Kayaking in Chile

Rio Claro + Pucón: Chile’s Ultimate Waterfall Trip

LiLi x EWWS

There are few places that live among legends and one of them is a 66-million-year-old basalt canyon of Rio Claro with it’s legendary perfect waterfalls. You will get a chance to warm up with Pucon classics where every day brings a new river and once in shape we will hit the drive north to finish our trip in waters of Rio Claro.

Two legendary destinations, one trip. Start in the ancient canyons of the Rio Claro, then finish in Pucón, with its volcanoes, crystal-clear rivers and world-class whitewater.

Canyons most people will never see. The Rio Claro cuts through five ancient basalt gorges. Few people ever lay eyes on them, and even fewer get to drop into them by kayak.

Waterfalls, and lots of them. The Claro alone holds great amount of drops for advanced and expert paddlers. Pucón adds iconic creeks, steep rapids and dynamic boulder gardens.

What you’ll experience

Start in Pucón. Your trip kicks off in Chile’s creeking capital. With easy access to a huge variety of runs, you’ll spend your days chasing waterfalls, steep creeks and boulder gardens. Every run is set against a backdrop of volcanoes and forest.

Then on to the Rio Claro and the Seven Teacups. Warmed up and dialed in, you’ll head north to the Claro canyons. The waterfall action begins on the Siete Tazas, the class III+ assessment run. You’ll paddle seven perfectly formed drops, each falling into a teacup-shaped pool. Lower your boat into the chasm, check your GoPro, and it’s game time.

Face the Devil’s Throat. The most famous run on the Claro is the Garganta del Diablo, or “Throat of the Devil.” It’s a 20-foot drop that curls 180 degrees straight into another 20-foot drop. Ready for it? Or would you rather enjoy the milder sections? We’ll help you decide, with no pressure either way.

Paddle at your level. Across both destinations, we’ll match each day’s river to your skills and mindset. That way you keep progressing without biting off more than you want.

Whitewater Kayaking Holidays

The following itinerary may change to suit the needs of the group and current water levels and weather conditions. For first week we will stay in Pucon Kayak Hostel and in second week we will stay at Cabin near Claro.

Welcome to Chile! Arrive in Temuco and drive 3 hours to our base at Pucon Kayak Retreat. This is the adventure capital of Chile where you’ll be based for the rest of your trip in cabins on the Trancura River. Get ready to start paddling tomorrow.

Warm up on our home run section with Trancura. Both the lower and upper river sections are fun to paddle full of nice moves to start with.

Work on your drop skills on Palguin doing laps on double drop and practicing timing, position and boof stroke!

Absolute classic, remote canyon with big volume character

Sometimes it is simply time to relax, sit down, enjoy living by the river and gather energy for next days!

Come back to spectacular waterfalls of upper section, it’s time to polish these boofing skills!

Deep canyon with committing moves will keep us on our toes for a day full of rewards.

Favourite river of local paddlers!

After breakfast we will head north, expect a 5h drive. We will drop our bags and equipment and run for a quick lap at seven cups!

The Twenty-two Saltos section is often considered the highest and best action section of the Claro. Nice and smooth and full of fun!

Enjoy a rest day and experience local chilean culture. Regain the power for last big days!

Break for famous big volume river in the area! Catching a break from free falls and enjoying some smooth flowing down Rio Maipo

Reason why we are here. Intimidating but most iconic part of Claro. Are you ready to slide down Devil’s Throat?

Finishing with the stomp, big day for favourite section!

In the morning we will drive to Temuco airport, please book your flight after 4pm from Temuco.

Due to the nature of adventure kayaking, the following itinerary has to remain flexible. The LiLi team have coached many hundreds of people with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds on big volume across the world. This local knowledge will be used to adjust the itinerary to suit the individuals and to maximise progression over the course of the trip.

Advanced paddlers. If you have a reasonable level of fitness, a solid whitewater roll and you are confident on grade 4 there will be plenty of fun to be had in Chile.

A minimum group size of 6 is need to be reached for this trip to go ahead.

Fly in: home -> Santiago -> Temuco to begin, that’s easy, get your flight to Santiago and then get a seperate one to Temuco. Could be done as package too depending on rest of logistics. Make sure to have enough time on Santiago to Temuco connection as you have to walk out with all your bags from one building to another.

Flying back is easier as usually you land in one terminal.

Kayak rental is $390 for a duration of the course for kayak based on availability. We can also rent you a paddle at $150 per trip. When renting please be sure to bring 2 air bags and additional hip pads/foam bits that you would have in your boat. We usually source private boats and these won’t have these pieces.