Futaleufú

Introducing Futaleufú

To rafters and kayakers the 'Fu' or 'Futa' river has the same significance Las Leñas has for skiers, Rio has for beach bums, Aconcagua has for climbers, or Buenos Aires has for fashionistas - it's simply South America's best. The crystalline blue and impressively wild waters attract more rafting enthusiasts and kayak-toting travelers every year.

The town of Futaleufú, a small 20-block grid of pastel-painted houses 155km southeast of Chaitén, is mainly a service center to the Argentine border, only 8km away, and a bedroom community for rafters and kayakers. For those not planning to run the river or continue on to the nearby Argentine towns of Trevelín and Esquel, and to Argentina's Parque Nacional Los Alerces, there's little to do in town but admire the incredible landscape.

Last updated: Mar 26, 2009