Salto El Claro
verified
Ungraded
Low flood risk
Pucon, Araucania
An 80 m waterfall rappel in the Los Calabozos sector 20 minutes from Pucon, the marquee single-drop commercial canyoneering descent in southern Chile.
Sources vary on the exact height: Ermitano publishes 80 m, other Pucon operators list 90 m. Functionally a waterfall rappel rather than a canyon descent in the slot sense, but included because it is the most-documented technical canyoneering activity in the southern Chilean Lakes District. Pucon also hosts the Correntoso river canyoning trip (3 rappels 9 to 12 m, 25 minutes from town) and seasonal canyoning on Palguin tributaries, which are kayak-canon multipurpose.
Logistics
| Manager | Private (Los Calabozos sector, operator access only) |
|---|---|
| Permit | Commercial guided descent only. Operators include Ermitano Expediciones and Patiperros Adventure. Price approximately CLP 50,000. Minimum age 18. |
| Elevation | ~260 ft (80 m) waterfall descent |
| Time | 4 hr total (20 min on rope) |
| Technical | Single-waterfall rappel rather than a slot canyon traverse. The 80 m descent (some sources list 90 m) is done individually on a fixed rope system, with the participant on a safety rope managed by a guide above. Lands in a natural pool. Return is a 15 minute hike up through native forest. Included for completeness as the highest-profile commercial canyoneering descent in the Pucon area. |
| Season | Year round (operator-dependent on flow) |
| Flood risk | Low for a single rappel of this kind; flow spikes during storms but the descent is a vertical waterfall not a slot. |
| Vehicle access | 2WD paved (20 minutes from downtown Pucon) |
| Crowd | Daily commercial trips in season |
| Coordinates | -39.2667, -71.95 |
Sources
- general: https://chile.travel/en/blog/canyoning-in-chile/
- operator ermitano: https://www.ermitanoexpediciones.com/en/water/canyoning-rappelling/
- operator patiperros: https://patiperrosadventure.cl/producto/salto-el-claro-80-metros/