Exchile Home  
 
 
Travel Information Home

Additional Travel Information:
Trip Reservation Process
Pre-Departure Checklist
En-Route Guidance
What to Expect in Futaleufu
Frequently Asked Questions

Condor Nest Ranch
Tres Monjas Eco-Camp

Why go with Expediciones Chile?
Adventure Philosophy
Streamlined Transportation
True Cultural Immersion
Amenities, Lodging & Gourmet Cuisine

Chile Fishing Whitewater Guide School Kayak Futaleufu River Patagonia Canyoning Mountain Biking Holidays Equestrian Vacations Patagonia Trekking Futaleufu River Rafting Sea Kayaking in Patagonia Kayak School Patagonia Eco-Tours Skiing in Argentina Educational Courses Web in Spanish Whitewater Rafting Chile Trekking Horseback Riding Vacations Mountain Biking Trips Canyoning in Chile Whitewater Kayaking Chile Sea Kayaking Kayak Instruction River Guide School Chile Fly Fishing Patagonia Eco-Tours Skiing in Chile Courses in Chile Web in Spanish Chile Rafting Patagonia Trekking Horseback Riding in Chile Mountain Biking Holidays Patagonia Canyoneering Chile Kayaking Sea Kayaking in Chile Kayak School River Guide School Fly Fishing in Chile Patagonia Eco-Tours Skiing in Chile Educational Courses in Chile Web in Spanish

 Patagonia Information:
Weather & Climate
Region & River Maps
Patagonia Guidebooks
Patagonia Travel Information
Guide to Secrets of Patagonia


ExChile in the Press

Office:
Traveling to Chile
Skill Evaluator
Calendar & Prices
Sign-up Information
Packing Lists
Travel Insurance
Contact Us

Website Map

Airfare Buses and Taxis Hotels & Lodging Options Travel Insurance Alternate Options Airfare Buses and Taxis Hotels & Lodging Options Travel Insurance


Futaleufu via Bus/Ferries/Fjords

Brief Route Description:
If you have time, flexibility, enjoy making arrangements yourself, and enjoy traveling as the locals travel this is the route for you.  For those that feel getting there is half the fun this could be the route for you. Spanish skills help as there are lots of moving parts.   An extra day can help. Spectacular Fjords and glaciers to be viewed as you walk around on the Ferry.  This is also the route recommended for Exchile Guides/interns/ employees to get to Futaleufu with a kayak. This route is subsidized by the Chilean government and is economical. If you find a good  from your hometown to Puerto Montt it is the economical way to get to Futaleufu. At the end of this document there is special information about traveling with kayaks in Chile.

Purchase a ticket from your home town to Santiago with a thru fare to Puerto Montt. (Latam and American have thru fares to Puerto Montt).  Taking a kayak can be sensitive. However those that covered their kayak with a bag or tape cardboard over to protect it, have been successful calling it a surf kayak and flying with it.  It has to be under 43 kilos even if you're paying for oversize bags.



Via Puerto Montt, Chaiten, Chile


Arrival:

1. Arrive: Puerto Montt by early bus, or flight day before.
2. Bus/Ferries/Fjords: Departure 7 am, Puerto Montt to Chaiten.
3. Bus:
Transfer 5 pm, Chaiten to Futaleufu.
4. Futaleufu:
Arrive 8 pm, walk to your Hotel (3 blocks).
5. Trip starts: At Exchile office at 11 am.



End of Exchile Adventure:

1. Drop Off: At hotel in Futaleufu (5pm).
2. Bus:
Departs 6 am Futaleufu to Chaiten.
3. Bus/Ferries/Fjords:
Departs Chaiten,11am.
4. Arrive:
Puerto Montt 9 pm.
5. To Santiago:
By overnight bus or next day flight.









Arrival Santiago International Airport (SCL):
Clear International Police, grab your bags then clear customs. Take your baggage to check in upstairs at the counter. If you have a thru fare Latam airlines will respect the same baggage allowance you flew with internationally. IF you have changed to Sky Airlines you may have to pay for your bags again.

Employees of Exchile with kayaks. Let them know that it flew in with you internationally and call it a surf yak. This has worked, but officially they do not fly kayaks. If they do not take it ask them to schedule you on a later flight and follow the directions below on how to get a kayak to Futaleufu. Fly to Puerto Montt.

Bus:  If you are taking a bus to Puerto Montt you should take the bus from the Santiago Airport to the Tur Bus Terminal. First check the TurBus station. You will want a bus that arrives early in Puerto Montt around 6:35 am to connect with the bus to Chaiten and Futaleufu. TurBus  has scheduled a bus that leaves Santiago at 5:15 pm arrives at the Puerto Montt terminal at 6:35 am.


Arrive Puerto Montt Airport Tepual (PMC): Take the airport bus to the Puerto Montt bus terminal.  

Arrive Puerto Montt Bus Terminal:
How do i get to Futaleufu from Puerto Montt?  
When one travels south of Puerto Montt you are entering the frontier. Ferry and Bus transport are subsidized by the government. The bus crosses three different fjords on a ferry where you can walk around and enjoy the incredible spectacular views. (Each summer the the schedules may change slightly if the ferries change their schedule the bus has to change theirs. This write up gives an overview.  Be sure to check the links for the latest updates. Our page updated June 8, 2017.

Map How to Get to Futaleufú:



a. Bus tickets to Chaiten can only can be purchased at the Puerto Montt Bus Terminal.  Find the Kemel bus counter. Kemel bus schedule and information. If the two morning buses have departed, purchase a ticket for the following morning from Puerto Montt to Chaiten and spend the night in Puerto Montt.*** Morning buses depart normally at 7 am. When you arrive in Chaiten you need to get off the bus and enter the bus office proactively to purchase the connecting bus ticket for the final leg to Futaleufu. You will have to pay an additional small fare but you and the passengers arriving from Puerto Montt will have priority to fill the Chaiten to Futaleufu Bus.  And this bus is bigger. They will be saving a seat for you.  You will arrive in Futaleufu in the evening.

*** b. If you are looking for more adventure and prefer not to spend the night in Puerto Montt, at the Kemel counter at the Puerto Montt Bus Terminal, purchase the full ticket for the following day from Puerto Montt to Chaiten. Then check to see if you can purchase another ticket (6 buses a day) for the very next bus to Hornopiren. In addition tell the ticket agent that you will be getting on the bus the following day in Hornopiren even though you paid the entire fare from Puerto Montt. Tell the office to make sure the driver saves your seat that you purchased. Hornopiren is a little village on the second fjord in route to Chaiten.  Glaciers, Fjords and seafood. Before you search for a bed and breakfast, find the bus office and confirm with them where the bus will be in the morning.  The following early morning bus from Puerto Montt to Chaiten will stop in Hornopiren (1 bus a day). You need to get on it before it gets on to the next Ferry.  In Chaiten a connecting bus will meet you and take you to Futaleufu.  Nicolas LaPenna manager at the bus terminal in Chaiten speaks English  if you need any help. +56 652.731.429 Futaleufu: Our Expediciones Chile office is at Gabriela Mistral 296 a couple of blocks from the bus station in Futaleufu.  +56.65.272.1386

c. Three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays) there is a direct overnight ferry from Puerto Montt to Chaiten departing between 10 and 11 pm. From the Puerto Montt bus terminal take a taxi to the ferry office and purchase the ticket for the overnight voyage to Chaiten.  This allows for an connection on the early bus from Chaiten to Futaleufu arriving in the afternoon.



Baggage tags for the Bus/Ferries/Fjords route.  


NAME:

Cielomaraustral/Expediciones Chile
Mireya Gonzalez

Volcan Corocovado 5582, Torre L, Dept 306

Puerto Montt
CHILE

+56.65.26.36.54 small airline office.
+56.65.562.639 exchile office

 

NAME:

Cielomaraustral/Expediciones Chile
Mireya Gonzalez

Volcan Corocovado 5582, Torre L, Dept 306

Puerto Montt
CHILE

+56.65.26.36.54 small airline office.
+56.65.562.639 exchile office



Emergency numbers

+56.65.26.36.54 small airline office.

+56.65.562.639 exchile office

+1.208.329.2901 whatsapp

Contact: http://www.exchile.com

Emergency numbers

+56.65.26.36.54 small airline office.

+56.65.562.639 exchile office

+1.208.329.2901 whatsapp

Contact: http://www.exchile.com


For Guides, Interns and employees.
It is recommended that employees or interns that are planning to paddle outside of work bring their own kayak or purchase one in Chile. At the end of the season one can resell it in Chile or Argentina and recover most of their cost. The value of a used kayak most certainly is worth more in Chile or Argentina than in your home country. It is required that you bring all your own paddling and rescue gear. See employee packing List.

Transporting Kayaks to Futaleufu. How do I get a kayak to Futaleufu?
How do I get a kayak from Santiago to Puerto Montt if i am not flying with it. The buses  do not have space to transport kayaks but you can ship it with Varmont Cargo.  Varmont is walking distance from the main bus terminal in Estacion Central area in Santiago.

Transportes Varmont
San Borja #201,
Estacion Central Santiago

Nico Vial of KayakGearSantiago in Santiago can meet your flight and transport you and your kayak to  Transportes Varmont to be shipped to Futaleufu, then drop you off for your bus. Write or call him in advance.  nicovial@kayakgearsantiago.cl   +56 9 5112 6251

How do I get a kayak from Puerto Montt to Futaleufu:
If the kayak arrives as baggage on your flight  find a vehicle that can take you and your kayak from the airport to the address below of our trucker that can transport your kayak to Futaleufu.  In Puerto Montt there are many pickup trucks called Fletes that transport cargo around Puerto Montt much like taxis. Do a search or ask someone at the airport if they could call you “a camioneta por fletes”. Ask the driver if could drop you off at the bus terminal or ferry office after dropping the kayak. It is best, as a foreigner, to always ask the price before you committ.

Transporte Patagonia  
Transports cargo and kayaks from Puerto Montt to Futaleufu.
In charge of receiving kayaks in Puerto Montt: Jorge Barria (+56 96.494.8312)
Trucker: Johnny Inostroza
Warehouse: Presidente Ibanez 1323
Puerto Montt
CHILE

They should be labeled ship to:
Expediciones Chile
Chris and Rosi Spelius
Gabriela Mistral 296
Futaleufu.
+56.652.721.386
Pay and ask for a receipt.  Label  the kayak with your name and exchile data.

How do I buy a new or used kayaks in Chile?  
1. Universal Kayaks in Santiago. (15% percent exchile employee discount on fenix kayaks)
2. River Lakes Ocean in Pucon Chile.  A wide selection of North American Kayaks and equipment.

How do I buy a used kayak or rent a kayak in Chile?
1. Kayak Gear Santiago in Santiago. Buys, sells and rents a wide selection of used kayaks and gear.
2. Expediciones Chile  If you rent or buy in Santiago and want to sell in Futaleufu we are a rental drop off location for https://www.kayakgearsantiago.cl.  We will also rent kayak gear to our guests for further explorations. You may be able sell your kayak and gear be free to travel afterwards without it.  



Air Tickets:
We recommend using Gilda as a travel agent.

Fly to Esquel
Skype Me™!



Secure your reserve with Expediciones Chile:
Secure you reserve here.

Pre and Post trip Hotel: Reserve Here.   Futaleufu Hotel.
 
Enroute Guidance:  Print, then save into your smartphone.  

TRAVEL ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS TO EXPEDICIONES CHILE TRIPS:

 
   

 





 

 

Expediciones Chile Contact


Located in the South America, Expediciones Chile specializes in adventure travel vacations in Patagonia, Chile and Argentina. Go Patagonia rafting on Chile’s world famous Futaleufu river. Go trekking in Chile with us and experience Torres de Paine, Cerro FitzRoy, Las Glaciares National Parks. Go Patagonia horseback riding in the Futaleufu valley. Kayak Chile whitewater from Expediciones Chile kayak eco camp. Go sea kayaking Chile from the Andes to the Ocean or participate in a kayak instruction week. We also have yoga rafting trips and eco tours. Experience world class fly fishing Patagonia style from our fly fishing ranch. Skiing Chile and Argentina trips. Find information about travel in Patagonia, Chile maps and weather in Patagonia on our website.

All website photos, text, code and content are © copyrighted property of Expediciones Chile