Introduction

The Futangue lodge is part of, and connected to, the Futangue Private Reserve. This reserve is like a National Park, but without the National Park classification. It encompasses a large swathe of virgin, native Valdivian rain forest with various trekking trails, lakes and rivers for fly fishing and kayaking, as well as horse riding and other exhilarating, outdoor activities.

People who stay at the lodge can enjoy the reserve each day and then return to the high-level comfort of the accommodation and enjoy great food accompanied with good wine (if wine is your choice!). One of the benefits of coming here is that, unlike the more popular destinations in the Chilean Lake Region and elsewhere in Patagonia, Futangue is a relatively new destination, and the natural wilderness can be enjoyed without too many other people around.

The accommodation at Futangue is split between the main lodge and a separate house, 120mts from the main lodge. Futangue Hotel and Spa offers 16 guest rooms, bar and restaurant and then, in a separate building is the Casa Exloradores (Explorers House) with 10 more rooms.

The Lodge

The Futangue Hotel and Spa is a property located in the meadows very close to Lago Ranco. It is a property that, on its exterior, emits the style of the farm barns and stables in this part of Chile, but in the interior, it is high-end, lodge style offering 16 guest rooms, therefore it can be very personal. It is a boutique property with cosy, wood panelled interiors, as well as flooring.

Casa Exploradores

This is more like a large, private house 120 mts from the main lodge, offering 10 more guest rooms as well as a general terrace from which there is a fine view to the granite, Rumumeica Towers. Guests using the house can eat in the restaurant in the main lodge.

Each of the buildings has interior decoration that is warm and cosy, using colourful, local fabrics and various adornments from the Mapuche culture.

Futangue Private Reserve

The Futangue nature reserve covers a sector of Northern Patagonia and the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The Park borders the northern shore of the large, Ranco Lake. Within the park is considered to be one of the best, and most importantly preserved examples of Valdivian rain forest, containing one of the best biodiversity hotspots on Earth. Surprisingly, the Futange reserve contains 70% of the flora of South American rainforests.

Futangue means “large cannon” in the indigenous, Huilliche language. Large cannon was the name given by the original settlers, to the valley and river passing through it. The forest canopy here is extensive and very beautiful when peppered in snow in the winter months and although mainly evergreen, the changing to red, orange and yellow colours of the deciduous trees looks picturesque in the autumn months. The forest is also home to numerous varieties of flora and fauna, although some of these are under threat such as the Pudú deer and Darwin frog.

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