Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 452

Sebastián Piñera, is completely
uninhabited apart from the fishing
hamlet of Caleta Inío on the southern
coast. The park consists of Zona Norte,
accessible only by 4WD, and Zona Sur,
accessible only by boat from Quellón,
with 150km of trails between the two.
While it's possible to do some day-hikes
in Zona Norte, it's more rewarding to
spend a week, hiking all the way from the
first campsite at Lago Chaiguata, 20km
from the ranger station (Dec-March
9am-4pm; park entry CH$6000) at the
entrance of the park, down to Caleta
Inío. Here you can camp (CH$3500/
person) or stay in some family-owned
accommodation (full board CH$35,000),
explore the coastal caves and trails and
then catch a boat back to Quellón
(Jan & Feb Wed, Fri, Sun noon; 2-3hr;
CH$30,000), spotting local marine life
such as sea lions and sometimes even
blue whales along the way. For more
information on the park, contact the
Oficina de Parque Tantauco in Quellón,
at Avenida La Paz 68 ( T 65 685064,
W

a boat or travel through Argentina. The
only town of any size on the way is
Coyhaique , a good base for exploring
the surrounding area, though you'll
need a car to make the most of Aysén
- you can try to tackle the region by bus
(see box opposite). Stock up with cash;
only Coyhaique, Chile Chico and
Cochrane have banks (there are none in
Villa O'Higgins or El Chaltén, though
the latter has an ATM). Note also that
Aysén is best explored between
November and March, as transport tends
to be scarce at other times of year, and
travel is very susceptible to changes in the
weather at all times.

FUTALEUFÚ
The fast-flowing, crystal-clear waters of
Río Futaleufú have made this modest
village, nestling between snow-tipped
mountains, one of the top white-water
rafting destinations in the world. Though
threatened by the Spanish-owned
hydroelectricity company ENDESA's
proposed plans to dam Río Futaleufú,
at the moment, the challenging
Class III - V rapids still draw the crowds
here from December to February;
outside those months, the place can feel
like a ghost town.

4

parquetantauco.cl), which can help
to arrange bus transportation to Lago
Chaiguata from Quellón (Jan & Feb
Mon, Wed, Fri 9.30am; 3hr; CH$8000)
and book your boat passage to or from
Caleta Inío.

RAFTING OPERATORS
The following reputable operators offer
half- (from CH$55,000) and full-day
(from CH$90,000) rafting trips down
the Futaleufú and the less challenging
Río Espolón (from CH$25,000).
Earth River Expeditions T 1 800 6432784,
W earthriver.com. Long-established operator with
four camps along the river and a host of rafting, rock
climbing, mountain biking and canyoning packages
from the US (8-10 days from US$3400).
Expediciones Chile Mistral 296 T 65 721386,
W exchile.com. Experienced operator that special-
izes in multi-day rafting and kayaking on the Futa,
though day-excursions are also possible.
Futaleufú Explore O'Higgins 772 T 65 721527,
W futaleufuexplore.com. Established outfit that
runs rafting and kayaking trips from its own luxury
riverside camp.

Northern
Patagonia: Aysén
Comprising the northern half of
Patagonia, AYSÉN is the wildest, least
populated and least visited of all of
Chile's regions, a land of spell-binding
glaciers, soaring fjords and snowcapped
mountains. The Carretera Austral , the
partially paved, partly dirt-and-gravel
“Southern Highway”, stretches for
1240km down from Puerto Montt
to tiny Villa O'Higgins - a popular
destination for cyclists - interrupted in
places by various bodies of water and
supplemented by short ferry rides. This
really is the end of the road - to get
further south you'll need to fly, take