Adventure in Futaleufu, Puyuhuapi and Coyhaique

Adventure in Futaleufu, Puyuhuapi and Coyhaique on the Carretera Austral in Patagonia, Chile.

Now that I’m back in Australia for a little while I will be able to update you all a bit more regularly about my incredible adventures. While I was still in South America I had already kick started my posts about Patagonia. I figured that would be a great place to continue from. If you want to read from the beginning of my posts about Patagonia then you should check out these posts about Refugio Frey, the best hikes in Bariloche, and camping and hiking in Pumalin Park. My 10 week update on New Zealand, Chile, Bolivia and Patagonia also gives a great overview of where I went and what I experienced during my time in this beautiful section of the globe.

Adventure awaits at the Queulat Hanging Glacier on the Carretera Austral in Chile.

For today’s guide I want to take you again to the stunning remote highway in Chilean Patagonia; the Carretera Austral. This was by far one of the best parts of my entire trip. As you continue down the Carretera Austral from Pumalin Park you will find yourself coming across more and more places full of adventure. The next three big stops along this beautifully remote highway are Futaleufu, Puyuhuapi and Coyhaique. Each of these places have their own unique adventure draw cards and are necessary stops along your way down to Southern Patagonia.

Rafting Adventure in Futaleufu

What to Do

This is definitely one of the adventure capitals of Chile, particularly if you are into water sports. Futaleufu river is ranked in the top three best rivers in the world for white water rafting along with rivers in Colorado and Zambia. There are a variety of companies operating out of the town. They all offer a range of difficulty levels from beginners, to intermediate and then more advanced for the true adventure junkies.

Getting smashed on one of the first rapids down Futaleufu River on the Carretera Austral.

After speaking with a very experienced white water rafter I met in Chaiten, he convinced me to head straight to Outdoor Patagonia to book my rafting day. And that is exactly what I did. They were very professional, friendly and their photographer was amazing. The meal they provided when we got back to town was delicious local cuisine and an added bonus.

The Cost

The cost for a half day of class IV and V rapids was $50,000.00 CLP ($108.00 AUD). You can also choose to add a couple of extra class V runs in at the end of the river for an additional $15,000.00 CLP ($32.00 AUD). I highly recommend adding the extra section as this was one of the most exciting and fun parts of the run.

What’s Included

The price includes all of your safety gear, wetsuit, booties and instructions at the start. The guides who go on the raft with you are very experienced and speak both Spanish and English. Once you return you can also pay for the group professional photos, costing around $3,000.00 CLP ($6.50 AUD) per person. The photographer is out on the water with you in a white water kayak getting all of the best action shots. The photos are definitely worth getting and I love all of mine.

Where to Stay

There are a variety of options for accommodation in Futaleufu, as it is one of the more tourist driven towns along the Carretera Austral. In saying that though, this town is still barely considered a tourist town given it’s remote location. It still has a beautiful, small, remote town feel to it and is surrounded by a gorgeous mountain backdrop.

Hostel

In addition to being an adventure company, Outdoor Patagonia is also a hostel, bar and restaurant so this could be an all in one option if you don’t have camping gear with you. This will be a more expensive way to go though, at around $14,000.00 CLP ($30.00 AUD) per night.

Nothing but smiles, the whole way! Psstt – I’m the one with the yellow helmet!

Camping

If you are wanting to save some money, meet some more locals and practise your Spanish then I would recommend camping while in Futaleufu. This is what I did, and it was a large part of the adventure and fun while I was there. It also allowed me to really dig deep into the local culture and get some off the mountain use out of my tent.

A lot of the campsites are in locals’ backyards. They have converted their properties to provide electricity, running water, showers and toilets. This style of accommodation also means you will be paying only $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 CLP ($6.50 to $11.00 AUD) per night. You can also negotiate a cheaper price if you stay multiple nights or with a group of people. An added bonus of the campsites is that it is a great opportunity to meet some local Chilean people. Residents of the cities, Santiago and Concepcion often travel south on camping trips to the Carretera Austral around the summer months. You will be sure to meet a few if you take the camping option.

Best Time to Go

As with most river adventure spots the best time of year to go is in the Spring from September to November. This is when the river is the fullest. This will mean that all of the rapids are at their best. Summer, from December to February is also perfect as you will have a lot of beautiful sunny days and the rapids will still be amazing. You can also go in the shoulder season towards the end of Summer and beginning of Autumn. Don’t leave it too late though or the rapids will have slowed down too much. The Carretera Austral will also begin to close down to tourism if it gets too close to Winter.

Less people, I know, but we didn’t lose them. They just didn’t want to brave the REALLY BIG rapids!

Getting There and Away

If you have already been to Pumalin Park then this is the next stop on your way South along the Carretera Austral. As mentioned in my previous post on Pumalin Park, you can catch a bus from Chaiten to Futaleufu for $4,000.00 CLP ($8.50 AUD). Getting to the next stop along the way, Puyuhuapi is a little more challenging than previous stops in Patagonia. While there are no direct buses from Futaleufu to Puyuhuapi, it isn’t impossible.

You can catch a bus from Futaleufu to Villa Santa Lucia. This town is located in between Chaiten and La Junta for around $1,500.00 CLP ($3.00 AUD). Once you reach Villa Santa Lucia you can wait for the bus that is travelling from Chaiten to La Junta and get on halfway. These are not frequent or guaranteed so another option is to hitchhike from Villa Santa Lucia to La Junta, or if possible as far as Puyuhuapi. This is the option I took and it was a lot more fun than a bus anyway.

Hiking Adventure in Puyuhuapi and the Queulat Hanging Glacier

Puyuhuapi

When you arrive in Puyuhuapi you will see a tiny, quaint little village on the water surrounded by fjords. It is quite the spectacle and the main access point for the hiking adventures of the Queulat National Park. This is a good spot to fill up on cooking supplies for the national park. There is a tiny mini-market, a butcher and a bakery on the main street. These three shops should have all you need for the next few nights.

Once there, you can then decide whether you want to stay the night here or camp inside the Queulat National Park. This will likely depend on where your hitchhiking lift is headed. It may also depend on how long you plan to stay and how in love you are with the tiny town. We were lucky that the people who picked us up needed supplies from the town and were also camping in the National Park so we were able to get a lift to both.

Queulat National Park Entrance and Camping

If you opt to camp inside the national park then you need to ensure you arrive at the park ranger checkpoint prior to 5.00pm. They do not allow access after this time to the hikes or camping and are very strict with the timing. We almost weren’t let in at 5.03pm until my Chilean friend negotiated safe passage for us!!

The entrance to the National Park is $5,000.00 CLP ($11.00 AUD) and only needs to be paid once for the duration of your time there. The camping is an additional $5,000.00 CLP ($11.00 AUD). It includes sectioned off camp sites, a cooking shelter, running water, a shower and toilets. These showers have hot water but only during certain times.

Queulat Hanging Glacier

A rainforest and a glacier at the same time really was something I had never experienced.

The Queulat Hanging Glacier is the main adventure draw card for the National Park and this section of the Carretera Austral. The main hike is called the Sendero Mirador de Ventisquero Colgante. It is approximately 3.3km in total and takes around 2.5 hours for the return trip. While the hike is not that long it can be quite steep and muddy at some points. The views of the hanging glacier are quite beautiful at the top and worth the hike.

There is an alternative access point to view the hanging glacier at Laguna Tempanos. This route is a lot more accessible for anyone with mobility issues or for children. If you are in the National Park you could also take the time to do both. This secondary view point is only a 15 minute walk away from the main hike.

Enchanted Forest

Wandering through a real life fairytale.

Your entrance ticket for the Queulat National Park also includes entrance to the Enchanted Forest Walk. This interesting walk is a little further down the Carretera Austral. It used to be a walk through the forest to a frozen lake. Due to a recent flood in the area, only 800m of the trail is still accessible for now. If you are passing by and are able to stop easily then it is still worth having a look. It really does feel like you are on an enchanted fairytale adventure and it’s something you have to experience for yourself to really know what I mean.

Chilled Adventure in Coyhaique

Coyhaique is the halfway point along the Carretera Austral. It is also the only major city you will find in this whole section of Patagonia. Whilst it doesn’t have much to offer in the way of adventure it is usually a pitstop for most people heading along this highway for resupply and recuperation.