The enthusiasm, dedication, and resources Jerry Shults and his daughter Amy have brought to Rapids Camp Lodge will surely be matched, if not exceeded, with their endeavors in Chile. Long-term goals matched with experience cannot be underestimated. Rio Salvaje Lodge is a passion come to life.

A long and narrow coastal South American country on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,630 kilometers (2,880 mi) north to south, but only 430 kilometers (265 mi) at its widest point east to west. Chile is the longest north-south country in the world and encompasses a remarkable variety of landscapes.

Rio Salvaje is located in southern Chile, an area rich in forests, grazing lands, volcanoes, lakes and pristine rivers. With the wealth of the Pacific Ocean at our doorstep, this southern central coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas and islands just yearning to be explored.

Lost in the Annals of Time

Chile derives its name from the indigenous Mapuche word chilli, which may mean “where the land ends” or “the deepest point of the Earth”. The Spanish conquistadors heard about this area of land from the Incas, and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro’s first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535 would later call themselves the “Men of Chile.” Ultimately, Almagro is credited with the universalization of the name Chile. To this day Chile invokes images of the farthest reaches of our planet.

Settled as long as 10,000 years ago by migrating North American Indians, the Mapuche Natives dominated Chile until the arrival of the Spanish in 1520. Intermittent struggles continued until 1817, when an army led by Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile’s most renowned patriot, and José de San Martín, hero of the Argentine War of Independence, crossed the Andes into Chile and defeated the royalists. On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic under O’Higgins’ leadership.

As a great trade partner to the US and a stable democracy, Chile is a wonderful and safe place to enjoy vacations. Rio Salvaje is excited to treat intimate groups to the Patagonian wilderness - in style.