Futaleufú River
Futaleufú River
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5.0
65 reviews
Excellent
54
Very good
9
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
0
mmlosey1119
Houston, TX1,267 contributions
Feb 2020
We spent 2 weeks hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding in northern Patagonia before coming to Futaleufu for white water rafting on our last few days. White water rafting on the Futaleufu was the most fun I had on the entire trip. We were told that the water level was mid-high so it was exciting and not just floating down the river. Our outfitter provided us with all gear and lunch so we didn't need to bring anything of our own, although I would recommend wearing your own water shoes for comfort. Entry and exit points were easy enough. The water color and clarity is beautiful and it is exhilarating to experience the river. The river is relatively remote so I would not recommend a day trip from a larger city. I had been white water rafting two previous times but the majority of the people in our group had not and still participated just fine.
Written 8 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynthia A
Hartford, CT18 contributions
Jan 2020
A must-see for whitewater lovers. Huge whitewater with beautiful landscapes. I'm a whitewater guide in Maine, and before this trip my favorite river has been the Penobscot River. Futaleufu is in its own category of whitewater and landscapes. Mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and merging rivers. This place is breath-taking!
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SwissPinkPanther
Washington DC, DC117 contributions
Jan 2019
Now let's face it..... Futalelufu is not on many peoples radar screen as a travel destination....by car from Bariliche it is a good 5 hrs including time to cross the border...fortunately the road trip from Bariloche is visually stunning , the roads are paved 85% of the way so the travel time passes quickly..... But given the rocks that were flying on the unpaved road if you are renting a car you should get insurance for covering at least any small scratches from flying stones.... The roads are relatively empty with seemingly safe drivers.... Another challenge that Futalelufu has is a shortage of high end lodgings...Uman Lodge (see my review) is the only place that I'm aware of .... BUT all of these shortcomings are worth it if you are an avid fisherman, lover of kayaking or river rafting of just hiking.
I've travelled all over the world...the closest Futaleufu comes to visually....would be a remote part of Switzerland with snow capped mountains in the summer, beautiful expanses of pasture for milk cows and sheep and the ocassional lama..brisk clean air, almost no people AND what separates it from Switzerland is the magnificent Futalelufu river. A sizeable, powerful , turquoise colored, pristine river flowing through the valley ...absolutely stunning. During our stay in Futalelufu we went
fishing, rafting and hiking. One guy in our party, an avid fisherman, claimed that it was one of his most memorable fishing experiences having caught 30+ trout in one day. The white water rafting..including class 5 Rapids...was over the top....see my review. For three relatively inexperienced rafters pushing the envelope.....we can all highly recommend the experience.....and lastly there is the hiking ... Down mountain sides, through fields of wild flowers and beautiful pastures .... all so pleasant.
Lastly the town of Futalelufu can't be more than 5 blocks square.....it has a very nice park at the center off of which one can find "simple" restaurants , a church, B&Bs , etc.
for one of the best views of the Futalelufu river venture up to Uman Lodge, order a glass of wine or coffee, Go sit out on their terrace and soak in the wonders of nature.
Futaleufu and its river have clearly remained undiscovered due to its isolation and possibly the few upscale lodges that are located here ...but this is also an advantage for those seeking the very best that nature has to offer without being over run by tourists.
If you plan to drive allow for four nights in Futaleufu ...your arrival night, then 3 days of activity...hiking, rafting and fishing and then returning to Bariliche..,and yes, there is a gas station in Futaleufu to fill your car up for your return trip.
If you rent a car in Bariliche make sure you get the proper documents to cross the border into Chile ... Depending on the number of people the border crossing will take 30-45 mins ...but both in Chile and Argentina there were 4-5 people manning each border crossing.
I've travelled all over the world...the closest Futaleufu comes to visually....would be a remote part of Switzerland with snow capped mountains in the summer, beautiful expanses of pasture for milk cows and sheep and the ocassional lama..brisk clean air, almost no people AND what separates it from Switzerland is the magnificent Futalelufu river. A sizeable, powerful , turquoise colored, pristine river flowing through the valley ...absolutely stunning. During our stay in Futalelufu we went
fishing, rafting and hiking. One guy in our party, an avid fisherman, claimed that it was one of his most memorable fishing experiences having caught 30+ trout in one day. The white water rafting..including class 5 Rapids...was over the top....see my review. For three relatively inexperienced rafters pushing the envelope.....we can all highly recommend the experience.....and lastly there is the hiking ... Down mountain sides, through fields of wild flowers and beautiful pastures .... all so pleasant.
Lastly the town of Futalelufu can't be more than 5 blocks square.....it has a very nice park at the center off of which one can find "simple" restaurants , a church, B&Bs , etc.
for one of the best views of the Futalelufu river venture up to Uman Lodge, order a glass of wine or coffee, Go sit out on their terrace and soak in the wonders of nature.
Futaleufu and its river have clearly remained undiscovered due to its isolation and possibly the few upscale lodges that are located here ...but this is also an advantage for those seeking the very best that nature has to offer without being over run by tourists.
If you plan to drive allow for four nights in Futaleufu ...your arrival night, then 3 days of activity...hiking, rafting and fishing and then returning to Bariliche..,and yes, there is a gas station in Futaleufu to fill your car up for your return trip.
If you rent a car in Bariliche make sure you get the proper documents to cross the border into Chile ... Depending on the number of people the border crossing will take 30-45 mins ...but both in Chile and Argentina there were 4-5 people manning each border crossing.
Written 21 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GullyWasher
Taos, NM80 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
Don't ever miss the opportunity to go rafting here. If you are anywhere close (meaning within 12 hours of this river) as you're traveling through S. America...Go Here. Raft with Patagonia Elements and it will be worth every penny!
Written 3 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roger M
Menlo Park, CA17 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
Our group of 18 used Earth River for a week-long multi-sport package, including 3 days of rafting the Fu, along with 2 days of kayaking of calmer waters and some hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. The Fu is endangered, so if this is on your bucket list, don't wait too long!
Written 23 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
telechic
Copenhagen19 contributions
Jan 2016 • Family
As a whitewater location, the Fu is probably out paced by a large number of locations worldwide, though it should certainly not be underestimated. However the peace and quiet and the extraordinary natural beauty of the place make this an absolute favourite destination.
Written 6 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie M.
Rancagua, Chile24 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
Futaleufu River, the most beautiful place I’ve seen, and I’ve been to many many countries. I love the beauty of southern Chile… Also if you get to go to Futaleufu, don’t forget to eat Lamb, it taste fantastic! 😋
Written 26 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Collabo
Vancouver, Canada13 contributions
Jan 2019
If you love having the time of your life surrounded by nature, then the Futaleufu River is for you! Bio Bio Expeditions (BBX) hosted us on an incredible vacation filled with unbeatable activities, great people and great food - all from their riverside base camp.
These guys know what they are doing as you can see from all the 5-star reviews. After speaking with some other travellers, I heard rumours that if you book through other tour companies, they end up sending you to the BBX basecamp, so if you are looking to book, I recommend booking directly with BBX. Go straight to the source and you won't be disappointed!
These guys know what they are doing as you can see from all the 5-star reviews. After speaking with some other travellers, I heard rumours that if you book through other tour companies, they end up sending you to the BBX basecamp, so if you are looking to book, I recommend booking directly with BBX. Go straight to the source and you won't be disappointed!
Written 15 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ahell2018
Boston, MA7 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
I spent 12day on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon but the Futaleufu tops that. The nature is pristine, the locals call the area "A Landscape Painting by God" (in spanish). The water is clean and clear, in calmer areas you can see the bottom of this turquoise river. Just stunning. Logistics are challenging (3hrs via dirt/gravel roads from the airport of nearest city Chaiten-pop. 3500. I did not forget a zero), locals like Bochinche Expeditiones are quite helpful if not a must. Trip of a lifetime.
Written 21 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MR_Romano
Mexico City, Mexico39 contributions
Jan 2017
The river is beautiful and the rapids are level 5. A great activity to do in Futa, and by the way is freezing
Written 11 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Quiero saber si se puede hacer Raftin pero de un nivel elemental. nunca hice.
Teresa
Written 25 January 2018
por supuesto q si. Hay Rafting desde nivel 1 , q es casi flotar x el río .
Written 28 January 2018
Hola. Me gustaría saber si en Futaleufú se puede andar en kayac en lugar tranquilo.
Written 13 January 2018
Hola, si, depende la epoca del año
Written 14 January 2018
Qué agencia me recomiendan para hacer rafting en el río futaleufu?
Written 23 January 2017
Hola, se puede contactar con bio bio expeditions world wide o buscar bio bio patagonia en la pagina web
Written 26 October 2017
Hola! Como hago para llegar desde Esquel? Hay micros? Se puede cruzar en Septiembre? tengo dudas!
Gracias!!!!
Vero
Written 22 July 2016
Desde el terminal de Esquel sale un bus hacia Futaleufú.
En Septiembre no deberia haber problemas de paso.
Written 23 July 2016
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