Whitewater rafting in Patagonia

How do I get there?

The Chilean Lake District is serviced by the airport of Puerto Montt, a port city some 656 miles south of Santiago. However, the Futaleufu River is closer to the Argentinian border so you can reach the Futaleufu most easily by flying from Buenos Aires to the Argentinian town of Esquel which is just a 2 hour drive to the Futaleufu.

The Manso River is about a 30 minute drive from the alpine town of Bariloche in the Argentinian Lake District. With 108,000 residents & a booming adventure travel trade, Bariloche has it's own airport (BRC) with regular flights to and from Buenos Aires and El Calafate in Southern Patagonia. White water rafting operators typically pick their clients up from their hotels in Bariloche before transporting them into the vast Nahuel Huapi National Park.

What do I need to bring?

Aside from your essentials, most operators advise that you bring a swimming costume, flip flops, warm clothes & a synthetic t-shirt. Generally, they provide most of the technical equipment such as a wet suit & boots, a helmet, life jacket, dry jacket and towel.

How much experience do I need?

Most operators do not require you to have prior experience of rafting as you'll receive instruction before your adventure on the river. However, operators do ask that you're fit and healthy to avoid any problems once you've started rafting.

If you're planning to raft on the River Futaleufu, please bear in mind that the rapids on the Futaleufu are graded from River class Grade III to V+ Boat type Oar-paddle assisted raft. This means that they're classed as  moderate to challenging as you need to be able to paddle for three hours a day. Plus, the River holds 64km of raftable white water,  divided into an upper section called Inferno Canyon (four Class V rapids) and a lower section that starts from Terminator Rapid and ends at Casa de Piedra. Expect lots of toing and froing, bumps and fast-moving water, at the same time being surrounded by breath taking scenery.

The Manso River is a regarded as a class III/IV River as its two sections vary in difficulty. The first section Manso Inferior is a class III and goes from Steffen lake. It has also parts of still waters and ponds where you may enjoy swimming.

The next section, Manso Inferior to the Frontier (Chilean border) is class III/IV is more adrenaline pumping as the river drops into a canyon as it flows to the Pacific.

Is it suitable for children?

Our partner operators offer family activities which start from a day of kayaking up to a week or so of rafting, horse riding, trekking & kayaking. These trips are not strenuous and enable the whole family to relax, enjoy the outdoors and try out some great adventure activities.