Chile

Chile Torres del Paine - courtesy of Chile Tourist BoardChile, a beautiful and incredibly varied country - from barren desert in the north to a winter wonderland in the far south, definitely is a country of geographical extremes! Chile is indomitable and exuberant Patagonia, arid and dry Atacama as well as mystical and indecipherable Easter Island. It offers a unique combination of Pacific coastline and Andean highlands along with discoveries of distinctive cultures which have survived the chasms of recent history and welcome visitors with open arms.

Situated in the South-West of America, Chile emerges majestically and imposingly with its volcanoes, lakes, deserts, untainted glaciers and forests, all swiftly brought to the eye of the tourist who arrives at this threshold of the South of the World. Guarded by the Andes chain of mountains, the Atacama desert and the Pacific Ocean, the landscapes of Chile remain capricious and untarnished: sumptuous valleys dotted with vineyards, rapid rivers, extensive salt deserts and magnificent virgin forested peaks. And there is more. From the South Pole, which can be visited for a few weeks during the summer months, to Easter Island, lost in the immense pacific Ocean. Rapa Nui hides its mysteries in huge moai. “Te Pito Te henua (the navel of the world)”, is a fascinating open museum populated by cheery and simple people with good beaches and archaeological sites.

The extreme North is punctuated by the Atacama Desert, a world awaiting discovery. Acknowledged as the driest desert on the planet, its sands hide archaeological treasures over 10,000 years old, and one of the richest copper mines in the world. Inland, there are still small settlements of indigenous people, unchanged as centuries slide by, tarns, geysers, salt flats and a very particular wildlife. Old ports, on the coast, are gradually becoming modern cities and resorts offering visitors modern amenities together with an unchanged way of life. The majestic desert slowly gives way to cultivated valleys until the Central Valley. Here, one finds the most important vineyards, large fruit plantations and the major cities, including Santiago, the capital. One of the great attractions of this zone is the proximity of both sea and mountains. By road from Santiago, beautiful little coastal resorts are little over an hour away while the best ski resorts of the hemisphere are just forty minutes away from the capital. Further South everything turns green. Broad meadows, native forests, lakes, volcanoes and picturesque towns framed by the influence of German settlers make this one of the most attractive zones of the country. The true force of nature makes itself known in Patagonia. The surprising cold-temperate jungle with its araucaria forests give way to the Patagonian steppe while the territory fragments into tiny islands, fjords, channels, lakes and glaciers. It is one of the few places left on earth where pioneers and legends still coexist within a surreal landscape - it is the end of the world - where the Andes disappear into the sea.

Country Information - Fid more information on all regions of Chile.

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