Known for its incredible scenery and spectacular natural environment, Chile is one of those destinations you have to see at least once in your life. Find out all the things to do in Chile, from the extreme north with the driest desert in the world, to the south with permanent ice and breathtaking waterfalls. Chile is certainly a hard invitation to refuse. Discover the essence of the country and let yourself be surprised by the spectacular landscapes at the world’s southern extremity.
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What are the best places to see in Chile?
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert, with its red mountains, impressive geysers and endless fields of mauve, is one of the top tourist destinations to see in Chile. It is located in the Gran Norte of Chile, in the Antofagasta region. The desert borders the Pacific coast and the Andes as well as Bolivia and Argentina. It is the second driest area on the planet, after the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica.
Its enormous surface area of 105,000 km² is covered by mountains, valleys, volcanoes, lagoons and geysers. These are a real treasure for anyone interested in geology and extreme landscapes. In addition, its altitude of 3,000 metres and its very dry climate make the Atacama sky one of the best places in the world for astronomic observations.
San Pedro de Atacama
Ancient cultures and travellers from all over the world mingle in this ancient town of dirt streets and adobe houses. Visit the old square to learn about the customs of its inhabitants. Indulge in the calm pace of the people and don’t miss the old church. Soak up the local art in the Pueblo de Artesanos and discover the local and international gastronomy in its restaurants.
Valparaiso, an essential thing to do in Chile
Valparaiso is a beautiful port city on the coast of Chile, declared a World Heritage City. Known as the Jewel of the Pacific, Valparaiso stands out for its lifts with incredible views, its colourful houses and amazing museums. Full of colour and narrow streets, discover the seafood and the important cultural tradition of Valparaiso Chile.
The Cerro Concepción is one of the icons of Valparaiso and has one of the lifts declared Historical Monument. Offering beautiful views of the city, the Ascensor Concepción is the oldest elevator in Valparaiso and dates back to 1883.
Easter Island, one of the most beautiful things to do in Chile
Located in the Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia, this island has always been shrouded in mystery because of its famous moais. These enormous stone heads erected from the earth belong to the ancestral culture of the Rapa Nui, the ethnic group that originally inhabited the island. Their discovery gave rise to numerous hypotheses that are still currently unresolved. Recent archaeological work revealed that beneath the moai’s heads and torsos are their bodies, buried in the earth.
It is Chile’s largest island and its capital, Hanga Roa, is the only inhabited settlement on Easter Island. Its original name, Rapa Nui, meaning big island, was given by Tahitian navigators who arrived in the 19th century. The aborigines and their language are also known by this name.
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is an important tourist centre as it is the gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park. However, apart from its exceptional natural environment, Puerto Natales is an important urban centre, with a history museum that is home to the most important cultural heritage of the area.
The Braun & Blanchard Pier is must-see place in Puerto Natales as it is one of the most and representative spots of the city. The old pier was built by the Braun & Blanchard company and is located right in front of the Antonio Varas Peninsula. Another must-see in Puerto Natales is the Municipal Historical Museum. This museum is home to the city’s past and contains the most important cultural and historical heritage of the whole area.
Torres del Paine
Located in the extreme south of Chile, in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, the Torres del Paine National Park is considered the most important national park in Chile. Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978, it covers an extensive geographical area of more than 227,298 hectares and varied relief from 200 to 3,000 metres, with countless natural attractions.
The landscape of Torres del Paine National Park was formed by earth movements 12 million years ago that gave birth to impressive peaks. They include Mount Paine Grande (3,050 metres above sea level), Los Cuernos del Paine (2,600, 2,400, 2,200 metres above sea level), Torres del Paine (2250, 2460 and 2500 metres above sea level), Fortaleza (2800), Escudo (2700 metres above sea level), with glaciers remaining on some of them. Among its main attractions are also the Sarmiento, Nordenskjold, Pehoé, Grey, Paine and Dickson lakes and the Verde, Azul and Honda lagoons.
- In high season (October to April) there is an entrance fee of 21,000 Chilean pesos for foreigners and 6,000 Chilean pesos for citizens and residents.
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar, also known as the Garden City, is Chile’s main tourist destination after Santiago. Its beautiful parks, Pacific Ocean beaches, symbolic buildings and the Festival de la Canción (Song Festival) make this city an ideal place to go on holiday during your stay in Chile.
The Wulff Castle is one of the most recognisable images of Viña del Mar, Chile. It was built in 1906 by German philanthropist Gustavo Wulff and declared a National Historic Monument in 1995. Likewise, the Botanical Garden of Viña del Mar is one of the reasons why this city is popularly known as the Garden City. It is a beautiful and enormous garden, almost 400 hectares of nature.
Find out more about this beautiful city by reading our post: Things to do in Viña del Mar.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What beaches to see in Chile?
Chile has 6,435 kilometres of coastline, offering an infinite number of beaches to choose from during your holidays. Here is a selection of some of the most popular and spectacular beaches in the country. To find out more about Chile’s beaches, don’t miss our post about the best beaches in Chile.
El Laucho, Arica
Located in the heart of the Atacama Desert, this is one of the 20 best surf spots in the world. One of its peculiarities are its strong waves “El Buey” and “El Gringo”, perfect for surfing and other water sports. It has 450 metres of beach where you can swim, as well as restaurant services such as beach bars with sun loungers.
Playa Zapatilla, Atacama
Zapatilla beach is located in the city of Caldera in the Atacama region. It is a lovely beach where the land formations have created natural shallow pools where you can swim safely. In addition to the pools, one of its main attractions is its tranquillity and lack of tourists. This is mainly due to the fact that to reach it, you have to walk on foot along a dirt track for approximately 2 kilometres. But we assure you that the walk is well worth it. Zapatilla beach is a hidden treasure in Atacama.
Totoralillo
Totoralillo is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and impressive beaches in Chile. The coastline of white sand and black rocks stretches up to 2 kilometres long and has a sandy spit that goes deep into the sea and divides the beach in two. Totoralillo beach also has a small fishing cove where you can buy freshly caught fish. It is the ideal place for surfing, as well as starfish and sunfish spotting.
What to eat in Chile?
One of the best ways to get to know a country in depth is to try its traditional recipes and most characteristic flavours. Here are some of Chile’s most famous dishes so that you can get to know the essence of the country through its gastronomy.
- Cazuela, which is a broth that contains chicken or meat, corn, potatoes and pumpkin, among other things.
- Empanadas de pino, which contain a mixture of ground meat and onion, hard-boiled egg, olives and sometimes sultanas.
- Chorrillana, a dish with fried potatoes and fried onion on top, pieces of meat, a couple of fried eggs and may also have chorizo and cheese.
- Curanto en hoyo, a dish of smoked meats and different types of seafood that is prepared in a hole in the ground with hot stones.
Tips for your holiday in Chile
- The official currency is the Chilean Peso and is used everywhere.
- When exchanging currency, avoid the airport and large shopping centres; in the city centres, currency exchanges usually have a better rate.
- Avoid $20,000 pesos notes because they are the hardest to change.
- Drinking on the street is not allowed in Chile.
- Be careful with your bags and suitcases to avoid petty theft.
- Agree on a fixed price with the taxi driver before you get in a taxi, especially from the airport.
- Carry copies of important documents, such as your passport.
- Avoid walking alone at night in the outskirts of towns.
- Don’t carry valuables that attract a lot of attention in public.
How to organise what to see in Chile?
Sign up or download the app and discover all its useful features.
- Get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
- Add the spots you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
- Organise your itinerary by days and according to their location (you can take inspiration from the routes presented in the post).
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make the necessary modifications and you are ready for your trip.
- Finally, share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you have visited to the app so you can inspire other users.
If you have any doubts about how to plan your itinerary, you can read our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.
Frequently asked questions about your holidays in Chile
There are different means of transport depending on where you are and where you want to go. To travel between cities, use the intercity buses that are located at the terminals of each city or town. There are also rail options.
Spring is one of the best times to visit Chile. Between September and November the weather is very pleasant and prices are lower than during the summer.
However, if you are interested in travelling to the Chilean Altiplano, avoid the months of January and February, because this is when the so-called “Bolivian winter” phenomenon occurs, with heavy rains.
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