Our next destination was Futaleufú. This is another side trip from the Carretera Austral which I had never done in the past due to time constraints but always wanted to do.
Futaleufú is famous for the rafting activities on the identically named river. We wanted to find out if there is more to do than just rafting.
(Editor’s note: We were in Futaleufú in March 2023.)
From Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda, it’s a 216 km five-hour drive to Futaleufú via La Junta and Villa Santa Lucia.
Futaleufú is located in a mountain region close to the Argentinian border.
In addition to the famous Rio Futaleufú, there are a couple of other rivers and mountain lakes in this area waiting to be explored.
Ruta 235 from Villa Santa Lucia to Futaleufú
The road from Villa Santa Lucia to Futaleufú leads through a stunning landscape with interesting wetlands close to the road and mountain ranges in the background.
Futaleufú Village
At the end of the day, we finally reached the small village of Futaleufú, where we had rented a cabin for two nights.
The village itself has a relaxed atmosphere and is worth a short visit.
Interestingly, everything in Futaleufú felt more like being in Argentina than in Chile. There is just a different vibe there compared to the other villages in southern Chile. Many of the people living there have their roots in Argentina which partially explains this.
Lago Espolon
Our first exploration the next day was a trip to the Lago Espolon, the source of the Rio Espolon which later merges with the Rio Futaleufú. This is a typical mountain lake surrounded by beautiful forests and high mountain ranges.
Futaleufú River
The Rio Futaleufú, the main attraction of this area, is indeed stunningly beautiful.
We didn’t do any rafting on this river. The main reason was that it is always very difficult to safely store our camera equipment somewhere during this kind of activity. The only option would have been that only some of us would have done the rafting and the remaining one(s) would watch the equipment. But this was not an attractive option. In addition, we had done lots of kayaking and rafting on similar rivers in the past in the Alps. Instead, we explored the river by car and by foot and thoroughly enjoyed it.
And we had lots of fun with some of the curious and friendly local dogs.
Piedra del Águila
On Maps.me and iOverlander we found an interesting viewpoint near Futaleufú called Piedra del Águila. To get there you have to take the Ruta W-901 from the north-western end of the village, followed by the W-889 and W-939.
Shortly after the start of the W-939, there is a parking lot on the right side of the road. Most people leave their car here and start the 3 km hike (one-way) to the viewpoint point from here.
The woman at the parking lot (which also costs a few pesos) told us that it’s impossible to drive up the road any further, even with a 4×4. But according to trip reports on the internet, it should be possible to drive very close to the viewpoint if you have the right vehicle. Since a young woman in her pick-up truck just approached us on the W-939 we decided to stop her and ask for a second opinion. She confirmed that with our car (which was very similar to hers) it should be no problem to reach the upper parking lot at the viewpoint. We decided to give it a try. More about the condition of the track at the end of the post.
After some very careful and slow driving, we reached the entrance to the viewpoint where we had to pay an entrance fee of 2000 CLP per person. From there it was a short but steep 10-minute hike to the viewpoint offering a spectacular view of the valley below and the nearby mountain ranges and lakes.
The offroad-track to the viewpoint was indeed a bit challenging. You definitely need a capable and not too large 4×4 to reach the top. The track is very steep with lots of loose rocks and very tight switchbacks.
But luckily our Ford Ranger managed this track without any problems.
Altogether, I’m happy that we did the side trip to Futaleufú but it’s not as spectacular as some of the other places along the Carretera Austral. Therefore, if you have limited time you could skip it without feeling bad. Unless of course, you want to do a rafting or white water kayaking tour. For these activities, it’s one of the best places in South America.
The next day, we left Futaleufú and continued our way north on the Carretera Austral.
Wild Places 
I was lucky to pass the road from the Carretera Austral to Futaleufu on a sunny afternoon last Oktober – the mountain range at Lago Yelcho and further on east of the road is really impressive. Unluckily I was a bit in a hurry to reach Futaleufu before dusk, many horses and cows on the road. But if I’d come back I would try to get more information about hiking and trips in the area.