FROM HIGH FASHION TO ICONIC OUTDOOR ADVENTURES.
The beauty of the sprawling Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, the European flavor of the Lakes District, the Chilean High Andes, and touring the country’s wine regions are only a small sampling of what this South American nation you. Join wine connoisseurs who flock to taste some of the best, freshest, and finest organic whites made with Loca Blanca grapes from Chile.
Chile will easily satisfy any fantasy adventure you can dream up. Patagonia, once only a remote backpacker destination, has grown into a climbing and hiking mecca and features luxury accommodations with spas and cooking classes. Discover the richness of breathtaking scenery combined with adventure and fine local cuisine in your next South American vacation.
Things To Do and See in Chile
Chile …show more content…
is an amazingly diverse country that more than makes up for its lack of longitude with it’s diversity of latitudes. From the amazing sculptured peaks of Torres de Paine national park in the South, to the central cosmopolitan urban centers of Santiago and Valparaíso, to the Andes highlands and national nature reserves along the border with Bolivia in the North, this is a country of contrasts.
Chile offers the intrepid explorer the opportunities to tour wine country, hike in one of the world’s most formidable mountain ranges, stroll beaches among penguin and seal colonies, shop and enjoy art galleries and art and cultural museums by day, and experience some of the greatest in South American nightlife by night.
Chile is a diverse country made up of indigenous and European groups that inhabit the landscape in a variety of ways, producing a variety of crafts and other goods.
The Weather in Chile
Chile, because it stretches so far from North to South, has nine separate climates. They are, from North to South, warm desert, cold desert, cold semi-arid, warm Mediterranean, temperate continental, temperate oceanic, cool oceanic, and tundra. They overlap and overtake each other in various places depending upon latitude, altitude, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Depending on what time of year you’re visiting (the seasons run opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere) and where you’re itinerary will take you, you will need to pack for just about all types of weather.
Transportation
Options
The big cities and most of the towns in Chile have taxi service, collectivos (taxis that run fixed routes for fixed rates), and mass transit. Valparaiso and Santiago also have commuter rail systems and Santiago has a subway. Rail travel is problematic for travelers and most long distance travel should be booked through airlines. To get off the beaten path in Chile will require either renting a car or hiring a driver.
Hotels & Resorts
Chile’s larger cities and towns will have a range of accommodations for all travelers on all budgets. Accommodations near Torres del Paine and other parts of Patagonia tend to be on the more luxury end of the spectrum, catering to tourists who want adventure by day and comfort by night. Small towns throughout the country may have some lodging available in small inns, through home stays, and the occasional hotel or resort. Make sure to book lodgings in advance, especially if you are venturing outside the usual tourist spots and bigger towns.
Unique Adventures and Experiences in Chile
From the monkey puzzle tree, to the interesting and unusual varietals grown to make Chile’s best wine, this country is a study in uniqueness. But, if you’re looking for something even more off the beaten path, consider one of these options:
• Visit Pablo Neruda’s love nest, La Chascona. Nobel prize-winning poet and Chilean native Pablo Neruda constructed La Chascona as a getaway for himself and his mistress, Matilda Urrutia. It is now maintained by his foundation as a museum to the author, his eventual wife, and his love for art.
• Visit the marble caves, high in the Andes. Accessible only by boat tour on Chile’s Lake General Carrera, these beautiful caves of swirling stone patterns have been cut by six thousand year’s worth of waves on the lake’s surface.
• Visit the home of the Birdman Cult, Orongo on Isla de Pascua. Once the site of a tribal ritual that would pit sponsored tribesman against each other in a cliff-diving, shark infest water-swimming, and rare egg-gathering contest, this UNESCO world heritage site has to be experienced to be believed.
MORE ABOUT CHILE
Plan your adventure to Chile today. Whether you’re hoping to concentrate solely on the back-country adventure options afforded to you in Patagonia, visit multiple wine producing regions, or tour the high Andes, enrich your Chilean vacation experience by calling one of our Chile travel experts. Let us bring a trip to Chile into your heart. »Learn more about vacations in Chile.