The
small coastal town of Chaitén has the feel of
an Alaskan fishing village. This is our gateway to the
Futaleufu Valley as our kayaking, rafting, fly fishing
and sea kayaking and Patagonia travel trips start and
end here. It is also a gateway to the southern road
to Coyhaique and the Pumalín National Parks.
If you want to get here early, Chaiten is a great place
to stay before our trips begin.
For
our guests:
1. We reserve spaces on charter flights. This small
airport has paved runway, a tower, and instruments for
landings, even in variable weather.
2. We arrange van service to the village of Futaleufu
and the (FAC) Futaleufu Adventure Center, crossing rivers,
ascending mountain passes with hanging glaciers, and
traversing a lake. A four hour trip.
3. We arrange direct flights to the newly paved Futaleufú
airport.
Best
places to stay in Chaiten:
Reservations
must be made in Advance, this is a small town and in
the summer usually all B&B’s are full each
night.
We
make reserves for our guests with visa or master cards.
1.888.488.9082 office@exchile.com
Hotel
(First Class great food!)
Hotel, Mi Casa
On the hill north side of town
Federico Lynam
Chaitén CHILE
65-731-285
Hostal
Corcovado (clean, spartan and cheap) great food!
On the coast across from the Copec gas station.
Waldo and Anita speak Spanish
Av Corcovado Esq P. Aguirre
Chaitén CHILE
65 731- 221 office
We
make reserves for local tours in Chaitén with:
Chaitur, Nicolas LaPenna speaks English
65-731-429 nchaitur@hotmail.com
"Woolen markets, ocean side restaurants, and
local culture!"
A four-hour ferry ride from Chaitén or 45-minute
ferry from Puerto Montt is the island of Chiloé,
a pastoral landscape of misty green hills and picturesque
fishing villages. Chiloé is remarkable for the
contrasts between the simple life of the Chilote people
and their Patagonia culture with its unique mythology,
music, intricately shingled churches, and excellent
seafood restaurants. There are over 200 churches on
the island, many dating from the 18th century.
Many
were built without the use of a single nail. Chiloé
National Park is great for hiking among native flora
on the island's wild and rugged Pacific coast. Beaches
stretch for miles giving you the feeling of complete
isolation.
The
Indian Mapuche uprising of 1598, expelled the Spanish
from the territory between the Maule River and Puerto
Montt. This independence was to last 300 years, however,
Chiloé remained Spanish, and completely isolated.
During this isolation a isolated culture evolved based
on a mix between Catholicism and native customs, witchery,
fairies, and other mythical figures are part of the
local lore.
Castro
is known for its house on wooden stilts and Ancud
for its great museum. The seafood is great and the woolen
products are inexpensive. This is the place to buy your
gifts.
Parque
Pumalin from a sea kayak. photo credit Altue
By travelling two hours north of Chaitén one
can visit this spectacular Patagonia park with its ancient
alerce forests. There is great camping and hiking at
Caleta González, which is set on a beautiful
fjord near Pumalín. From here you can take a
boat to the seal rookeries nearby, and enjoy the charming
cafe. They have cabins as well a restaurant.
Isolated from the rest of Chile by fierce storms and
impassable mountains and glacier fields, Torres de Paine
can be reached only by air, boat, or overland from Argentina.
This
area is also home to the southern Patagonia city of
Punta Arenas, which first became prosperous during the
California gold rush. This city was the supply port
for ships traveling around the continent. Later, the
city became the capital of Chile's wool industry, producing
some of the wealthiest barons on the continent.
Torres
del Paine, is a sculptured mountain range, which is
truly the heart of this park, and extends to heights
of up to 9,000 feet. A MUST see: the Cuernos del Paine,
with a height of 6,300 feet; the hypnotic waterfalls
of Salto Chico and Salto Grande; the Grey, Pingo, del
Frances and Dickson glaciers; the Pehoe, Nordenskjold,
Sarmiento, Pingo and Dickson lakes; and the Verde and
Azul lagoons.
Fly
south of Chaitén via Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas
and spend time in this magnificent National Park. A
unique backpacking trip through unbelievable scenery
can be accomplished through a well designated hiking
trail located within the park.