5 tours to discover Santiago that you can’t miss

The Chilean capital has a unique charm. Its remarkable combination of tradition and
modernity guarantees that any visit will become an unforgettable experience.

Santiago, in Chile, is an experience worth renewing from time to time. This city changes constantly, so there’s always
something new to know. Its traditional or classic characteristics remain, but they give way to something different that
becomes a must. 


Since it’s a large city, we recommend visiting one part at a time so that you can appreciate its charms little by little,
without rushing.

1. Historic Center

It’s the city’s birthplace, where the historic buildings and the Plaza de Armas are
located, dating from the 18th to the 19th century. You can wander around its
charming streets and discover buildings such as the City Hall of Santiago, the
Cathedral or the Palace of the Courts of Justice.

Some of its main roads have become pedestrian-only streets, making them very
pleasant to walk around while enjoying the great variety of stores in these
“paseos,” such as Paseo Ahumada and Paseo Estado, located in the core of the
city center.

The city’s gastronomic offer is extensive and varied. You can choose between more elegant restaurants and others that offer fast food.
Also, you can also visit the “picadas,” typical small restaurants which offer plentiful and tasty food for a very reasonable price.


A few blocks from Plaza de Armas, we can reach Santa Lucía Hill, a National Monument and cornerstone of the capital’s foundation.


This part of the center has an excellent surface and underground public transport service, although patience is recommended at peak
times when the flow of public is very intense like in any other big capital.

2. Charming neighborhoods

Barrio Italia used to be a traditional neighborhood of houses, but it has

gradually become a meeting place for art, antiques and excellent food.


It’s located between two communes (neighborhoods) - Providencia and Ñuñoa

- and is relatively new as a center of attraction, but it’s one of the best places
to visit. You can’t miss its excellent restaurants, design and decoration stores,
and shops that sell clothes by independent designers.

Further south, in the Yungay District, we find again a traditional sector of private residences, which became a cultural and gastronomic
meeting point. Thanks to the Quinta Normal Metro station (line 5), getting there is easy and promises an excellent tourist destination. You
can visit several villages, museums - such as the Memory Museum- Santiago’s library, new and traditional restaurants, and the well-
known Yungay Square.
 . r an Parks

3 U b
Have you ever witnessed the sunrise in Santiago? If you haven’t had this
fantastic experience yet, this is an excellent opportunity to do it! The Cerro San
Cristóbal Metropolitan Park opens its doors to pedestrians and cyclists at 6 am,
allowing entry into the city before sunrise, a stunning spectacle in the Cordillera
de los Andes.

This park is a green lung in the city and is considered the largest urban park in Latin America, so you need time and good shape to go
through its almost 700 hectares! The cable car and the zoo are among its main attractions. Upon reaching the summit, where the Virgen
del Cerro monument is located, the visitors usually have a refreshing drink of mote con huesillos. This delicious typical non-alcoholic drink
is prepared with dehydrated and boiled peaches, husked wheat, sugar and cinnamon, and it can be found in many corners of the country.



If you still have time in the afternoon, you can go to Bicentenario Park to explore its 27 hectares, which stretch along the banks of the
Mapocho River, on foot or by bike. When you are near Isabel Montt street, you’ll find one of the great attractions of this park: the Laguna
Norte. You’ll enjoy admiring beautiful birds such as black-necked swans, flamingos, red-fronted coots, herons and yellow-winged
blackbirds.

4. Cajón del Maipo

Do you want to know a nearby place with lots of natural beauty? We

recommend leaving the city’s most central part and reaching Cajón del Maipo.
It’s 60 kilometers from Santiago towards the south and located in a canyon in
the Cordillera de los Andes.

Along the winding path, you’ll find rustic restaurants, cabins and excellent places to practice sports such as sport fishing or trekking.



The bravest visitors can also go rafting on the river and, if they have time, visit the El Yeso Dam and the San Francisco Glacier, which are
50 kilometers from San José de Maipo.

5. Visiting the wineries

Some wineries are very close to the city center, where we can taste excellent
wines, try rich gastronomy, enjoy outdoor walks and exciting tours. 


In Pirque, Viña Concha y Toro offers a tour with a wine tasting, and you can
also get to know the winery’s history.

Alto Jahuel is the home of Viña Santa Rita, where they also provide tours - including a carriage ride through the historic gardens - and
wine tasting. Also, if you want to stay at the same site for longer, you can visit their restaurant and pay a visit to the museum to learn
much more about the winery. 



If you don’t want to leave Santiago, there is a vineyard in the city, where you can go by public transport. We are talking about the Cousiño
Macul winery, situated in the Peñalolén neighborhood, about 50 minutes from the city center. This winery offers a visit to the wine
production and a tasting, and they include several tours, on foot or by bike, to get to know the old cellars, vineyards and beautiful parks.



What about you? Have you started planning your trip to Santiago?
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Chilean Patagonia: A Beginner's Guide

Discover the main attractions of this region and enjoy the impressive nature of South America

The Chilean Patagonia has an intact atmosphere that attracts hundreds of tourists searching for
beauty, preserved nature, and adventure. Massive glaciers plunge into emerald lakes, striking fjords
zigzag through forests, and the movielike peaks of the Andes vanish into the clouds.

There are so many amazing things to see and do in Chilean Patagonia that you must plan your
itinerary very well before going to this extraordinary place. The main reasons are the large territory
area, which spreads throughout the lower third of Chile, and the many exciting landscapes to admire,
which force the visitor to be selective during their visit. Aysén, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic, and
Los Lagos make up the Chilean Patagonia, attracting visitors due to its excellent outdoor activities
and wildlife.

Unique geography and

landscape

While the Argentinian Patagonia offers mainly

beaches full of cliffs and caves, the Andes
sink into the Pacific Ocean in Chile, creating
unique geography made of an extensive range
of gorgeous archipelagos, channels, and
fjords.

Stunning landscapes and native wildlife are

typical in this desert, and the Chiloé
archipelago, Torres del Paine National Park,
and Punta Arenas are the main spots to visit.

It is important to mention that Chile offers an

excellent tourist infrastructure, with frequent
and comfortable buses traveling long
distances and good roads to drive rental cars.

What to do in Chiloé

This archipelago in the Pacific Ocean is one of the most charming ones in entire South America because of its natural
structures and architecture.

The main attractions of the Chiloé island are the stilt houses, whose facades in primary colors are particularly striking, and
can be seen in Castro, capital of Chiloé. This place was initially inhabited by the Huilliche and Chono indigenous peoples,
whose influence remains on the island. The Jesuits built 150 wood churches and chapels in the 18th and 19th centuries, and
16 of them have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also recommend visiting the Regional Museum in Castro
to see ancient Huilliche agricultural artifacts and tools.

Visitors can hike through the untouched, mountainous forest of Chiloé National Park, where native flora and fauna such as
penguins, sea otters, and sea lions live in harmony. There are several senderos (trails) for walking, such as La Playa (The
Beach), which stretches along the rocky coast of the Pacific, and Chanquín, a 20-kilometer path that mixes coastline and
forest beautifully.

W hat to do in T o r re s d e l Pa i n e
N a t i o n a l Pa r k

Mountaineers and hikers looking to conquer legendary

p e a k s w i l l fi n d t h e m s e l v e s i n t h e i r n a t u r a l h a b i t a t i n To r r e s

d e l Pa i n e N a t i o n a l Pa r k . Lo c a t e d 112 k m fr o m P u e r t o

Natales, the park is home to the glaciers and icebergs of

t h e S o u t h e r n I c e F i e l d s a n d t h e Cu e v a d e l M i l o d ó n

( M i l o d o n Ca v e ) , w h e r e p r e h i s t o r i c h u m a n r e m a i n s w e r e

d i s c o v e r e d . Yo u w i l l a d m i r e t u r q u o i s e l a k e s s u c h a s La g u n a

A m a r g a ( B i t t e r La g o o n ) a n d La g o S a r m i e n t o, a s w e l l a s t h e

i m p r e s s i v e t r i o o f g r a n i t e p e a k s : Ce n t r a l , S o u t h , a n d N o r t h

To w e r s o f Pa i n e . T h e m o s t m a j e s t i c m o u n t a i n , Pa i n e

G r a n d e ( G r e a t Pa i n e ) , r e a c h e s a h e i g h t o f a l m o s t 3 , 0 0 0

m e t e r s .

This protected area was declared Biosphere Reserve by

U N E S CO, a n d i t w a s v o t e d t h e 8 t h Wo n d e r o f t h e Wo r l d i n

2 013 . I t i s a l s o h o m e t o g u a n a c o s , fo x e s , t h e s u r l y p u m a ,

a n d t h e m a g n i fi c e n t A n d e a n c o n d o r.

W h a t t o d o i n P u n t a A re n a s

Lo c a t e d o n t h e S t r a i t o f M a g a l l a n e s , t h i s t o w n c a m e t o l i fe i n 18 4 3 t h a n k s t o t h e r e g i o n ' s s h e e p - r a i s i n g b o o m . I t i s a l s o a

s t a r t i n g p o i n t fo r fo u r- n i g h t e x p e d i t i o n s o n s m a l l s h i p s t o Ca b o d e H o r n o s , m i s s i o n s i n A n t a r c t i c a , a n d a r o u t e t o Po r t

S t a n l e y i n t h e Fa l k l a n d I s l a n d s .

It is wor th spending some time in this town, thanks to its proximity to the stunning penguin sanctuary on Isla Magdalena

a n d t h e M a g a l l a n e s Fo r e s t R e s e r v e . T h i s p r o t e c t e d a r e a i s h o m e t o n a t i v e p l a n t s p e c i e s , s u c h a s c o i g ü e and lenga, and is

p e r fe c t fo r w a l k i n g a n d o b s e r v i n g w i l d a n i m a l s s u c h a s p u m a s a n d g r a y fo x e s . B e s i d e s , v i s i t o r s c a n r e a c h I s l a M a g d a l e n a o n

a 2 - h o u r b o a t r i d e t o a d m i r e t h e m o r e t h a n 12 0, 0 0 0 M a g e l l a n i c p e n g u i n s t h a t m i g r a t e t o t h i s p l a c e e v e r y O c t o b e r t o fi n d

t h e i r s o u l m a t e b e fo r e l e a v i n g t h e s i t e a n d g o i n g b a c k t o t h e s e a i n M a r c h .

Ca r re t e ra A u s t ra l

D o n ' t m i s s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o d r i v e a l o n g t h e m o s t b e a u t i fu l r o a d i n t h e c o u n t r y w h i l e i n Pa t a g o n i a . T h e h i g h w a y c r o s s e s

t h e n o r t h o f C h i l e a n Pa t a g o n i a fo r 1 , 24 0 k m , c o n n e c t i n g P u e r t o M o n t t t o Vi l l a O ' H i g g i n s i n t h e La g o s r e g i o n . Pa r t s o f t h e

road are paved, while most par ts are gravel roads. The visitor comes across an enormous variety of breathtaking glaciers,

volcanoes, national parks, lakes, and rivers on this route. As there are numerous points of interest in the region, we

r e c o m m e n d d e d i c a t i n g a t l e a s t t w o w e e k s t o t r a v e l a l o n g t h e e n t i r e Ca r r e t e r a A u s t r a l , w i t h q u a l i t y a n d n o h a s t e t o e n j o y a l l

its wonders.

A y s e n a n d t h e m a r b l e c a t h e d ra l s

To t h e n o r t h , o n e o f t h e m o s t b e a u t i fu l s p o t s i n a l l o f C h i l e a n

Pa t a g o n i a i s i n t h e A y s é n r e g i o n . T h e s t u n n i n g C h a p e l s a n d t h e

M a r b l e Ca t h e d r a l a r e m a n d a t o r y p l a c e s fo r v i s i t o r s c r o s s i n g t h e

Ca r r e t e r a A u s t r a l . Fo r m o r e t h a n 15 , 0 0 0 y e a r s , t h e w a t e r s o f

La k e G e n e r a l Ca r r e r a w e r e s h a p i n g t h e s e c o l o s s a l r o c k

fo r m a t i o n s u n t i l t h e y r e a c h e d t h e i r fa n t a s t i c c u r r e n t s h a p e .

These stone islands in the middle of the lake waters can reach

2 5 m e t e r s i n h e i g h t . S i n c e 19 9 4 , t h e s e a m a z i n g l y c a r v e d r o c k s

have been considered a Nature Sanctuary.

Q u e u l a t N a t i o n a l Pa r k

T h e e a s y a n d i n t e r m e d i a t e - l e v e l t r a i l s i n t h e p a r k a r e m i x e d w i t h t h e i n c r e d i b l e Ve n t i s q u e r o Co l g a n t e g l a c i e r, w h i c h c a n b e

s e e n fr o m t h e Ca r r e t e r a A u s t r a l . Q u e u l a t N a t i o n a l Pa r k i s v e r y h u m i d a n d c o l d a l l y e a r r o u n d , a n d i t s e x u b e r a n t n a t u r e

i n c l u d e s o u t s t a n d i n g g r e e n fo r e s t s , r i v e r s , w a t e r fa l l s , a n d fj o r d s .

O ffe r i n g s p e c t a c u l a r n a t u r e a n d e x c e l l e n t i n fr a s t r u c t u r e , C h i l e a n Pa t a g o n i a i s a n u n fo r g e t t a b l e t o u r i s t d e s t i n a t i o n i n

s u m m e r, w h e n n i g h t s a r e l o n g e r, a n d i n w i n t e r, w h e n g l a c i e r s b e c o m e e v e n m o r e e x t r a o r d i n a r y . W h a t a b o u t y o u ? H a v e y o u

a l r e a d y p l a n n e d y o u r t r i p ?

The Atacama
connected
Desert: A place where earth and sky are directly
The desert region of Chile is full of adventure
Unforgettable experiences, adventure among the dunes, sharing moments with people who warmly
welcome their visitors, and getting to know a millenary culture. This sentence could sum up the
fantastic experience of visiting the Atacama.

An adventure in the desert

The Atacama Desert is one of the most important tourist

spots in Chile due to its incomparable characteristics. Its
natural beauty blends with visitors worldwide, who come to
this extraordinary place to live the region’s unique
experiences.

Here you can find different tour options to know the most
iconic spots of the area. And at the end of the day, you’ll
be able to enjoy one of the best places in the world to
watch the stars on clear nights. We’ll tell you all about the
places you must visit.

The Vales in the desert

The famous Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) is 13 km from

San Pedro and is covered in white sand; it is protected by
a set of rocks eroded by salt and wind called “Las Tres
Marías” (The Three Marys). It’s such a different place that
you’ll feel as if you were off this planet.

In this Valley, you will be able to explore the Cuevas de

Sal (The Salt Caves), a dark labyrinth through the rocks
that will make you live an adventure, as on the way you
will cross streams, tunnels, and trails shaped by the
millenary erosion of the stones. As you continue along
the route, you will find the Mirador de Kari or Piedra del
Coyote (The Coyote Rock), as it is also known. If you
climb to the top, your reward will be watching a unique
sunset and a panoramic view of Valle de la Luna and the
Cordillera de la Sal.

And when it comes to dunes, we must mention the Valle de la Muerte

(Death Valley), called by some people Valle de Marte
(Mars Valley), due to its similarity to the red planet’s arid landscapes. Sharp and narrow peaks characterize the millenary
dunes in this valley, 2 km from San Pedro city. The dunes are ideal for sliding and practicing sandboarding, which are more
than 150 meters in height. According to the legend, this particular name was given because of the human and animal bones
found in this valley, which belonged to the people and animals that tried to cross it but didn’t make it.

Tatio Geysers

When you visit the Tatio geysers, remember that this

fantastic natural spectacle starts very early. The geysers
are at 4,200 m above sea level and 89 km from San Pedro
city, on the ground made of rocks and volcanic stones
where bubbling water flows from the depths of the earth
with extraordinary force.

It is a truly stunning sight. The temperature of the water

expelled from the geysers is over 85°C, so you can watch it
turn into steam right before your eyes. This phenomenon
happens when the nearly boiling liquid meets the
contrasting low desert temperature at 6:00 am. Depending
on the season, it can be below zero. Without a doubt, it is a
mandatory place to visit!

An oasis in the desert



The Salar de Atacama (Atacama Salt Flat) is 100 km from
San Pedro city, where you will find an unexpected
freshwater oasis in the middle of the scorched desert
landscape. At the beginning of the tour, you will admire
the surprising beauty of the “Ojos del Salar ” (The Salt
Flat Eyes). The two deep blue lakes surrounded by salt
are a refreshing invitation to dive into their waters, a
temptation after strolling through this dry place.
Important: remember that only one of the lakes is
suitable for bathing.

We continue our adventure to the south and find Laguna

Tebinquinche and Laguna Cejar; the latter offers an
unforgettable experience for tourists. This lagoon is easily
identifiable, as it is surrounded by salt, and its waters are
turquoise blue. Its saline content is so high that you can
float without sinking, and you don’t need to make any
effort to achieve this deed!
We recommend visiting Laguna Cejar in the afternoon and ending the program with the beautiful sunset at Laguna
Tebinquinche. You can’t miss out on the impressive spectacle given by the sun’s colors over the salt flats, which provide one
of the best views of San Pedro de Atacama.

Getting to know the universe

The Atacama Desert is the perfect place for activities related to astronomy due to its immensity and minimal light
pollution, which allows you to have a fantastic view of the stars with unmatched clarity. The site meets the highest
requirements to explore and observe in detail the elements existing in the universe.

If you are interested in exploring the Milky Way and learning more about the universe, they offer astronomy tours. The
visitors can use high-quality telescopes to observe the moon, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and more in detail and high
definition.

The Atacama Desert is undoubtedly one of the must-see destinations in Chile.

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