Striking natural landscapes, delicious food and unique history and culture – the long, narrow land of Chile is like no other. Home to the Mapuche indigenous people, fast-growing cities and sports that gravitate toward the extreme, Chile is a great place to soak up ‘Buena Onda’, or good vibes. Tours in Chile offer packages that ensure you tick everything needed off your bucket list, and we’ve compiled a list of the best of the best to help you choose exactly the right itinerary for you.
Hike through Torres Del Paine National Park
The Triple Towers of granite in Torres Del Paine form the centrepiece of the wilderness neighbour to Antarctica. To say this southernmost national park is stunning is an understatement – but you can capture all its glory on an organised hiking tour.
Experience the vastness of nature at Laguna San Rafael
Hear nature groan in thunderous ice calving of this titanic glacier, which is some 15 km long and growing. The journey by plane or boat will make you feel insignificant yet spellbound.
Valle de la Luna in the world’s driest desert
The world’s driest desert, the Atacama, lays claim to extraordinary moon-like terrain that would be enough for astronauts to happily bounce across.
Ocean spray in cultural Valparaíso
Rainbow ramshackle housing spread over 42 hills map out the labyrinth of neighbourhoods in this ocean side city. Paradise, it isn’t, but cultural hotspot it is.
Wooden churches on Chiloé Island
16th century missionaries brought churches to Chiloé, with 150 of them entirely constructed of wood. Nearby are stilted palafito houses, bold in colour and intrigue, even for visiting locals.
Get swept up in Santiago
Backdropped by the Andes, emerging Santiago looks past years of Pinochet controversy to a new sleek image as a Latin capital.
The mystery of Easter Island
Chile’s island territory is the isolated wonder of the Pacific, halfway to Tahiti, with dozens of megalithic stern-faced moai joined by smiles of the indigenous Rapa Nui. Diving and surfing amidst dramatic landscapes dotted with Volcanic craters make this a mysterious, one-of-a-kind treat.
A taste of adventure in Pucón
At the foot of active Volcán Villarricais lies the outdoor adventure base advertising nearly every adrenaline sport. Mountain biking, white water rafting, kayaking, hiking and horse riding are just some of the growing list.
Meet some penguins
Home to a number of sanctuaries and reserves, Chile offers a perfect opportunity to meet some real-life penguins. The natural reserve of Humboldt off the coast is an important breeding site for the penguins from which it takes its name, while Magellanic penguins can be seen in Punta Arenas.
Fly fishing in Patagonia
Some of the best fly fishing in the world can be found in Chile, where freshly caught trout comprise the main dish after a day of sport in one of the world’s most spectacular natural settings.
Watch huasos at a rodeo
Chile’s skilled horsemen are known as huasos, and regularly compete in the country’s national sport of rodeo. Pick up some tickets and join the locals for a rodeo unlike any you’ve ever seen – these events are more popular than football attendance in Chile!
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
