Thrash Raging Whitewater
Chile's Top 20 Adventures
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| Whitecaps and white knuckles: Rafting in Chile is world-class |
Whitewater tumbles down the Andes at an astonishing speed, and for you that means some of the planet's best rafting and kayaking. Come see what the fuss is all about. From Santiago south, descending the steep gradient from the high Andes to Chile's central valley toward the Pacific, numerous transverse rivers have cut through the foothills en route to the Pacific. The happy result is an abundance of Class III-IV rapids on rivers including the Maipo, Trancura, Fuy, and Petrohui. Unfortunately, the Class V classic Biobío is slowly disappearing beneath a series of hydroelectric dams, but the even more powerful Futaleufz, in a remote area near the southern Argentine border, has brought high praise from river runners. Parts of the equally remote Río Baker, the country's largest river, are also accessible.
Chile's southern rivers are usually runnable from the spring runoff in October to the early days of April, but the Maipo near Santiago is feasible even in winter.
