Only eight kilometers west of the Argentine border, at the confluence of the Río Espolón and the Río Futaleufú, Futaleufú is 155 kilometers southeast of Chaitén via the Carretera Austral, Ruta 235 from Villa Santa Lucia, and Ruta 231 from Puerto Ramírez.

With its reputation for world-class white-water—some say it’s the best—Futaleufú draws outdoor recreationists like a magnet. But what works for this tidy village, its forested mountains, and its namesake river—spectacular natural beauty, cleanliness, and isolation—also works against it.

The 1,153 people here may be on borrowed time, possibly powerless to fend off Endesa, the powerful Spanish electric utility that wants to build three massive dams where at least three international rafting and kayaking enterprises have elaborate summer camps and several Chilean operators spend at least part of the season.

For the time being, though, the “Fu” remains one of the world’s most challenging rivers. Both foreign and Chilean operators hope to kindle local and national enthusiasm for preserving the river and its surroundings, and the March 2000 Whitewater Challenge World Championships brought rafters and kayakers from 14 different countries. Fly-fishing has also had a substantial impact on the economy.

Getting There

Transporte Cordillera (O’Higgins 234, tel. 067/721248) shuttles passengers to the border, eight kilometers east, for connections to the Argentine towns of Trevelin and Esquel. Departures are at 8:45 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

To Chaitén (US$13, four hours), Ebenezer (Balmaceda s/n, tel. 067/721300), has a 7 a.m. departure daily in summer but is less frequent the rest of the year. Turismo Futaleufú (Pedro Aguirre Cerda 505, tel. 065/721280) goes to Osorno and Puerto Montt (US$40, 11 hours) Tuesday at 7:45 a.m. via Argentina.