Río Fuy: Flowing into Lago Panguipulli, this river is best of the steep runs in Chile. This crystal-clear river tumbles down the Andean hillsides in a series of pool-drop rapids, including five impressive waterfalls. There are also several worldclass Class III play sections along the way. This river is a steep creekers paradise overlooked by the snowcapped Choshuenco Volcano.

During the days of paddling we select the appropriate section for your trip, usually starting with the easiest sections and climaxing to the most challenging. The shuttles are very short, giving us plenty of time for post-paddling activities: horseback riding, guided dory trips, trout fishing or relaxing at the beach are a few popular options. The base camp for the Río Fuy is the town of Choshuenco, population 620. Here we stay in a small inn dining on hearty Chilean food. This modest, friendly village is located on the black-sandy beaches of Lago Panguipulli.

The five main sections of the Rio Fuy

Section One: The Upper Fuy (from Lago Pirehueico to Las Leonas Falls). This action-packed Class IV run begins on the tranquil waters of Lago Pirihueico. In a lush tropical setting with dense trees and overhanging vines, the river falls away from the lake with pool-drop rapids continuous enough to keep you on your toes. There is a small play hole about halfway down the run and several surf waves just upstream of Las Leonas Falls which marks the end of Section One. There you may opt to take out, leaving the waterfalls and Class IV stretch of Section Two for another time ... or continue on downstream.

Section Two: The Falls of the Upper Fuy
With five impressive drops, Section Two is the steep creeker’s Class IV paradise stretching from Las Leonas Falls to where the river meets the road. The kayak run begins in a small pool just above Las Leonas Falls - a 28-footer - that can be run or portaged. Immediately below the plunge there is another 12-foot drop followed by a mile of assorted falls and steep slides. This is an adrenaline-charged section of whitewater.

Section X: Beneath section two there is a couple of miles of flatwater. Then the rapids pick up into an unrunnable section that leads into the overwhelming spectacular Huilo Huilo Falls, a 35-meter drop of height into a clean deep pool. This unrunnable drop is in a stunning fern and forested setting with good access to views and a great swim in the pool below. For the next two miles there are numerous unrunnable falls over 10 meters where the river mellows out into section three.

Section Three: (from put-in to first bridge)
The Middle Fuy, a class 4 section, starts off with a bang. The put-in is within sight of the most difficult drop of this section, a 10-foot ledge drop right into another rapid. The remainder of the run takes us through a boulder-strewn river bed with countless eddies to catch and holes to surf. On the Class 4/5 kayaking trips this section will usually be run in conjunction with Section Four.

Section Four: (Rafting - From the concrete bridge to the wooden bridge)
The Lower Fuy – a class 3+ section at certain levels, is a playboaters/ paddlers paradise. It begins at an awesome play spot. It runs downstream through a boulder garden with countless eddies and surf waves.

Section Five: (Rafting – From wooden bridge to lake)
The Lower Fuy, a less intense class 2-3 section, takes us on the last leg of the Rio Fuy’s journey and into Lago Panguipulli. The river widens as the gradient levels off offering amazing views of the surrounding volcanoes. This is the perfect warm-up run for the Class 3 and 4- trips. There are plenty of places to practice surfing, ferries, eddy catching and combat rolls. At the confluence with the lake we will paddle the short distance back to the sandy beach near our inn.

Other Fuy-Futa Safari Rivers

Río San Pedro: (Kayaking & Rafting)
It is a fun-filled and action-packed Class 3/4 big water run with numerous play waves and a retentive play hole. The water is warm and crystal clear enabling you to carefully inspect the unique lava flows. In places the river is only a few feet deep. In others, the bottom disappears out of sight.
The base camp for the Rio San Pedro is a small hotel in the town of Panguipulli – with a population of 10,321 this charming town is famous for its Festival of Roses and its beachside setting. It is just big enough to have an authentic Chilean night life.

Río Enco: (Kayaking & Rafting)
This class 2-3 river flows between two beautiful lakes, a mile across the open lake from our hotel in Choshuenco. Although the water is big, the routes are clearly defined and fun to paddle. There are plenty of good play spots. We save this for Class III trips.

Río Neltume: (Kayaking & Rafting)
Flowing from the warm and clear Neltume Lake, this class 2/3 river is a short tributary of the Fuy. With a shallow shore put-in it is ideal for working on our rolls and tuning up our forward strokes before the mile long Neltume. This section of rapids is drop/pool, which does require some precise maneuvering. This is a good intro to the region’s technical paddling.




Argentina Safari - Custom Trip

Our Andean and Multi-sport Safari trip has the option to run Río Manso in Argentina and drive on south to Futaleufu.

Our Route:
Getting there: After we depart the Río San Pedro we spend the night at a lake-side hotel near Entre Lagos. The following morning, we drive into the Chilean National Park, Puyehue. We enter Argentina at the top of the Andes with a dramatic view into Argentina’s Nahuel Haupi National Park. As you pass along the shore of this very large lake, Lago Nahuel Haupi, your view of Bariloche (100,000 habitants)will begin to appear. In this park we find the best and most diverse whitewater run in Argentina, the Río Manso.



Bariloche, Argentina

Bariloche: is the gateway to the Rio Manso. Bariloche is a rather large Patagonian city most known for its ski area and the stone-cathedral: the Aspen of Argentina.

Futaleufu Area: Bound for the Futaleufu from Argentina you will traverse an arid and colorful area that will remind you of parts of the American West. This is called the Patagonia Steppe or Estepa Patagonia. (Butch Cassidy and Sundance hung out here when they were on the run!) As you get your first glimpse of the massive range of mountains you’ll be entering the birthplace of the Futaleufu, a dramatic contrast.

Southern Patagonia Safari - Custom Trip

Getting there: We arrive for the Austral Safari trip by flying to Coyhaique and exploring this area as we travel north to Futaleufu. We're excited about sharing such an adventure in this area and it should be seen and admired now while still in its present state. We will stay at quaint inns at each river. Three of the rivers are significantly more remote than the others, less developed and therefore contain some runs that are much harder. This is frontier land at its best!!!

Southern Patagonia Safari Rivers

In this trip we run interesting river always surrounded by spectacular scenery of Patagonia and its Austral Road.

Río Figueroa: (Class 4/5)
Río Cisnes: Multiple Sections (Class 4/5)
Río Manihuales: (Class III IV)

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