Bahía Pumalín among rugged mountains and native forest, Los Lagos

Bahía Pumalín: islands, volcanoes and giants

Beneath the silhouette of Corcovado Volcano begins an expedition where the waters connect worlds. From the great rivers descending from the mountains to the islands of the archipelago and the waters where blue whales feed, we sail through a territory where mountain, river, forest and ocean form a single ecosystem.

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About the expedition

Where the rivers end

Our expedition sets sail from Dalcahue and enters the southern reaches of the Chiloé Archipelago. We sail towards Mechuque and continue through the Desertores Islands, a group of isolated islands off the mainland where the sea, wind and island life have shaped a particular way of inhabiting this territory over generations.

From there we cross to Bahía Pumalín and enter the Palvitad estuary and river, exploring a landscape where forests, mountains and inland waters meet the sea. We continue towards Bahía Edwards, on Talcán Island, before reaching Quehui and finally returning to Dalcahue.

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But this expedition follows a story that begins much farther inland. At the heart of the route lies the Yelcho River estuary, connected inland to Yelcho Lake and, further upstream, to the Futaleufú River system. From the mountains to the ocean, these great watersheds carry water and nutrients that ultimately reach the sea.

Here an extraordinary chain of life begins. Nutrients brought by the river systems support immense marine productivity, feeding communities of diatoms which, in turn, sustain krill. And where krill gathers, some of the largest animals ever to inhabit our planet arrive: blue whales. The Yelcho estuary is therefore a true feeding hotspot for these ocean giants, making this area one of the expedition's great natural attractions.

Whale tail and tender in open water off a low-lying coast

Snow-covered summit silhouetted against a blue sky

Sunset over a pebble beach, with grilled fish and a sailing yacht at anchor

View more moments from our time at sea

The expedition

Corcovado: lands of water

We sail among remote islands and great river systems to discover the connection between the mountains, the sea and the giants of the ocean.

Kayaking the Palvitad River

An adventure expedition in Corcovado National Park, kayaking the Palvitad River through pristine forests and southern waters. A remote territory with no land access, reached only by sea.

Fresh oysters served on board in the waters of Chiloé

Fresh oysters on board

An encounter with the flavours of the sea: oysters freshly harvested from the waters of Chiloé, served on board and enjoyed at their freshest, accompanied by a glass of white wine.

Nihuel Islet, El Sillón del Diablo, in the archipelago

Islote Nihuel — The Devil's Seat

Known locally as El Sillón del Diablo, Nihuel Islet rises as a distinctive formation in the middle of the archipelago. Its walls and cliffs provide exceptional habitat for thousands of seabirds, making it one of the great natural sanctuaries along the way.

Orca emerging off the Desertores Islands

Encounter with an orca

Off the northern coast of the Desertores Islands, sailing can bring extraordinary encounters: an orca emerges from the waters of the Pacific, in a setting as remote as it is unpredictable.

Indicative stops

1
Dalcahue – Butachauques
Sailing among the islands of the Chiloé Archipelago, moving towards increasingly remote and lightly developed territories.
2
Butachauques – Bahía Pumalín
A journey towards the mainland, leaving the Chiloé channels behind and entering a landscape dominated by forests, mountains and fjords.
3
Bahía Pumalín – Palvitad
Sailing deep into northern Patagonia, travelling along channels and fjords surrounded by temperate forests and largely untouched mountains.
4
Palvitad – Talcán Island
A day of sailing through remote waters, among channels and islands, with the possibility of observing marine wildlife and birds in a highly isolated setting.
5
Talcán – Quehui
Sailing back towards the inner archipelago, crossing channels and islands as the landscape once again takes on the rural and maritime character of Chiloé.
6
Quehui – Dalcahue
The final passage among the islands and channels of the archipelago, closing the expedition with the Chiloé landscape at centre stage and the return to Dalcahue.

Indicative minimum duration: 5 days, to be determined with the Captain according to the group and conditions.

Indicative map of the expedition to Bahía Pumalín, from Dalcahue

Bahía Pumalín connects the mountains with the ocean — from the Yelcho River system to the blue whale feeding hotspot at its estuary. The Captain adjusts the route according to the weather and the possibility of sightings.

Vessels

Region

Los Lagos · Chiloé

Private charter · Los Lagos / Pumalín

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