Hugging the western coastline of South America is Chile. Geographically diverse, Chile’s terrain slowly blends from the snow-capped peaks and lakes in the south through the mild verdant climes of the Central Valley, ending in the sun-baked plains of the Atacama Desert. Within just hours of each other are world-class Andean skiing and scores of Pacific beach resorts.

Most visitors at some point will discover Chile’s capital, Santiago, the international gateway and base for exploring Chile’s wine country and beyond. Northwest of Santiago is Valparaiso, a colourful port city that clings to the steep hillsides and is within easy reach of the relaxed beach resort Viña del Mar.

To the north is the vast barren Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world and a place of unfathomable beauty. Atacama Desert tours and experiences abound to a backdrop of volcanoes, lagoons, salt flats and mountains. Here too are steaming geysers, hot springs, lakes dotted with pink flamingos and a host of otherworldly rock formations.

Chile’s Lake District to the south is an intricate network of spectacular lakes and rivers interspersed with dense forest, popular resorts and year round sports.

A land of fjords and glaciers, Chilean Patagonia is by far one of the world’s best spots to do exploratory fishing and specialized eco-tourism. The river and lake systems in most cases are inaccessible to normal methods of transportation, thus remaining virgin and unexplored territories. Visitors can enjoy a plethora of activities including whale watching, sea kayaking, white water rafting and hiking. More sedate activities such as yoga and spa breaks to rejuvenate the body and soul are also available in secluded locations in the region.

Cleanse the mind and body on a Chile Yoga Adventure
Journey through Chile’s famous Maipo and Casablanca Wine Valleys
Discover the sights and sounds of Chile’s capital Santiago
Ski in the Andes and unwind in thermal spas



Santiago’s sprawling metropolis is situated at the centre of Chile’s long thin territory, with the Andes Mountains providing a spectacular backdrop. Santiago is a thoroughly modern bustling city with some interesting colonial features including plazas, leafy bohemian districts and national museums. Most visitors will start here on their travels through Chile and beyond.

Just north of Santiago is the old port city of Valparaíso, one of Chile’s World Heritage Sites known for its colourful houses, steep hills and ancient looking funicular lifts. Close by is the coastal town of Viña del Mar, one of Chile’s premier beach resorts. In complete contrast the capital, Viña del Mar is also surrounded by a number of established ski resorts, although the Chillán Ski Resort is generally considered to be the finest ski resort in the country situated some 400km from Santiago.

Chile has a wonderful climate for growing wine grapes with vineyard’s flourishing in the warm, fertile valleys. Many of Chilean vineyards are situated within the fertile basin bordered by the Andes and a lower coastal mountain range that runs 50 miles north of the capital and 250 miles south. It’s a beautiful region dotted with old haciendas, colonial towns and hot springs.

Unique journeys through Chile’s Wine Country abound visiting boutique wineries within the famous Curico, Maipo, Maule, Colchagua and Casablanca Valleys. Trails trace the rolling Andean foothills and pass through a patchwork of apple, avocado, fig plantations, peach orchards, tobacco fields and rustic villages.

Chile’s Central Valley is also cowboy country where the Chilean huaso (cowboy) still spends his days astride his horse in a traditional poncho and sombrero. The dry slopes of the Andes offer excellent horse riding and hiking opportunities, particularly along the protected trails at Reserve Nacional Los Cipreses near Rancagua. Hot springs located in the foothills of the Andes provide a welcome break after a strenuous day hiking and horse riding in the mountains.

In complete contrast to the lush fertile hills of Chile’s Central Valleys, the north of Chile shifts from a semi arid region with pleasant climate, fine beaches and colonial towns, to the dry arid north and the vast Atacama Desert.

Travelling north of Santiago are the very pleasant colonial towns of La Serena and Vicuña. La Serena lies on the coast with long stretches of beach and attractive streets and squares. Vicuña situated in the upper Elqui valley is surrounded by adobe house and avocado farms and has some of the clearest skies in the Southern Hemisphere, ideal conditions for star gazing at the Astronomic Observatory.

The single most outstanding feature of this region is the overwhelmingly vast Atacama Desert, stretching all the way down from the Peruvian border for over 1000 km, the driest desert in the world. The main touring base is the small oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama, where adobe houses line the dusty streets at an altitude of over 2000 metres above sea level.

The small village has a number of cosy restaurants and bars, and friendly laid back vibe. Popular excursions to the moonscapes of the Valley of the Moon, El Tatio geyser and the Salar de Atacama salt flats commence here. Many three to four day tours will combine the Salar de Atacama with the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia with its mesmerising lakes, volcanoes, wildlife and hot springs.

Stretching to the north with vast distances between are the lively colourful towns of Antofagasta, Iquique and Arica. Antofagasta and Iquique, both modern port cities lined with pleasant beaches, are agreeable rest points on journeys north to Arica and beyond.

To the south of Chile the landscape slowly softens, bordered by parkland with herds of grazing cattle and virgin forests. Chile’s Lake District stretches from Temuco in the north to Puerto Montt in the south, covered with dense forest, snow capped volcanoes and sparkling deep lakes concealed for the most part in the mountains. There are twelve major lakes in the district with dozens more dotting the landscape, interspersed by rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, volcanoes and the magnificent Andes.

Temuco is the perfect starting point for exploring the Lake District and numerous national parks including Conguilio and Villarrica containing hiking trails through forest, alpine lakes and deep canyons. It is also the cultural centre of the Mapuche Indians, the original inhabitants of the area who earned their respect for their resistance to Chilean expansion in the 19th century.

Puerto Montt is the transport hub and access point to the southern Lake District, Chiloé and Patagonia. The Chiloé Archipelago comprises of hundreds of islands and was isolated from the rest of Chile for many years thus retaining its rich ethnic and folklore traditions.

The dramatic landscape of Patagonia in the most southerly regions of Chile and bordering Argentina provide a dazzling array of islands, glaciers, icebergs and mountains and is split in two sub-regions, Aisen to the north and Magallenas to the south.

Aisen is home to Parque National Laguna San Rafael occupying an area of 5,900sq km. One of its greatest attractions is the Laguna San Rafael, a fjord stretching more than 16km in length between Péninsula de Taitao and the mainland, into which Ventisquero San Rafael (glacier) flows. Boat trips navigate through the iceberg-filled waters provide a unique glimpse of Patagonia’s spectacular scenery.

Magellanes hosts the incomparable Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, a miniature Alaska of glistening turquoise lakes, cascading waterfalls, sprawling glaciers, dense forest and abundant wildlife. The magnificent Torres del Paine mountain range which frames the national park of the same name, extends to heights of up to 9000 feet. One of the most inaccessible, beautiful places in the world is must-see destination, ideal for hikers, climbers, adventure sports enthusiasts and nature lovers in general.

Chile’s climate varies significantly between the north and south of the country. The far north of Chile is arid and hot year-round with temperatures consistently around 20°C and virtually no rainfall and can therefore be visited at any time. At higher altitudes it can get extremely hot by day and very cold at night.

The south of Chile by contrast has steady rainfall year-round and changeable weather. The best time to visit the southern regions of Chile is during the summer months between November and March when the weather is warmer. During the winter months of June to September, expect heavy snowfalls and extremes of weather.

Central Chile can be visited year-round. The summer months of November to March are warm with very little rainfall. The winters are cool and the wettest months fall between March and August.

Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport is the main point of entry. Most major cities up and down the country have good airports with some servicing neighbouring Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. LAN Airlines is Chile’s flagship airline.

Entering Chile by bus from neighbouring Peru, Bolivia or Argentina, is a cheap and reliable option and road connections between Bolivia and Chile are slowly improving. A popular connection for travellers is between San Pedro de Atacama and Uyuni in Bolivia on 4WD tour of the region.

Due to the sheer size of Chile, flying between major towns and cities is an attractive option. The three major domestic carriers are LAN Airlines, Sky Airline and Aerolineas del Sur. LAN Airlines offers the most travel times to the greatest number of locations in Chile.

Chile’s bus network is extensive and buses are clean, comfortable and cheap. Every town and city has at least one bus station with a number of competing bus companies offering varying levels of comfort and price. Normally there are three classes of bus you can choose from: cama, semi-cama and regular. These classes translate to full bed, partial bed or regular seat.

Colectivos are reasonably priced group taxis which run fixed routes indicated on the roof of the vehicle. They normally wait at central locations and leave when the minimum number of passengers has been met. In smaller towns and cities colectivos can be stopped anywhere along the route.

USA nationals will be charged a reciprocity fee of $100 at the port of entry, and a small receipt for the fee will be stapled in the last page of the passport. A tourist card will be issued, valid for up to 90 days. UK nationals may visit Chile without a visa for a maximum of 90 days.

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