Why Bio Bio on the Futaleufu?
To everyone at Bio Bio, thank you so much for the wonderful journey.
we couldn't have asked for anything more. The Futaleufu is truly magical--we are grateful to have shared it
with you. I don't know when I have laughed more on a trip---I loved it! We hope to paddle with you guys again sooner or later (and we hope sooner!).
love. Jen + Casey - Futaleufu March 2008
Dear Marc.
The trip was really great from start to finish - the meals, the scenery, the staff, the white water, the drinks, the hot tub, the camp. really everything. I had so much fun with the group - staff & clients! That area is quite magical. You & Lorenzo really have a nice operation. Thanks for sharing it!!!
Ciao,
Marybeth Futaleufu 2008
Welcome to Futaleufu River and Patagonian adventures with Bio Bio Expeditions!
We can assure you that your adventure vacation on the Futaleufu with us will be one of the most exciting and memorable adventure travel trips of your life! Our entire Bio Bio team has an undying passion for the Futaleufu River Valley and the natural splendor of Chile with its special richness of landscapes and culture. We offer a unique 9 day itinerary on our Futaleufu River adventure, that in our opinion, is the right amount of time to fully appreciate the Futaleufu River and its surrounding valley.
At Bio Bio Expeditions we pour our heart and soul into every aspect of your Futaleufu River trip, whether you are plunging through the best whitewater on earth, horseback riding up a pristine glacier-fed stream, or visiting a working Chilean ranch. One of our company owners will accompany your trip and our family of expert international guides are experienced, intuitive and committed to fulfilling your needs. We know that you have goals and expectations for your precious vacation and our specialty is ensuring that you meet or exceed those goals and surpass your expectations. Everyone on a Bio Bio trip is an individual, not just part of a “group”.
We want you to do as much or as little as you like on your trip to Futaleufu! We strive to create the same camaraderie and bonding that makes private trips so special. The guides are not separate from the guests: we are all enjoying this adventure together. The bonding and friendships that occur on our trips are pure magic and what keeps most of our guests coming back for more! We encourage you to be yourself, be silly, open up, and have fun in an environment of support and kindness. Our end-of-the-trip talent show is legendary and our sunset bar often turns into an evening salsa dance floor. We encourage spontaneous outbursts of song, dance, jokes and laughter! Our guests tend to jump right in and help chop garlic at dinner or discuss the next day’s plan with their guides. We are very proud of the fact that a big percentage of our guests are either returning for another trip or heard about the trip from friends.
Bio Bio Expeditions has the world’s most comfortable basecamp! Our riverside adventure spa camp on the Futaleufu River has a sunset bar overlooking the water, a wood sauna with hot showers, flush toilets, 2 massage rooms, a stone riverside hot tub, and indoor and outdoor yoga decks with mats. Your “home away from home” is a private, spacious safari-style tent that sits on a roofed wood platform (to protect you in case of inclement weather) with amazing views of one of the Futaleufu’s most beautiful canyons. Inside you will find wood bedframes with comfy pillows and mattresses with sheets and down comforters. The camp was specifically designed to provide areas of private, quiet reflection, such as the peaceful open-air library or warm, cozy yoga pagoda, as well as group gathering places for games, sit-down dinners, and camaraderie. We also have a fleet of 14 suspension mountain bikes, a quiver of whitewater kayaks, and a variety of fishing equipment - we love to play! The site we chose for our camp provides ideal river access. We can put in from our Futaleufu River camp and run the “bridge to bridge” section of the Futaleufu which is hands down one of the most fun sections on this river. We can also take out at our camp after running the “Terminator ” section of the Futaleufu. Our camp’s ideal location on the river provides for very smooth shuttle logistics! Less driving time - more river time!
We invite you to make yourself at home on the banks of the Futaleufu! After traveling to Chile, we want you to settle in and feel connected to this special place in Patagonia. Rather than have you pack up your bags everyday to move to a new set of accommodations, we want you to consider riverside basecamp your Patagonian “home”. Everything will be available to you at the time you want it from yoga, fishing, biking to hiking. Our 9-day Futaleufu River trip itinerary is flexible so that you can choose your activities and custom-create your vacation. We make sure that you maximize your time in Patagonia participating in your favorite activities. We ask you on the first day for your “wish list”, whether it be lots of fishing, a whitewater kayak clinic, or private yoga sessions, and then we do everything in our power to make your wish list a reality.
Bio Bio Expeditions has an impeccable safety record and top equipment. We provided the intricate river safety network for the 2000 International Whitewater Championships on the Futaleufu. We use BOTH safety kayakers and safety catarafts for the ultimate safety net so no swimmers get downstream. We use both 16 and 18-foot rafts, maximizing your fun and safety based on water levels. Our guides are international whitewater experts who have been coming back year after year to work on the Futaleufu for Bio Bio Expeditions and know every rapid, every pour-over and every eddy at every runnable level! They are CPR and first aid certified and many are also EMT’s, Wilderness First Responders, and whitewater rescue technicians and instructors. We have a satellite phone for immediate contact with the outside world if the need arises.
Why Argentina? The Futaleufu River starts in Argentina and so... so do we! We want you to get a real sense of the land, the people and remoteness of wild Patagonia and the journey to the Futaleufu is definitely an integral part of your Patagonian adventure.
The Futaleufu River flows to the Pacific through an extremely remote valley in Chile. We have chosen the Argentine ski resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche as your gateway into the expansive region known as “Patagonia”. When you get off the plane in the new airport of Bariloche, and you look out over the vast open plains to east, and see the jagged peaks of the Andean Cordillera to the west, you know that this can only be the famed Patagonia! Your first night in Bariloche you will stay in the luxurious lake front Hotel Villa Huinid and you will have a chance to unwind from a trip half way around the world.
The next morning we will travel 380 km from Bariloche to the Fu in a comfortable bus, with snacks, drinks and good music. Planes tend to insulate us from the smell, the tastes, sights and sounds of the landscape and what it has to offer. This is why we have chosen this leg of your travel to be overland. The travel time to our camp in Chile is approximately the same whether through Argentina or Chile (if you include waiting time in airports), yet, arriving via Bariloche you will see the landscape change from barren pampas to fertile valleys and finally turn into the Valdivian temparate rainforest of the Futaleufu. By traveling to Chile via Argentina you will experience two contrasting cultures that are really quite different despite their proximity. A breathtaking drive through one of Argentina's most beautiful national parks. Nahuel Huapi, with time to stop and take pictures is a natural way to “slow down” and smell the roses. You will really enjoy this journey!
As always, we are happy to arrange extensions to Chile's famous national park. Torres del Paine or the Fitzroy Spires in Argentina either before or after your trip.
For the trip of a lifetime we invite you to choose Bio Bio Expeditions as your guide into the rugged beauty of southern Chile!
Find out more about adventures in Chile and Patagonia: