Chile Travel Guide
A long, slender land of contrasts
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Clinging to the edge of South America, the striking, long, thin shape of Chile is probably what first grabs your attention. And from the icy south to desert north, from misty stunning to the highest peaks of the Andes, there is plenty to hold it.
North of the country's capital is the Atacama desert that spans unfathomable distances towards the Peruvian border. This barren rocky sun-baked expanse, the driest location on the planet, is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.
The long established capital, Santiago sits in the centre of the country. More European in feel than the cities further north and in the rest of Latin America. The capital a short distance from the antiquated coastal city of Valparaíso. A port city that feels as if stuck in the early 20th century, its Victorian-era buildings clinging to steep hillsides.
Heading south from the capital we enter the Lake District, once the realm of the fierce Mapuche tribe who neither the Incas nor the Spanish were ever able to conquer. Stunning temperate forests, deep blue lakes and towering volcanoes dominate what was once Mapuche territory. Still further south is the island of Chiloé, where a superstitious people who tell tales of supernatural beings still hold dear their old pagan beliefs but live among more than a dozen quaint UNESCO protected Catholic churches.
A land of fjords and glaciers, Chile's part of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego that it shares with Argentina are a huge attraction for hikers. Stunning national parks such as the popular Torres de Paine boast awesome landscapes, glaciers and the enormous South American Ice Field.
Map of Chile
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Chile Travel Guide