Chile is a 4,500km long ribbon of land lying between the high peaks of the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. With nowhere wider than 180km, it’s hard to imagine that such a small country can boast such a formidable variety of landscapes – magnificent Andean peaks (some over 20,000 feet high), snow capped volcanoes, valleys, deserts, fjords, lakes and glaciers. Chile is a country of contrast. Expect a mix of desert and subtropics up north, a pleasant climate in the central valleys, cold temperatures in the forests, colder and windy conditions where the Andes sink into the ocean and extremely bitter conditions in Antarctic wind-whipped Chilean Patagonia, a place many refer to as “The End of the World”.
Easter Island, west of the mainland, is famous for the moai, gigantic stone figures found all over the island. Sprawling outwards and with skyscrapers towering upwards, Santiago is immense. Set on a wide plain near the foot of the Andes, it boasts one of the most dazzling backdrops of any capital city in the world.
Chile Fast Facts
Country name: Republic of Chile
Population: 17 million
Capital: Santiago
Languages: Spanish, Mapuche, Aymara, Rapanui
People: 61% White, 33% Mestizo, 5% Indian, 1% other
Religion: Roman Catholic & Protestant
Currency: Chilean Peso
Time Zone: 16 hours behind New Zealand (17 hours with daylight savings)
Electricity: Current is 220V, 50HZ, Plug is a 2 or 3 point round-pin adaptor |
Chile Hot Spots
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Santiago
Santiago occupies arguably the most spectacular setting of any world capital. Sprawled across the fertile Santiago valley, 100km from the Pacific coast, the city is dominated by the full might of the Andes Mountains. This means that activities such as hiking, cycling and skiing are just an hour away, as well as great beach resorts in summer.
The city offers a diversity of museums, parks, fairs, restaurants and nightspots. The colourful nightlife in the Bellavista district, upscale restaurants in Las Condes and popular and world-famous Chilean vineyards make Santiago a great stopover before exploring other parts of Chile or further afield. |
Patagonia
This enormous region south of Buenos Aires province features a glacier-dotted mountainous interior, unique coastal wildlife and Andean national parks. Península Valdés is a special treat for lovers of wildlife, with large numbers of sea lions, elephant seals, guanacos, penguins, sea birds, flamingos and right whales.
One of the province’s main attractions is the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Los Glaciares National Park, an area of great natural beauty, with rugged mountains and numerous glacial lakes, including Lake Argentino. Accessible from the busy tourist town of El Calafate, the park’s centrepiece is the 60m high Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the earth’s few advancing glaciers. Huge icebergs calve and topple into Lake Argentino at the Iceberg Channel. |
Northern Chile
Northern Chile, with its remote Altiplano, lies next to the borders of Peru and Bolivia. When travelling through this land of snow-capped volcanoes and bizarre desert, you will see strange sculpted rock formations and endless salt lakebeds where the crystallised salts look like snow on the vast desert floor. Observe the pristine lagoons of intense greenish-blue amidst the countryside of deep desert brown.
The Atacama Desert is also found in Northern Chile. The desert is 1,000kms and virtually rainless. The town of San Pedro de Atacama is a special little place offering unique exploring and experiences. Trekking, climbing, sand boarding and visiting the El Tatio Geysers are just a few of the activities in the area. This place is nothing short of spectacular! |
The Lake District
Make sure to get a seat on the left hand side of the plane when flying south to the Chilean Lake District, you will be able to see the volcanoes and lakes in all their splendor, with the magnificent Andes towering behind them.
A “must do” once you are in the Lake District and one of the main reasons people travel here, is to take the classic boat crossing through the Andes to Argentina, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. But the Lake District has more than just scenery to offer. Within a day’s excursion from Puerto Varas, there are many things to do – walking, hiking, trekking, rafting, horseback riding, sailing, kayaking or fly fishing. You can head to the historic settler’s homesteads or southern markets, and enjoy local oysters or cold smoked salmon in the area. |
Vina Del Mar & Valparaiso
Lying 120km northwest of Santiago, Valparaiso is Chile’s principal port and second-largest city. Occupying a narrow strip of land between the waterfront and the nearby hills, its centre has cobbled streets and is overlooked by precipitous cliffs and hilltop suburbs which are accessed by cable car and stairway footpaths. Muelle Prat, the recently redeveloped pier, is a lively market area.
Vina del Mar, Chile’s local beach resort area, is only 10km north of Valparaíso, and is popularly known as the “Garden City” because of its manicured subtropical landscape of palm and banana trees. Horse-drawn carriages trot past attractive turn-of-the-century mansions on both river and beach frontages. Other attractions are the white-sand beaches, numerous parks and notable museums housed in restored mansions. |
Easter Island
Lying 3,700km west of the Chilean mainland, enigmatic Easter Island is the world’s most remote inhabited island. It is famous for the 887 colossal statues (moai) carved from hard volcanic basalt that are scattered around the island. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with much of the island protected within the Rapa Nui National Park.
In the 1800’s a series of terrible events reduced the population that was once around 2500. In 1871 missionaries then relocated all but 171 of the remaining local Rapanui. Six years later, there were just 111 people living on Easter Island. From that point on until today, the island’s population has slowly recovered back to about 2000 people. Sadly, losing 97% of the population meant the loss of a lot of cultural history and knowledge. |
Flights to Chile
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Airlines Flying To Santiago, Chile
