THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN CHILE

 

Chile is the ultimate land of extremes! It’s hot (Atacama Desert), it´s cold (Patagonia); it’s up (Cuernos del Paine), it’s down (Elqui Valley) it’s a truly amazing country! Get better acquainted with this incredible country, full of impressive and unusual sites, ranging from mirror-like salt flats, giant heads and valleys of vineyards, here is an overview of the fascinating Chile and the best places to visit.

 

Humboldt Penguins

Easter Island

 

 The, Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island contains nearly 900 moai statues. The main attraction of the park of course is to admire these giant monoliths, with unusually large heads and an even more unusual and mysterious history. After a hike around the island, relax on the white sands of Anakena Beach. To learn more about the history of the island, consider booking a tour with a local guide. Legally, all guides must be Rapanui, offering the added bonus of being able to hear the history of the island from a local person’s point of view. 

 

Easter Island

 

Atacama Desert

Remoteness, diverse geographical sub-regions, and medicinal hot springs, characterize the driest place in the world and travelers visit here in their masses to see the unique Atacama Desert. With plenty of activities abound, you can observe the bubbling waters spewing out of El Tatio geyser or float on the indigo-blue lakes like the Laguna Escondida. Hike the remote red landscapes of the Valle de la Luna at sunset, as the last rays of sun, stretch across the wind-sculpted rock formations; Descend into one of the Atacama’s canyons to soak in hot springs, or bike across the mirror-like Salar de Atacama, Chile’s biggest salt flat. The Moon Valley will also have you thinking about extra planetary travel…. Your imagination can run wild in this incredible part of the world.

 

Torres del Paine National Park

The most famous national park in Chile, Torres del Paine is the home of green lakes, rolling grasslands, deep green forests, and blue-tinged glaciers. The Cuernos del Paine, the park's main feature, tower over the landscape, where the native wildlife rheas, flamingos, pumas, guanacos, huemul deer and Andean condors all call home. Hike up to the peaks, or opt for multi-day treks like the W, the O, or the Q. routes. The longer routes, require that you book campsites and refuges along the way, as many people visit Torres del Paine each year. Also, try-out some glacial ice-hiking on the Grey Glacier for an extreme adventure!

 

Torres del Paine

Cape Horn

The Atlantic and Pacific come crashing together at Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn). The southernmost point of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Cape Horn was first sighted by Sir Francis Drake, but due to its violent sailing conditions including 100km gale force winds, it was not actually discovered until 1616 by a group of Dutch sailors. Cape Horn was the most important Southerly trade route for two centuries, connecting Europe to Australia and Asia, and even played an important role in the California Gold Rush. Now, it can be reached via cruise ship or boat. The island has two small lighthouses, a chapel, and two monuments to the sailors who met their end around the cape, one of which is a giant iron albatross that symbolizes the souls of over 10,000 sailors who lost their lives here.

 

Carretera Austral

 

Road trippers will be in their heaven on the Carretera Austral, as you drive through rural Patagonia following over 1,200km of road on Route 7 while enjoying pristine natural beauty and possibly the freshest air in the world. The starting point lies in Puerto Montt and the road terminates in Villa O’Higgins. The remote stretch of road winds through several National Parks, along wild rivers and lakes, through untouched forests, and past glaciers and mountain ranges. Traveling the whole route from start to finish includes 3 ferry crossings. It’s a big-time commitment, but if you’re seeking some alone time amidst nature, make the trip.  Visit the Queulat National Park, famous for its untouched evergreen forests, temperate rainforest and miles-long glaciers. Coyhaique, promises jagged peaks, hanging glaciers and a gorgeous turquoise glacier lake. Then there are the Marble Caves. (See below).

 

Carretera Austral

Marble Caves

Along the Carretera Austral, near the sleepy town of Puerto Río Tranquilo, lies a natural wonder within the Lago Carrera General- The Marble Caves. These spectacular caves are only accessible by water transport. You can rent a kayak to explore the caves and paddle through its other-worldly white, turquoise, yellow, and purple-grey tinged grottos. The Patagonian winds, which have assisted the formation of these caves within the lake’s calcium carbonate cliffs over millenniums, still gust and gale and create the crashing waves, which bash against the rocks. Hire a guide from the town or take a speedboat, if you are not an experienced kayaker, however you visit, this is guaranteed to be one of the highlights on any Patagonia trip.

 

Valparaíso

A Bohemian coastal hangout, Valparaíso is the home of brightly coloured houses, creative street art, on the hills heading down towards the Pacific Ocean. Wander around its streets on a group or self-guided tour to admire the graffiti on the buildings and across the staircases. You can sample fresh fish and seafood at Caleta Portales, the main fish market, or at the Caleta el Membrillo fishing inlet. You can marvel at the bay from a “funicular” on railroad tracks, and wander through Pablo Neruda’s house,for insight into the poet’s life and his unique decorative style. To get the best idea about what makes this town tick, sit down and chat with the friendly and enthusiastic locals, who are always more than happy to share a tale or two with a philosophical twist, adding to the essence of this remarkable, bohemian town.

 

Valparaiso

 

Elqui Valley

The Elqui valley is blessed with clear skies and rolling hills, adding to the ambience of this valley which is blessed with authentic Chilean pisco, wellness activities and starry skies.  Surrounded by the Atacama Desert and with natural quartz deposits underfoot, which offer sparkling trails and pathways, attracting lovers of an alternative lifestyle, yogis, and astronomers to its quaint villages and vineyards. Enjoy a massage, sweat it out in a sauna, and meditate along the shores of the Elqui River in El Molle. Discover the classic distilleries of Chile’s pisco-producing capital, or visit one of its resident mystics or shamans for some spiritual insight, on your journey. 

 

Chiloé Island

The unique culture on this island is characterized by its curanto (a clam bake), wooden boat -like churches and rainbow-coloured “palafito” houses. There are 16 UNESCO World Heritage Site churches, which combine Spanish design with local “Chilota”-style boat building techniques and fabulously decorated interiors. As an archipelago, Chiloé s surrounding waters are home to blue whales, you can sail out for the best views or see them from afar from the shores of the Chiloé National Park. The park includes the magnificent Chepu Valley, home to more than 120 bird species, as well as a sunken forest, which was created by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

 

Chiloe Island

 

San Rafael Glacier

The San Rafael Glacier is a 400 km2 sheet of ice continually filling the Laguna San Rafael. Found in the Northern Patagonia Icefield, it stands over 70 metres high, looking over the Laguna San Rafael National Park, surrounded by the lagoon and accompanying rainforests. A boat tour will allow you to see the glacier and cruise through fjords, however for the more adventurous, a kayak tour will give you more freedom to sail closer to the glacier, as well as land at the park and hike its trails. The park is home to pudus foxes, and sea elephants, and the serenity of the area due to being off the beaten track, only adds to its bounty. 

 

Santiago

The capital of Chile, Santiago is packed with  interesting museums, eclectic cultural activities and a fascinating history that combine in this unique country. Learn all about native indigenous cultures at the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino and the crimes of the Pinochet dictatorship at the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos. See exhibitions, theatre, and dance at the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM). Visit the Palacio la Moneda, where President Allende’s government was overthrown, offer excellent insight into the Pinochet regime and hike to the top of San Cristóbal Hill offers one of the best views of the city. Also, Santiago is the best city to base yourself for skiing in the Andes, wine tasting in the valleys and surfing in the Pacific on your Chile vacation!

 

Santiago

The Central Wine Valley

Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot are three of the main reasons to go to the central wine valley. With fertile earth, it one of the best wine producing regions of Chile. Fresh air, clear skies, relatively flat terrain, and vineyards as far as the eye can see, make the valley ideal for cycling. Consider joining a tour or renting a bike to any of its 20 wineries for a tasting. The vineyards produce full bodied wines, to sample all the different grape varieties.

 

Mylodon Cave

Formerly the home of mylodons, sabre toothed tigers, dwarf horses, and prehistoric humans, the Milodón Cave Natural Monument  is a group of three caves located in Patagonia, found outside of Puerto Natales. In 1865, a German explorer descended into the biggest of the caves, a 200 metre-deep cavern, and discovered the well- preserved skin and excrement of the extinct mylodon, a 3 metre high sloth. Now a life-size mylodon statue is found in the cave, now welcomes visitors. Explore all three caves and hike to Devil’s Chair, a nearby rock formation with views of Eberhard Fjord and the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

 

Milodón Cave