Women’s Futaleufú Experience
Join us for five days on one of the world’s most iconic big-water rivers, surrounded by the beauty of Patagonia with women who share the same passion for kayaking.
This experience is built around creating a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment where you can push your skills, build confidence, and feel comfortable challenging yourself on the river.
You’ll be guided by two professional world-class paddlers, Maddie and Josefa, who will help you develop your big-water skills, improve your river reading, build confidence in your movement and boat control, and discover how to play and move naturally in the river.
Our private riverside base offers a warm and comfortable place to relax between paddling days. Located along the crystal-clear waters of the Río Azul, just minutes from the confluence of the Azul and Futaleufú rivers in the area known as La Dificultad.
We will also have the opportunity to explore the area and enjoy some of the valley’s hikes.
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Guiding and instruction from professional kayakers
Private transport throughout the trip (includes Chaitén airport pick-up and drop-off)
Accommodation
All meals and food during the trip
Kayak of guest’s choice (subject to availability)
Paddle
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Domestic and international airfare
Personal kayak gear (helmet, PFD, spray skirt, drysuit, dry top, shoes, etc)
Personal travel insurance (medical and cancellation)
Gratuities and tips
| Number of Days | 5 |
|---|---|
| Price per guest (USD) | $2,650 |
| Number of guests | 4–8 |
2026 Dates
December 14 - December 18, 2026
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This trip is for female paddlers with at least solid class III experience who feel comfortable rolling in rapids. The rivers we paddle are overall clean and a good environment for progressing. The trip is designed to progress to class IV whitewater but all rapids are challenge by choice.
We are happy to help you determine if this is the right trip according to your experience and goals.
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As with all out trips, we are flexible and can modify the itinerary to adapt to our guests.
Day 0: Arrival & Welcome to Patagonia
Morning: Arrive in Santiago (SCL) and catch your domestic flight to Puerto Montt (PMC).
Afternoon: Take the scenic air taxi over the fjords to Chaitén, where we will meet you for the drive to Futaleufú.
Evening: Arrive at our base. We’ll settle in, kick off group introductions, and enjoy our first dinner together overlooking the river.
Day 1:
Morning: Starting right from our backyard, we warm up with two laps on the class II-III Dormido al Volante section of the Futaleufú.
Afternoon: A few laps on the lower section of the Futaleufú, Macal.
Day 2:
Morning: We paddle the Río Azul, finishing the section right at our base for lunch.
Afternoon: Once we feel warmed up to the style, we step up to the Mundaca a Puente section. The rapids slightly increase in size but we start with a manageable and short section so everyone can progress comfortably.
Day 3:
Morning: We head back to the Mundaca a Puente section for a few laps to dial in the lines and get more comfortable moving in the river.
Afternoon: We take the afternoon off to explore the area and go for a scenic hike.
Days 4 and 5:
We spend the final two days paddling the famous Puente a Puente, picking apart different lines and enjoying the plentiful rapids that the this section offers.
Day 6: Journey Home
Morning: Say goodbye to the base, drive to Chaitén, and take the air taxi back to Puerto Montt.
Afternoon: Fly from Puerto Montt to Santiago.
Evening: Catch your international flight home from Santiago.
Experience the Río Futaleufú
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Your Guides:
Josefa Sepúlveda Fernández is from Southern Chile. Her paddling journey began in Pucón while she was studying at university. Josefa then started training as a slalom kayaker and became Chile’s national champion. After representing her country in events in Brazil and Paraguay, she shifted her focus back to whitewater working professional as an instructor in Europe. Josefa has paddled renowned sections in the United States like the Little White Salmon, South Merced, and Toketee Falls and is the first Latin-American woman to paddle the Río Baker, the largest river in Chile by volume. In 2025, Josefa became a finalist for Kayak Session Magazine’s Female Paddler of the Year award, and was the first woman from Latin America to be nominated. She hopes to continue to mentor other paddlers and share her experience to create a deeper appreciation for the rivers of Chile.
Maddie Kimmel
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A typical day
Morning: We start with a fresh breakfast at our base to discuss our goals and river sections for the day. If we aren't launching straight from camp, it’s just a short drive to the put-in. On the water, we balance general group goals with individual, tailored feedback to help you learn the lines, try new moves, or hone specific skills.
Afternoon: Lunch is either enjoyed at a favorite scenic spot along the riverbank or back at our base. If we return to base, you'll have time for a short rest before hitting the water for an afternoon session.
Evening: We spend our evenings relaxing with mountain and river views, enjoying hearty dinners, reflecting on the day's highlights, and prepping for tomorrow's lines.
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Group Composition
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Lodging
We stay at our brand-new riverside base, located along the Río Azul just before its confluence with the Futaleufú. Designed to blend the natural environment with modern comforts, the base features comfortable rooms for each guests, ample gear-drying space, a large living and dining area, and a panoramic patio. Because of its location, our base serves as the direct put-in or take-out for several river sections. The town of Futaleufú is just a 20-minute drive away. Learn more here.
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Food
All food and drinks are included in the trip price. Most meals are prepared in-house, customized to our guests' preferences and dietary restrictions with inspiration from local Chilean flavors.
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Equipment
Guests enjoy full access to our fleet of kayaks and paddles. If you book early, you can reserve your favorite boat model for the season.
Kayaks: Popular models from Jackson, Pyranha, and Waka.
Paddles: A Werner lineup suitable for all paddler sizes.
To be most comfortable, we ask our guests to bring the rest of their personal paddling gear (view our packing list here).
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Arrival and Departure
While guests are responsible for booking their own international flights, we are here to support you every step of the way.
Fly into Santiago, Chile (SCL).
Take a domestic flight to Puerto Montt (PMC).
Take a short air taxi over the fjords to Chaitén. (We arrange this flight for you; the cost of approximately 210,000 Chilean pesos round trip is added to your final balance).
We meet you at the Chaitén airport and drive two hours through Patagonia to our base.
The departure process is the reverse and we will help you coordinate the right flight times.
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Reservation
If you are interested in paddling the Futaleufú, get in touch. We will help you determine which trip makes the most sense for you.
We require a $500 deposit to reserve your space on the trip. The rest of the balance is due 15 days prior to the trip start date. Please make sure you review our reservation and cancellation terms prior to booking.
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Safety
We make every decision with the well-being of our guests in mind, on and off the water, from the equipment we use to the rivers we paddle. We have training from formal bodies like British Canoeing and American Canoeing Association that complements our own experience and we always strive to be the most prepared we can. Learn more about how we prioritize the safety of our guests here.
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What our Guests Say
“Great experience again. Second year kayaking in Chile with Josefa and Axel. Both take good care of you if you want to join them, as well on the river and around.” — Roby H.
“All in all it was a very pleasant experience and I will most likely be booking another tour with Chile Kayak Adventures! - Highly recommended if you plan on doing a Chile Kayaking Trip.” —Pascal G.