A beginner's guide to Chile
From the arid Atacama Desert in the north to the Patagonian peaks of the south, Chile* is famed the globe over for its dramatic and extreme landscapes.
Measuring 4,270 km from top to tip, this narrow strip of a country isn't just a place of geographical quirkiness; its historical heritage and a capital city that's blossomed from dull to dynamic make it worth the trip over the Atlantic.
Getting there: browse the latest deals on escorted tours to Chile with Travelsphere to get more from your South American adventure.
Fall in love with Santiago
Santiago has long existed in the shadow of other fine South American capitals, lacking the joie de vivre of tango-loving Argentina's Buenos Aires and the fine-dining reputation of Lima in Peru.
But times have changed and Santiago is now a city to visit in its own right. Start with the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, a first-class museum showcasing pottery, textiles and other ancient art from pre-conquest cultures across South America*.
Be sure to also make time for the funicular up to Parque Metropolitano, officially the world's largest urban park and home to astonishing city skyline views.
For dinner, stop at Ambrosia, where a sophisticated and unpretentious blend of Chilean and French cuisine is served under the stewardship of internationally award-winning female Chilean chef, Carolina Bazán.
Hike the Route of the Parks
Launched last year, the 2,800-km Route of the Parks is the name given to 17 of Chile's national parks, which cover practically the full length of Patagonia in the south of the country.
Most popular by far is Torres del Paine National Park, where lumbering glaciers feed into milk-blue lakes and pronged granite peaks rise dramatically out of the landscape.
The park, which celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2024, and The W, a magnificent five-day hike, make the ideal introduction to this Patagonian gem.
Visit the world's oldest mummies
It's a common misconception that the ancient Egyptians were the oldest civilisation to mummify their dead, but this title actually goes to the Chinchorro of Arica, in Chile's Atacama Desert.
Dating from around 5050 BCE, these remains are 2,000 years older than those found in Egypt. To truly appreciate their antiquity, head to Museo de Sitio Colón 10, right in the centre of Arica, to see 49 mummies preserved in situ in the foundations of a former house.
Learn all about a culture that mummified not just high-status individuals but all of their dead with a visit to the nearby Museo Arqueológico San Miguel de Azapa, too.
Sample Carménère
Chile might have established itself as a country of go-to Cabernet Sauvignons but another grape is steadily become a firm favourite in sommelier circles: Carménère.
Originally introduced from Bordeaux where it was practically wiped out by a plague in the 1850s, it was long confused with Merlot and only discovered to be a distinct varietal in the mid-1990s.
As such, it's practically unique to Chile and the vineyards of the Colchagua Valley, two hours south of Santiago, are the resident experts.
This spicy, deep red wine is best sampled with a vineyard tour and lunch at award-winning Casa Silva, whose boutique hotel also makes for a fine place to spend the night.
Summit an active volcano
Sitting on the cusp of the Ring of Fire and home to some 29,000 volcanoes, 90 of which are active, geothermal and seismic activity is a part of daily life in Chile. However, for adventurous tourists, it provides the chance for an unusual experience: summiting an active volcano.
Villarrica, a stratovolcano near the adventure hotspot of Pucón in the Lakes District, requires a steep, six-hour climb to its 2,847-m crater, where you may spot lava bubbling inside.
Once you're back at lake level, you can appreciate how the geothermal activity of the volcano is responsible for a glut of hot springs in the surrounding area, including the Japanese-influenced Termas Geometricas. These make for a deserved post-hiking treat.
What to eat & drink
Pisco sours
If there's one thing that inspires nearly as much national pride as the Chilean football team, it's pisco, a brandy-like liquor whose origins are hotly contested with neighbouring Peru.
Avoid entering into this debate and instead appreciate the fine art of the pisco sour. It's a sharp and fiendishly alcoholic blend of pisco, lemon juice, ice and sugar.
Asado
Chile takes after the rest of the Southern Cone with its love of a good asado, or barbecue. Book yourself into a restaurant that specialises in this art form for an evening of uninhibited carnivorous gluttony.
Choose the entrañas (thin, tender skirt steak) or lomo vetado (rib eye off the bone) a punto (medium rare) for a truly Chilean experience.
Do you need to speak Spanish?
Spanish is the official language of Chile, but it won't sound anything like you've heard before. Chileans are infamous in the Spanish-speaking world for their love of jerga, or slang, so even if you know your way around the por favors and gracias of the language, you'll probably struggle.
Luckily, English has been making inroads and most people working within the tourism industry have a decent grasp of the world's lingua franca.
Climate in Chile
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °C |  26 |
 25 |
 23 |
 19 |
 16 |
 13 |
13 |
14 |
16 |
20 |
23 |
25 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  4 |
4 |
4 |
 3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The above guide shows the climate in Santiago. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Chile.
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