The amount of sea kayaking experience you have should determine the trip you select. We have a wide variety of beginner, intermediate and expert level trips, as well as a kayak school for those looking to gain experience in the sport. For truly expert sea kayakers, we offer self-guided versions of many of our trips. All that is required for most of our vacations is an adventurous spirit and the enjoyment of an intimate relationship with the natural world. Trips run from December through April - Spring, Summer and Fall in Chilean Patagonia. For help in selecting your trip in Patagonia see our Sea Kayaking Skill Evaluator or contact our office.

Sea Kayaking in Patagonia:
Expedition Sea Kayaking Vacations

Andes to the Ocean - Sea Kayak Expedition Across Chile
A life changing experience - as it has been described by some. We have what Magellan couldn't find, an all water route across the Andes. This is our most rugged and spectacular Patagonia sea kayaking trip. Spend two nights in the little town of Futaleufu. On your first day, engage in one of our many adventure activities. That afternoon or evening we will help you prepare for your sea kayak trip. On the next day, we put-in at the bottom of the Futaleufu River to start your voyage across Yelcho Lake, passing through a steep isolated Patagonian fjord-like lake, through the heart of the Andes. Next you then enter the Yelcho River that finishes at the Pacific coastline, near the town of Chaiten. Camp on white sand beaches, view magical waterfalls, experience the remarkable fishing or gaze at the towering glaciers high above. Each evening you will set up your own tent and relax while your guide prepares a delicious dinner. On this Chile sea kayaking odyssey you will experience: glaciers, hot-springs, scenic volcanoes, temperate rainforests, alpine lakes, exotic wildlife, unique micro-climates, fishing, and a warm and welcoming Chilean culture.

The Andes to the Ocean is one of our most challenging Chile sea kayaking expeditions, as the experience can change from strong sunshine and delightful camping into a rugged physical challenge of paddling into strong wind, waves, rain and open water. (In case of a predicted storm we may substitute a more protected trip)...

(8 Days Sea Kayaking in Chile, Patagonia / 7 Overnights / 6 Active Days)

Unguided Version:
We offer an unguided version of our Andes to the Ocean sea kayaking expedition for experienced sea kayakers and our whitewater alumni. Fifty people have started it; less than twenty-five have completed it. All of our guided trips finished last season...

(8 Days Sea Kayaking in Patagonia, Chile / 7 Overnights / 6 Active Days)



Patagonia River Odyssey - Chile Sea Kayak Traverse
A wilderness sea kayaking expedition on moving water, with camping and lodge accommodations, hot springs, abundant wildlife, and cultural immersion. This trip offers the unique accomplishment and challenge of a complete sea kayak descent of the Rio Palena from its start at the Argentinean border to its termination in the Pacific Ocean. The first three days of the trip involve significant whitewater and may require portages or allowing our guides to run the sea kayaks down some sections of river. Experienced sea kayakers will have the opportunity to paddle the entire river if they so desire. This is for alumni of the Andes to the Ocean that are looking for more of a challenge or very experienced expedition paddlers. And for outdoor people who are not used to guided sea kayak trips, but really want to do something very special and challenging in a gorgeous location. This Chile sea kayaking trip is a complete immersion in the place and the challenge. You will not want it to end. This trip was a first descent in 2005 and only three people have ever done the entire trip from the border to the ocean... (also available as a wilderness canoe expedition).

(10 Days Sea Kayaking Chile / 9 Overnights / 8 Active Days)

Andean River Odyssey - Bajo Palena Sea Kayaking
This remote Chile sea kayaking expedition combines everything you could want in a wilderness experience: wild and spectacular landscapes, wonderful campsites, warm local people and abundant wildlife. This sea kayak vacation is intended for intermediate kayakers with some experience on open water. Our trip begins in Puerto Montt, gateway to the fjords and archipelago of Chilean Patagonia. From here, our group catches a flight or ferry south to the village of Chaiten, then continues by van to a cozy hosteria near the banks of the mighty Rio Palena. Over the next four days, we sea kayak this majestic green river, passing beneath the glaciated high peaks of the Andes and visiting with local settlers. One night finds us camping near some of the most idyllic hot springs to be found anywhere. Following the river's winding course, we eventually emerge on the wild Pacific coast near the tiny, isolated village of Raul Marin Balmaceda, where curious pods of dolphins approach to within feet of our boats. Here we spend another three days, camping or lodging in cabins as the weather dictates, sea kayaking the serpentine fjords of the Pitipalena Estuary and the sea lion colonies of the offshore islands. Our Chile sea kayaking trip ends with a farewell dinner and a return to Puerto Montt for the next stop on your itinerary...

(10 Days Sea Kayaking in Chile / 9 Overnights / 8 Active Days)

Sea Kayaking Chile:
Mothership Supported Sea Kayaking Vacations

Coast of Fjords & Hot Springs - Hornopirén
Located along the shores of the Golfo Ancud, at the base of an extinct volcano and a surrounding amphitheater of mountains lies the village Hornopiren. Its name means “oven of snow." During the winter, the reflection from the snow laden Andes keeps the village many degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. From Hornopiren we embark on an vessel supported exploration of the coasts and fjords of the spectacular nature preserve, set aside by North American naturalist Douglas Tomkins, known as Parque Pumalin. Pumalin is the world's largest private park encompassing some 320,000 hectares of spectacular Patagonia wilderness. We will sea kayak Chile through glacial valleys and primeval temperate rainforests, experience thermal baths and encounter exotic marine life...

(6 Sea Kayaking Patagonia, Chile / 5 Overnights / 4 Active Days)

Sea Kayaking in Chile:
Lodge & Inn based Chile Sea Kayaking Trips

Journey Back in Time - Espolon Sea Kayak Crossing
Explore this large and dramatic alpine-style lake. High in a glacial basin, the scenery is spectacular. Sea kayak and trek to small settlements, waterfalls, and side creeks. Continue on to the isolated pueblo of Espolon, a little settlement in a world back in time, where roads and electricity have yet to arrive. You can beach, secure the sea kayak, and head off backpacking through this remote area. Sea kayak back to the take-out where you are picked up, and returned to our Patagonia Lodge...

(6 Days Sea Kayaking in Patagonia, Chile / 5 Overnights / 4 Active Days)



Isles of Myth & Monsters - Chiloé Archipielago
A sea kayaking paradise - Chiloé Island is the largest island in Patagonia (and in South America) with two unique cultures populating its eastern and western shores. The center of the Isla Grande de Chiloé is divided by the gently sloping mountains of Chile's costal range. Chiloe's western side, situated along the South Pacific Ocean in the Chiloe National Park, contains wide expanses of protected beach habitat & temperate rainforests. On the eastern shore, along the Golfo's Ancud and Corcovado, lie the scattered islands of the spectacular Chiloe Archipelago; a perfect destination for intrepid sea kayakers. These isolated leeward islands are sheltered from the Pacific gales. You will encounter a unique cultural region known for its excellent seafood, intricate woolen handicrafts, fleets of moored yellow fishing boats, elegant wooden churches built by the Jesuit Order, and Chiloe's famous palafito houses (stilt houses) built above the tidal zone. A fantastic Chile sea kayaking trip & adventure on the other side of the world! (No Camping or sea kayaking experience required. An overnight stay in Puerto Montt will be required.)...

(5 Days Sea Kayaking Patagonia, Chile / 4 Overnights / 3 Active Days)

Patagonia Sea Kayaking:
Sea Kayaking Chile Day-Trips

For our Multisport Clients:

Our multisport rafting vacations often provide an introduction to Sea Kayaking in Chile. Our daily sea kayaking trips return to our Patagonia Lodge each evening or our Patagonia Eco Camp. Our guides will teach you the sea kayaking basics in a truly spectacular setting. We have a short drive to the put-ins of the different lakes we target everyday. We sea kayak in Patagonia to remote and spectacular locations during the day in a time forgotten, but at night you can return to all the comforts of the Patagonia Lodge or Eco Camp.

Lonconao Lake: The first of our set of trips. This is a good warm-up paddling day to start a week of action. This is a beautiful lake sheltered from wind so that even with bad weather it offers a nice day of Chile sea kayaking.

Espolon Lake: A higher alpine lake offering glaciated vistas and waterfalls plunging into the lake.

Other Expediciones Chile Options: Sea Kayaking in Chile - Andes to the Ocean, Chile Sea Kayaking - Patagonia Odyssey, Patagonia Sea Kayaking - Andean Odyssey, Sea Kayaking Patagonia - Chiloe Archipelago, Sea Kayaking Chile –- Espolon Crossing, Sea Kayaking in Patagonia - Hornopiren.

Downloadable pdf: Chile Sea Kayaking