IS CHILE SAFE TO TRAVEL?

With deserts, lakes, far-flung islands and vast mountain ranges to explore here. Oh, and don’t forget the cool cities with funky street art and great food. All of this makes for a potentially unforgettable time. Chile is considered the safest travel destination in South America. The political situation is stable, and you can move freely throughout the country. You can safely travel alone, even as a single woman in the country, with little or no issue. Chile is normally a very safe destination for travelers, a well-developed country with plenty of nature and open spaces. However, navigating through its cities can be another story. Here are a few things to be aware of and tips on how to avoid a spoiled vacation. Here are some extra tips to stay safe in Chile.

 

Chilean Police

 

Like in all big cities in the world, throughout Chile, pickpocketing and mugging is not uncommon, especially at tourist sites and around transport hubs. As with all other destinations, please ensure that your valuables are kept inside the safe of your hotel room. Jewellery, cameras, watches and other such valuables should not be carried openly, especially in crowded areas where pickpockets are known to operate. Please do not leave your bags unattended while visiting cafes and restaurants.

 

Phone Snatcher

Santiago

 

The capital of Chile deserves a special mention and while Santiago is far safer than some of its neighboring South American capitals such as Lima, Buenos Aires, La Paz, it pays to be vigilant. By day, Santiago is crowded, full of shoppers, and outside of some of the park areas up on Cerro San Cristobal or Cerro Manquehue, your main concern is pickpockets or bag snatchers, who may target obvious tourists flashing expensive cameras, jewellery, or phones. Women might want to consider carrying everything in their pockets rather than a purse, or else wear a day pack that can also be turned around and worn on your front if in crowded market or shopping areas.
Be extra vigilant at night-time. If you must walk, do so only on streets with other people, or better yet, take taxis. While the advent of internet-taxi services like Uber and Cabify have made taxi crime somewhat less relevant, it still pays to use radio taxis as opposed to just hailing cabs from the street, especially if you can’t speak Spanish. 

 

 

Official Taxis Santiago

 

Valparaiso

 

Valparaiso is another city in Chile where you will need to be extra-vigilant. Though it’s perhaps Chile’s most beautiful city and receives many tourists, it has some serious no-go areas and levels of high crime. As the city is comprised of dozens of hills, many of which are only accessed by funicular “cable-cars” or narrow winding alleys and steep staircases, there are plenty of spots where you can be watched from above and where there isn’t much police presence. The photogenic tourist areas around Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre are safe and tend to have more security presence, but the higher hills without cable-car are best avoided. At some point, you will certainly be passing through the area between Plaza Sotomayor and the Ascensor Artilleria near the harbor, which is a somewhat dubious neighborhood even by day. Do not flash any valuables here, keep your phone in your pocket, and better yet, take a taxi to travel through this part of town. The area around the main bus station and anywhere along the port are also not places to linger. 

 

Cerro Concepcion, Valparaiso

 

Luggage theft in Chile

While bus stations in Chile usually have a security presence, this doesn’t stop thieves from stealing your luggage should you leave your pack unattended or turn your back to it while buying a bus ticket. The old scam of someone spraying or dropping a sticky substance on you and having an accomplice point it out and offer to help, diverting your attention long enough for your bags to be snatched, isn’t as common as it once was, but still does happen.

 

Santiago Bus Station

 

Protests and demonstrations in Chile

From 2019-2021 Chile saw massive street protests called the “Estallido Social”. beginning with a protest against raising the Santiago metro fare, which boiled over into riots and violent protests against corruption, cost of living increases, and general inequality. However, the Covid pandemic lessened the mass gatherings, and at the end of 2021, one of the student protest leaders won the national election and became president, bringing concessions to the protestor’s demands by the government. While continued economic recession could ignite things again, for now, Chile is peaceful.
The northern city of Calama, where almost every traveler will pause to transfer on the way to San Pedro de Atacama, is notorious for bag theft. Keep your bag on you at all times in bus stations, and it also pays to ask locals which areas are safe. Other cities requiring vigilance include Antofagasta, La Serena, Puerto Montt, Villarica, Valparaiso, Iquique, and Viña del Mar, especially in the busier city areas. While petty theft, pickpocketing, and muggings can occur in Chile, if you keep your street smarts and don’t flash your valuables, you ought to be fine.

 

Demonstration in Santiago

 

Natural Phenomenon’s

 

Perhaps of more concern might be Chile’s position on the Pacific Ring of Fire, prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Earthquakes can and do occur in Chile, and so do the resulting tsunamis. There are also active volcanoes with the risk of eruptions in the Conguillo National Park and Lascar in the north, amongst other places. The best thing to do is to follow the advice of local authorities.

 

Earthquake in Atacama