truful Truful will all be at high levels.
It is extremely difficult to predict weather nowadays and of course trying to plan in advance is not that easy but here is a generalisation of the weather throughout the Spring…
October is cold and it can be snowing on the volcano but raining hard in the valley, this means the rivers that are already high will be getting even more of a top up from the rain. It can rain for weeks on end, just like it could be a dry spring. We have found it tends to be the former!!
By November it is warming up a bit, yes the rains will still fall and in the 2023 it rained pretty much for a month! Snow was falling up on the volcano and again the rivers were being topped by so much rainfall.
At the beginning of December you see quite a shift in the weather, the days are getting longer and the sun is out more. Of course there can be rain but nothing compared to the previous few months.
Summer Kayaking Season in Pucon - mid December through to February
Summer days in Pucon just cannot be beaten. What better way is there to disappear from the dark cold nights of the northern hemisphere!
In mid-December the majority of rivers and sections are still running in and around Pucon, maybe Rio Nevados has not enough water in it but everything else is still good to go! Depending on the snowfall and Spring season the rivers are generally around medium which makes for a much more pleasant time if you are coming to Pucon for the first time to kayak. You still have to remember that the grades given to the rivers and sections around Pucon tend to be lower than what you would find in Europe or North America. So be careful about making your wish list as some maybe a bit out of your reach.
Christmas and the New Year is also fun to be in Pucon, a Chilean Christmas has a very different feel and vibe to it than let’s say, Austria!! The rivers are good to go and what better way to celebrate Christmas or the New Year than dropping a waterfall, kayaking a river with pristine water or partying until the early hours to bring in the New Year!
In January the rivers are dropping and will be between low and medium depending on which section of river you will be kayaking. It is full Summer in Pucon with long days, hot weather and kayaking is the perfect way to cool down. We would recommend most Class 3-4 kayakers to come around December through to January as you will not feel too intimidated by the rapids and you can get way more out of your trip, rather than being stressed and worrying about the levels and how difficult the sections or rivers will be!
Which rivers will be running will depend on how much snow fell in the Winter and how cold and wet the Spring was! In January 2024 we had great levels with the majority of rivers running as the previous Spring was cold and wet. The sections and rivers that generally run are: Upper Palguin, Lower Trancura, Upper Trancura, Lower Liucura and if you are lucky you can get the Rio Maichin and Lower Palguin also! The surrounding rivers of Pucon such as the San Pedro and Truful Truful will also be working plus the sections of the Rio Fuy will also be working. The Upper is a beautiful waterfall river, the middle has a big waterfall that can be kayaked and of course the Lower Fuy is always fun!
We have not mentioned February and there is a reason! Do not come to Pucon in February as it is full with tourists, though the centre of town can handle it, the roads into Pucon and be chocked full of traffic and the tailback or jams can be over 4 kilometres long. If you are planning on coming in February, start real early but expect only to get half in compared to the Spring or Autumn. Usually the local kayakers will head south to Patagonia in February to escape the crowds of Pucon.
The weather will be hot, it is quite dry at this time of year with just the occasional shower in Pucon.
Autumn Kayaking Season in Pucon - March onwards
The crowds have disappeared from Pucon and the pace of life comes back to normal in the south of Chile. The rivers have dropped a lot around Pucon, though they are by no means empty! We find this is a great time for kayakers to come to Pucon when they are concerned about the grades of rivers as the majority of rivers are very different to the Spring time. We have had good Class 3-4 kayakers run the waterfalls of the Upper Palguin on their final days!
The rivers and sections in and around Pucon that will be running are: Lower Trancura, Upper Trancura, Lower Liucura, Upper Palguin. Outside and around Pucon the Rio San Pedro will be low but fun and the Lower Fuy will have some fantastic waves to surf!! Of course if there is some heavy rainfall then other sections of white water and rivers will come up in Pucon.
Though it is not as hot as the Summer, March is still a nice time to visit. The weather does become more unstable but with a few days of rain our list of rivers expands.
Winter Kayaking Season in Pucon - June onwards
The Winters in Pucon can be pretty grim, the locals are used to the wet weather and as long as you have a dry, warm place to stay with the possibility of drying out your kayaking equipment then it is manageable. The rivers are high, with some of them at huge levels and with these levels they no longer become commercial rivers. It is the height of the European Summer and I would suggest coming to Austria to kayak! The rivers are stunning, we have the longest season in the Alps, the mountains and scenery are spectacular and of course who does not like an Apfelstruedl?
So this is our guide to the best time to come and kayak in Pucon, Chile. We will be either adding to this or writing a new blog with more information for Beginners and Class 2 kayakers.
In the meantime, if you have any suggestions, advice or are looking at coming on a guided trip to Pucon, then please get in touch.
Kayaking the first waterfall on the Upper Palguin in Pucon
Our Guides - Instructors - Coaches
We are extremely proud of our Team here at Kayak School Arlberg. Our Coaches, Instructors and Guides have a huge amount of experience around the world. They have completed First Descents, exploring rivers where no-one has been before, opening up rivers that were hardly ever kayaked. Their coaching, instructing and guiding abilities are second to none be it through British Canoeing, the American Canoe Association or teaching in the prestigious UFRO University in Pucon Chile. Some of our team have represented their countries in Slalom and extreme kayaking but what makes them all stand out is their love of whitewater kayaking! So whether you are a Beginner, a Class 2 kayaker or a seasoned veteran our team will not only help you improve but develop your understanding of white water and of course have some great times on the river!
David Cortes
David comes from Villarrica, a town on the other side of the lake to Pucon. He was always surrounded by lakes and rivers and water has been a big part of his life. He learnt to kayak in the mecca that is Pucon and has spent time kayaking rivers all around the region and also in Patagonia where he has land on the Rio Futaleufu.
You will love following David down one of his home rivers in Chile, he has a certain style when he kayaks and his enthusiasm for kayaking and showing people his home rivers is infectious! Spending time on a river, leading rapids and showing the line while getting to make new kayaking friends is a pure highlight for David. He is super solid but also very accommodating to your needs whether you are a slightly nervous kayaker or looking to style a drop, David will help you attain your goal when you are kayaking with him in Chile.
David leads our Chile Kayaking Adventures and can teach and guide in Spanish and English.
Steve Brooks
Steve has been kayaking professionally now since 1998. He actually learnt to kayak while he was in the British Army, his boss was really impressed on how he taught soldiers to live and survive in a mountain and arctic environment and so he was sent off to become a kayak instructor and to gain more experience. This opened up a whole can of worms and his eyes to the possibility of kayaking professionally.
Steve spent years self-support kayaking on expeditions to some of the remotest rivers around the globe bagging some first descents along the way! From the Andes in South America, to the Himalayas in both India and Nepal, the Zambezi and White Nile in Africa and of course in and around his home in the heart of the Austrian Alps.
Steve is renowned for his coaching with over 25 years of experience he has continually strived to develop and update his coaching style and techniques. Be it a Class 2 kayaker trying to work on their eddy skills or ferry gliding, to the Class 4 kayakers wanting to learn how to boof and nail those steeper drops, Steve will certainly help you to achieve your goal while here at Kayak School Arlberg. With all this experience he has a great understand of the needs of kayakers, including working with nervous paddlers or those who have lost their confidence and along with this comes an immense amount of patience.
Being able to coach and teach at such a high level will help you develop as a white water kayaker and will open a new chapter in your river running.
Steve can teach in English, German and Spanish.
Yiyi
My name is Yisseth, though everyone on the river knows me as Yiyi. I'm 29 years old and proudly from Neltume, a small village on the banks of the amazing Rio Fuy in southern Chile. I consider myself a daughter of the Fuy River - for me, the best river in the world and of course my home river! That connection with the river has shaped my destiny.
Since I was little, I've had a restless spirit. That energy is what drives me to practice not only kayaking but also climbing, skiing, and trail running. For me, life on the move isn't a hobby, it's a necessity. My free time is a perfect balance between the adrenaline rush of kayaking the amazing rivers that we have here in and around Pucon and the beauty of motherhood, proving that both worlds can coexist.
When I'm not paddling for myself, I'm sharing my knowledge. I currently teach at the University of La Frontera in Pucón and the San Sebastián University in Santiago focusing on training new guides for whitewater both kayaking and rafting. I firmly believe that adventure tourism is a transformative tool especially when out in the blue space of a river. I love to see my students gain not only whitewater river skills but also life skills that they can take with them on the journey and careers. It is amazing to see these young adults mature into professional whitewater guides showing not only Chileans but also tourists from all over South America and other countries throughout the wold leading and guiding people down some of the most beautiful rivers on the planet.
I love sharing the Chilean rivers with the guests from Kayak School Arlberg and I have seen how much more relaxed they seem to get when I style the line. However, it is not just me styling it, I really enjoy coaching the guests so that they too can nail that boof, drop or big waterfall.
Francisca Almedra
For Fran, adventure has always been a way of life. Growing up traveling through Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Europe, she developed a deep curiosity for the world and a passion for connecting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Having grown up traveling across Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Europe, she developed a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
Known for her confidence behind the wheel as much as on the river, Francisca is a skilled driver who can navigate everything from winding mountain roads to remote river access points with ease. When she’s not sharing her passion for rivers, she can often be found exploring new places, seeking out fresh adventures, or preparing delicious meals inspired by the many cultures and countries she has encountered throughout her travels.
Above all, Francisca is the proud mother of a beautiful young daughter, whose curiosity, energy, and love of adventure inspire her every day.
When Fran is not driving she enjoys her other passions, white water kayaking where she is a confident Class 2 kayaker and cooking delicious meals for our guests inspired by the many places she has explored!
Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, Francisca combines her professional training with years of hands-on experience working with diverse groups of paddlers.
We hope this adds a little clarification to what you have read and heard about kayaking in and around Pucon.
Buenas Lineas!