Chile Travel Guide

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Chile Destinations

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Click on any of the links below for details of the sights listed.

1. Licancabur: Stratovolcano on the border between Chile and Bolivia
2. San Alfonso del Mar, Algarrobo: World's biggest swimming pool

Embalse El Yeso Reservoir, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile
by mauro grade used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License

Introduction to Chile

Chile in a long and narrow country in South America, 4,200 km in length, but not more than 180 km in width. Chile is bordered by the Pacific Ocean for over 5,000km to the west, while it shares a border with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, and Argentina to the east. Chile is a land of diverse landscape. It has the hottest, driest deserts as well the frigid fjords and snow-capped mountains.

Embalse El Yeso Reservoir, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile
by Gerd Breitenbach under GNU Free Documentation License

When to visit Chile

This is a long country and each region has its own climate. The capital Santiago is best visited in spring, from September to November, and in autumn, from February to April. If you are going north to visit the Atacama desert, any time of the year is fine, though the summer time is oven-hot in the day time and refrigerator-cold at night. Going south, to the Parque Nacional del Paine and the lakes region, you do best to visit in summer, from December to March. The same is true with the Juan Fernandez archipelago.

What to wear in Chile

Lightweight clothing and natural fabrics if you are going to the capital as well as to the north, where sunblock, sun glasses and hat may also be necessary. Going south, you need heavier clothing and perhaps a windbreaker.

Getting into Chile

Most international visitors arrive at the Santiago International Airport, and connect to domestic flights thereafter.

Chile Entry Requirements

Nationals of Britain and the EU do not need a visa to enter Chile, for up to 90 days (except the nationals of Greece, who enjoy up to 60 days visa-free visit). Nationals of US, Canada and Australia needs to pay a "reciprocal processing fee" of USD100 for American citizens, USD132 for Canadian citizens, and USD56 for Australian citizens; this is equivalent to the visa fee meted out by those countries on Chilean citizens. It is illegal to import fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, honey and other farm produce into Chile.

Where to stay in Chile

Click on the name of the towns listed below to view hostels and budget accommodation available for booking there.

Arica

Chanco

Coquimbo

Curacautin

Easter Island

Huelmo

Iquique

La Serena

Pucon

Puerto Montt

Puerto Natales

Puerto Octay

Puerto Varas

Puerto Williams

Punta Arenas

San Pedro de Atacama

Santiago

Temuco

Valdivia

Valparaiso

Villarrica

Vina del Mar

Looking for a hotel room in Chile?
Click here to look for one, powered by TripAdvisor!

User Feedback on Accommodation
We compile the accommodation listing above with the good faith that it will be useful to you. If you have used any of the accommodation listed above, please write to us with your feedback, whether you enjoyed your stay there or not, and we will share it with others. Your feedback will benefit others when they choose their accommodation. We will not de-list any of the accommodation just because of a negative feedback from anybody, but will let you decide for yourself based on the feedback you read. User feedback is listed in http://www.earthdocumentary.com/hostel_feedback.htm

Getting around in Chile

If travelling around Santiago, you have the option of using the bus or the metro (subway). To travel from town to town, buses offer the best option, although they are not fast -- they tend to stop at every station.

Things to see and do in Chile

Explore Santiago, the capital. Go up Cerro San Cristobal (St. Christopher's Hill) for a panoramic view of the city. At the foot of the hill, visit the Latin quarter of Barrio Bellavista.

Visit Altiplano, with its volcanoes, salt marshes and lakes.

Go to the Atacama Desert, visit the hot springs at Mamina and the oasis at Pica Valley

Visit Easter Island and explore its mysterious moai stone figures.

Go to Antofagasta port, from there, visit the archaeological town of San Pedro de Atacama

Visit the heritage town of La Serena. From there, go to the fruit-growing region of Alqui Valley.

Explore the southern regions of Chile, and admire its mountain scape.

Go the the Chilean Lake District and enjoy the beautiful scenery there.

Sightseeing Tours of Chile

The following are local tours that are available for you to book:

ARICA Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

CALAMA Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

HANGA ROA Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

IQUIQUE Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

PUCON Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

PUERTO MONTT Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

PUERTO NATALES Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

PUNTA ARENAS Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

SANTIAGO Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

Money matters in Chile

The currency is the Chilean peso (CLP, symbol CH$) Banknotes come in denominations of CH$500, CH$1,000, CH$2,000, CH$5,000, CH$10,000 and CH$20,000 while coins are available in denominations of CH$1, CH$5, CH$10, CH$50, CH$100 and CH$500.