The rafters know Futaleufú better than the motorcyclists do. The river that runs through this small town on the Chilean side of the Andes is one of the great whitewater rivers of the world, a startling turquoise torrent that comes down from Argentine lakes through a series of steep canyons, and kayakers and rafters travel here from around the globe to run it. The town of under two thousand people is a quiet place of low wooden houses, with a plaza and a handful of lodges, and the Andes standing white behind.
The road in is a detour, but a good one. From the Carretera Austral, the long and mostly gravel highway that Pinochet's government built through Patagonia from the 1970s to the 1990s, a side road runs east along the valley of the Yelcho and Futaleufú rivers, through forest of southern beech and bamboo, past lakes the colour of aquamarine. The surface is mixed, with sections of gravel, and the weather can swing from sun to rain within a few hours. Take care in the wet, and be ready for stones thrown by passing trucks.
Fuel in town is limited, so fill up at Chaitén or along the Carretera Austral before the turn, and carry spare if you can. Trevelin, in Argentina, about thirty-five kilometres east across the border, is a larger town with Welsh roots, tea houses and more services, and the border crossing there is a quiet one. The border has opening hours and paperwork, so check before you arrive.
Spring and autumn are quieter, and the autumn colours of the southern beech, in April, are a fine sight. In summer, from December to February, the days are long and warm, but rain is always possible. Expect to hear the river long before you see it, a deep, steady roar, and spend an hour at one of the viewpoints. The water looks too blue to be real.