Join a guided 4-day Kayak sea kayak expedition in Pumalín national park, in the Chilean Lakes.
The magnificent Pumalín national park, is a vast conservation area in Chile’s Los Lagos and Aysén region, founded in 2018 by conservationist Douglas Tompkins, to help protect this amazing wilderness.
On this guided, self-supported, kayak trip you’ll paddle through the heart of the park on the turquoise waters of the Comau fjord.
As you paddle you have a perfect view of the richly biodiverse Valdivian temperate rainforest, cascading waterfalls, and the lush coastal landscapes of northern Patagonia. Cormorants, kelp gull, southern lapwing, buzzard eagles and chimango soar overhead. You share the water with sea otters, dolphins and sea lions and coastal forests are home to foxes, the rare pudú deer, huemul and puma.
The Valdivian forest resounds to the sound of the Magellanic woodpecker hammering on the trees, frogs croaking and the Chucao Tapaculo. This small, bird is known for its loud, distinct call and can be found hopping around the lower branches in the forests. Keep an eye out also for the Green-backed Firecrown hummingbird that flits around the forest edge feeding on nectar.
The sea kayak trip gives you time to soak up the northern Patagonian wilderness, absorbing the unique mix of coastal and forested landscapes with its diversity of scenery and wildlife.
You may see the Chilean Dolphin, also known as the Black Dolphin, small dolphins endemic to the coastal waters of Chile. They are usually dark grey to black, with lighter bellies, and you most likely will see them by the shore.
Look out for South American sea lion. They can often be seen resting on fish farm buoys, rocky shores, or swimming alongside the kayaks.
Enjoy the scenery, snow-capped volcanoes, Valdivian forest and sparkling fjords of Chile.
Active wilderness adventure, some challenging paddling.
Waterfalls, mountain views and hot springs to enjoy.
Optional add-on days include cycling and guided walking on Osorno and Alerce Andino.
I would certainly recommend your company to anyone looking to plan a holiday in South America.
T. Horton
You are met at the airport or your hotel in Puerto Montt and we drive you to Puerto Varas and your hotel.
Puerto Varas is a beautiful town with strong German colonial influences. Founded in the 1850s by German immigrants, it has a very scenic lakeside location with beaches and plenty of water sports, such as rowing, sailing, swimming, etc.
Have a wander around to enjoy the distinctive German-style houses with wood shingles made of durable, lightweight and water-resistant Alerce Andino wood. The town’s Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, built between 1915 and 1918, is one of the most iconic landmarks on a hilltop town centre.
Today the adventure begins.
You will begin your adventure by being picked up early from your hotel in Puerto Varas, followed by a transfer to Hornopirén and a crossing to Llancahue Island.
After lunch, you will practice sea kayaking for 2 to 3 hours and get settled into your boat and used to the equipment.
The day ends with loading the kayaks in preparation for the next day, a relaxing soak in the hotel’s thermal pools, a pisco sour, and a delicious dinner.
10 km kayak
Hotel.
Enjoy an early breakfast at the hosteria before setting off on a kayak trip that begins early to avoid the midday winds.
The journey takes you from Llancahue Island southeast to the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord, passing impressive cliff walls, where the Andes meet the Pacific. Lunch will be enjoyed on a beach with the option to shower under a waterfall, followed by more paddling to the end of the fjord where you will set up camp and prepare dinner.
We head to bed early to recover our strength and prepare for tomorrow.
20 to 25km kayak
Camp overnight.
This is the most demanding day, starting before sunrise to maximize favourable tidal conditions.
With snacks on hand, you will paddle into Cahuelmó Fjord, timing the entrance to avoid strong winds and to ideally take advantage of the tidal flow.
Once at Cahuelmó River, we paddle onwards to the famous hot springs, where you can soak tired muscles before setting up camp and enjoying dinner in the forest.
After a hearty breakfast and a final visit to the hot springs, you will pack up and paddle toward the sea lion colony.
At the mouth of the estuary, you will meet the support boat to load the kayaks.
The group will return to Hornopirén for lunch in the village before the final leg back to Puerto Varas, arriving at approximately 7:00 pm. Hotel.
10 km kayak.
Hotel accommodation.
Depart today or add some cycling or walking.
Prices From $1,600 / £1,301 per person
Enquire about booking
Accommodation and all meals from Puerto Varas, guide, transfers, kayaks and all safety equipment, camping gear (not sleeping bags and backpacks), park entrance fees.
The best Kayaks tandems and singles brand Wilderness Systems and Necky, Complete technical equipment: Dry suit (kokatat) and boots, windbreaker jackets, USCG approved life jackets, spray skirt. Dry bags, – Food as mentioned: B: Breakfast / L: Lunch (lunch box) / D: Dinner and drinks, (vegetarian and gluten-free options available with prior notice), Snacks, Private transport throughout the activity, Certified bilingual rescue and first aid guides, Satellite security and communications equipment, Park visits and tickets, Tents
Sleeping bags and mats, International or domestic flights (we can look into these for you), tips, insurance, personal items
We use locally-run hotels and wild campsites.
The local staff are professional, nature and outdoor sports lovers. Most of the guides are Chilean with a deep knowledge of the region. All the guides are trained and certified in storm water rescue (iria.org) and first aid in remote areas. Safety is top priority.
Almost all dietary requirements can be catered for – please ask.
You usually wake early, around 0600. Your breakfast will be ready, a mix of hot drinks, cereals, fruits and toast with jams, plus there is usually some delicious Chilean kuchen (cake).
After breakfast, you set off.
You will have substantial picnics for lunch and we recommend you carry plenty of water and snacks for in between times, dinner at camp.
This trip is aimed at those who are fit, and participate in regular sports and activities. As you are at sea level there is no high altitude to worry about on this tour.
Packing list: – Towel – Sleeping bags and mats – Minimum 1L water bottle – Eating tools (cutlery, plate, glass) – Swimsuit – First long-sleeved layer to wear paddling – First leggings – High-protection sunglasses and sunscreen – Hat for the cold and for the sun – Shorts for paddling – Camera with water protection – Sleeping bag and mat – Personal clothing, including a pair of low- top sneakers – Ideally neoprene socks with good sole or shoes that will get wet
Chile is the land of contrasts, from verdant vineyards to driest desert, deep fjords and towering glaciated volcanoes.
A narrow but incredibly long, snake-like country, Chile’s unusual geography features more than 5,000km of South Pacific Ocean coast. The country is almost 4,400km long but barely more than 160km at its widest.
It is best divided into general regions, all of which offer spectacular landscapes and identities of their own.
This variety means Chile is the land where almost every activity is possible. Hiking, biking, rafting and kayaking.
Or climbing, cruising, fishing, horse riding, wine tasting.
Or simply eating great food, relaxing and exploring.
Patagonia
Trekking heaven. Paine National Park lies in Patagonia and features some of the best trekking in South America. With no altitude worries here, hikers enjoy an unrivalled mix of access to wild flora and fauna that exists in this massif. It is at once windswept, and then balmy. Paine National Park is a must see for walkers visiting South America.
Northern Patagonia is the least densely populated part of the country – spectacular virgin scenery make this a hidden gem and superb area for trekking, boating and horse riding.
And that’s before you think about possibly cruising through fjords, or kayaking them, flying to Antartica or staying at a working hacienda.
Easter Island
Iconic, Easter Island is an archaeological treasure. Here you will find the famous Moai stone statues, as well as caves and rocks decorated with etched petroglyphs and painted pictographs.
Northern Chile
Northern Chile features the Atacama, the driest desert with the clearest skies in the world, is alive with active volcanoes replete with spitting geysers mixed with archaeological wonders and fantastic rock formations.
Central Chile is the heart of Chile and includes the capital Santiago. With its Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers and mild wet winters, this central valley produces some of South America’s finest wines, Colchagua Valley to name but one.
Here, the Andean mountain chain soars more than 6,000m above sea level. Chile’s traditional symbols such as huaso (cowboy) and cueca (national dance) originate here, an area which is rich in agriculture and produces most of Chile’s export fruit.
In winter, skiers are attracted to this tasting the promise of some fabulous snow on the huge peaks which overlook Santiago.
Southern Chile and the Lake District
Lush and verdant, The Lake District area is the place to climb snow-capped volcanoes by day while relaxing next to stunning glacial lakes by evening. You can walk, bike, raft, cruise and drive your way around this beautiful region.
Central, southern and Patagonia Andes all present different challenges to mountaineers and trekkers. Options are varied in the central Andes with many of the Patagonian peaks remaining unexplored and unsummitted.
Good kit is vital for every trip.
Book with Andean Trails and get 15% off Páramo’s fantastic ethical and high performance outdoor gear.
Overview
We provide everything except a bike, personal equipment and clothing.
During the day hopefully it will be generally sunny enough for shorts and T-shirts though having a fleece and rain gear handy is advisable. It can and will get cold, especially in the evenings so bring a warm fleece jacket, a good waterproof and some warm clothes including thermal underwear, gloves, scarf and woolly hat as well as one set of smarter clothes for cities.
Below is a more detailed guide.
Detailed kit list – clothing
Biking
Personal
Miscellaneous others
Official name: Republic of Chile
Country population: 17,000,000
Capital city: Santiago (6 million)
Largest cities: Santiago, Concepcion, Valparaiso
Languages: Spanish (official)
Official currency: Chilean Peso
Major industries: Copper mining, agriculture, fish
Time zone: GMT-5 in winter (Mar-Sep) and GMT-4 in summer (Sep-Mar)
February
Festival: Festival de la Cancion Viña del Mar
International song festival
Location: Viña del Mar
1st two weeks of February
Festival: Tapati
Culture, dance, music, song , sport
Location: Easter Island
July
Festival: Carnaval de Invierno
Street parade with floats celebrating mid winter
Location: Punta Arenas
July 16
Festival: Fiesta de La Tirana
Religious festival – culture, mass dance parades
Location: La Tirana, Atacama
September 18
Festival: Independencia
Independence day – celebration of Chilean culture – various activities
Location: Country wide
Andean Trails has 25 years of experience of putting together the best South America holidays.
We pay a fee to the CAA for every licensable passenger we book since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.
We also offer ATOL (Civil Aviation Authority) protected holidays to give our customers peace of mind when booking and travelling.
When you buy an ATOL protected air holiday package from Andean Trails Ltd you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6275.
You can read more about ATOL, who is covered and what protections you have if not ATOL-covered, on our ATOL page.
What is ATOL?
The CAA’s ATOL scheme offers protection to your money and your holiday if you book with us. Not everybody is covered (see ‘Who is covered?’ for more), as you must purchase an ‘air package holiday’ with Andean Trails to be protected.
And ‘air package holiday’ is defined as including a flight and some ground services (hotel, transfer, trek etc). This is also known as an ‘ATOL-protected holiday’.
Who is covered?
To be covered by ATOL, you must book a flight and some ground services with us and be from the UK. If you are from the UK and only book ground services and no flights, you are not covered by ATOL (see below for more on how non-ATOL clients are covered).
If you are outside the UK and buy flights with us, you will be ATOL protected IF any of the flights booked with Andean Trails touches/stops in the UK at any point during your holiday package booked with us.
If you buy your flights elsewhere, please check with that agent if you are ATOL protected. Be careful with online flight purchases and make sure you know what protection you have, if any, before paying for flights.
Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.
For land only holidays not involving any air travel, in accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992”, all UK passengers booking with Andean Trails Ltd. are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all money paid to us, arising from cancellation or curtailment of travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Andean Trails.
I’m not ATOL covered, what protection do I have?
If you are not ATOL covered, any payments you make to us go to a Trust account.
We can only access this money once your tour has been completed, meaning that if anything happens to Andean Trails Limited while you are on holiday, then your money is secure and you can either complete the trip or be able to make it home.
If you pay for your holiday with a credit card, some offer payment protection – please check with your cardholder.
You also should have cancellation protection written into your insurance (which we recommend you have at the time of booking) in case you need to cancel.
30th Dec 2024 - From $1600 / £1300.8
Select an available date to view pricing and information for that particular trip.
2024-25 based on joining a small group tour Regular departures Oct to May
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+44 (0)131 378 5593
+44 (0)131 554 6025
info@andeantrails.co.uk
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