From Deserts to Glaciers – Chile

Chile is a South American Country. It shares its borders with the South Pacific Ocean, Peru and Argentina.

Best time to visit Chile

The best time to visit Chile would be from June to August. For Santiago, Chile’s Capital and Middle Chile, September to November is the time to go.

How to Get to Chile

The Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International airport is the gateway to Santiago and the rest of Chile. By flight, Santiago is about 9 hours away from Miami and about 14 hours away from Madrid.

You could also cruise to this South American Country and San Antonio is its main port. There are buses plying to Chile from places such as Ecuador as well as international destinations like Argentina and Brazil to its Capital City – Santiago.

Buses and taxis connect the various parts of Chile and are also the means to get around in the cities here.

Chile Tourist Attractions

The cities of Chile are reasons by themselves that attract tourists to visit this thin stretch of land in South America.

If we start from the North, we have parts of Atacama Desert, some thirsty since ages and some called the “flowering deserts”. The Valley of Moon and the geysers at Tatio, the open-pit copper mines at Chuquicamata– largest ones in the world, the pretty town of San Pedro de Atacama are the places worth exploring here.

In this desert is Copiapo City from where you can take a tour to see Chile’s highest mountain –the Cerro Ojos del Salado. Wild Guanacos and Chilean flamingos are the inhabitants here.

A bit further is the City of Arica – home to some good beaches, the Parque Nacional Lauca that’s at an altitude of 3000 meters and the Lago Chungara where you have the lakes and glaciers. Close to Arica is the Peruvian City of Tacna with the Nazca Lines, worth a view by helicopters or small airplanes.

In the Capital City of Santiago – located somewhere in the middle of the Country, you have some monumental buildings amidst skyscrapers and a good night out scene!

Head to Valparaiso and then for a hiking trip of the Andes Mountain from here.

South of the Capital are the Region of Bio Bio River and the Region of Lakes, then there is the Conception City – known for its University. Visit the coastal towns of Tome and take a tour of former coal mines in Lota City. From Puerto Montt, you can access the Chiloe Island – known for the Mapuche culture, Puerto Natales where you can hike the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine and Patagonia. Puerto Borres, in the Arctic South is a museum that once was a sheep-processing plant.

A good tour would be of Puerto Varas that is home to Volcan Osrono and Perulla. Between the two cities are forests and parks worth exploring.

You touch the southernmost tip of the country with Punta Arenas and the Magellan Strait with its colonies of Penguins.

This is also the take-off point for two of the world’s most amazing Islands.

The Tierra del Fuego is one where the sun shines for 18 out of 24 hours though the temperatures say the contrast and the Easter Island known locally as Rapa Nui, famous for Moai – the stone structures.

En-route the tour of Chile, you will come across glaciers, vineyards, rainforests and other landscape that make the terrains of this South American Country rich and beautiful.

This country has a destination for every season. You are definitely spoilt for choice when it comes to planning an itinerary to Chile South America, you don’t know what to pick and what to miss out on!