Chile

Chile is a 4300 km ribbon of land squashed between the Pacific and the Andes.

Its natural topography embraces glacial wilderness and moonscapes, lakes and volcanoes, beaches and salt flats, and the burnt colours of the driest desert in the world. From salty-desert top to glacier-crowded bottom, Chile is an awesome reminder of nature’s beauty and power.

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Travellers are drawn to this narrow trickle of a country because of its spectacular Pacific coastline, Andean mountain range and fabulous wine lands, and it is jammed with enough challenging geological wonders to keep the adventurous enthralled for a lifetime. Chile is understandably growing in popularity. If time is limited flying is essential to experience all her beauties.

All flights enter into and through Santiago. With its foundations in the 16th century, here is a modern metropolis surrounded by vineyards and with the Andes as a backdrop. In the South lies Patagonia; fly to Puerto Montt for the Lake District, and Punta Arenas, rich in wildlife and glaciers. Calama is the gateway to northern Chile and the Atacama Desert. All three cities permit the crossing in to neighbouring Argentina, with Calama also providing access to Bolivia.

When to go:

Because of its length, Chile encompasses a variety of climates (the country contains both arid deserts and icebergs). There is no one time that is perfect to visit every part of the country, but our favourite season is summer (October-March). During this period most parts remain dry with low humidity, midday temperatures of up to 32 C, and cool nights.

Currency: Chilean Peso

Time: GMT - 4 hours

Capital City: Santiago

Language: Spanish
 

Food:

Seafood is the pride and joy of Chilean cuisine. Almost every port on the Chilean coast has a small market or row of restaurants where excellent seafood can be found; the varieties of fish are seemingly endless. An alternative to fish is “cazuela de vacuno” which is meat stew with pumpkin, potato, coriander and a twist of lemon.

Beverages:

Chilean wines are excellent. Two delicious drinks are “vaina”, a mixture of brandy, egg and sugar, and “cola de mono”, a chilled mixture of apuardiente, coffee, milk.