Sea Kayaking Fjords of Pumalín Park

Day by day itinerary: 6d/ 5n

Price: US$1380 p/p (double occupancy)

Trip Dates

(2008)
November 21-26
  December 4-9, 15-20, 26-31

(2009)
January 9-14, 16-21, 26-31
February 7-12, 20-25
March 4-9

INCLUDES: Motorized support vessel with crew / All transportation according to the itinerary, for round trip Puerto Montt - Puerto Montt / All meals from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 6 / Services of expert guides, cook and crew / Fully equipped fiberglass sea kayaks with spray skirts, paddles and accessories / Full camping gear, except for personal sleeping bag and pad / Hot spring fees.

 DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONING: The trip is not especially rigorous and requires no prior experience with kayaks. You must know how to swim and be in reasonably good physical condition. A positive attitude towards open-air activities is very important. This is a trip for the person who enjoys participative tourism in a natural setting, and who understands that during our trip we may encounter variable weather and tidal conditions that will  require modifications in the itinerary .

After meeting in Puerto Montt, we drive down the Southern Highway, and cross the Reloncaví estuary  to Hornopirén. There we board our 50-foot support vessel and head for Los Ciervos Island. After stopping for lunch in a nice cove, we sail on to Llancahué Island, where we climb into our sea kayaks for instruction and practice. Afterwards, we camp for the night on this island.
 

DAY 2        LLANCAHUE ISLAND - QUINTUPEU FJORD

Now we begin the wild part of our sea kayak adventure. We put in near the entrance to Quintupeu Fjord, where the German battleship Dresden hid out during World War I. The sheer slopes, cut by countless waterfalls tumbling off the heights, are covered with lush vegetation that hangs over our heads. As we glide along under this lush canopy, we try to catch a glimpse of dolphins jumping near our kayaks. At nightfall, we camp at the end of the fjord.
 

We navigate down to Cahuelmó Fjord, stopping at the entrance to see if there are any sea lions at play. We don't stop for long though, because we want to paddle the far end of Cahuelmó in time to get up the river, or hike through the wild tidal flats. Finally, we take a relaxing dip in Cahuelmo Hot Springs before turning in for the night.
 

DAY 4        CAHUELMO FJORD - PORCELANA HOT SPRINGS

Our goal for today's journey is Porcelana Hot Springs. On the way, we stop at the settlement of Huinay and hike up a glacial valley sourrounded by snow capped mountains. From this village we cut straight across Comau Fjord to Porcelana, where we pitch camp in a lush green pasture and head for the tidal pools of hot water surrounded by magnificent scenery.
 

DAY 5        PORCELANA HOT SPRINGS - COMAU FJORD

We paddle down to the end of Comau Fjord to Leptepu, passing by stunning snow-capped peaks on our way to a secluded corner in a setting of plunging waterfalls and virgin forests. We also see a lagoon, teeming with wildlife, which we can reach by kayak at high tide. In the afternoon we return to Porcelana and, of course, we don't fail to go for another long soak in our beautiful hot spring.
 

DAY 06        COMAU FJORD - HORNOPIREN - PUERTO MONTT

Early this morning we board our support vessel to navigate up Comau Fjord to Hornopirén, where we take the road back to Puerto Montt in time to catch the evening flight or bus to Santiago.