CHILE
A long stretch of a country, blessed with incredible extremes, with the north being home to the driest place on earth, and the south being made up of glistening glaciers, mountains, the lakes of Patagonia, the urban monster capital standing prominent in the centre and the intense green of the lush vineyards dotted throughout the country.
Although we didn't have too long to spend within the country, we were lucky enough to see some incredible places and meet some inspirational people who we cannot thank enough for what they did for us in the short time that we had together.
If you are planning a trip to Chile, then plan enough time and money! There is so much to see, and although the country is very slim, it is surprisingly long and therefore, there are some monster journeys to be had! So plan enough time to cover the whole country because you do not want to miss things like we unfortunately had to, due to our time limits!
Planning a trip to Chile?
Crossing the border from Bolivia, we stumbled upon the dusty town of San Pedro de Atacama. A town that is almost swallowed up by the desert, is in fact a major tourist destination, drawing in thousands of tour-booking visitors weekly. Instead of falling into the trap and being one of many, spending fortunes on certain tours, make sure to rent a bike and explore the endless desert landscapes in the driest place on earth, on your own! Most places are reachable on a bike and our favourite was, cycling through Valle de la Luna. This place actually feels like you have landed on another planet, magical deep red rock formations fill the landscape for as far as the eye can see! Come here at sunset and you will be sharing this beauty with thousands, all following a guide with a flag and a clipboard. Come here during the day and you will more or less have the place to yourselves! BUT, be careful out there, not only is this the driest place on earth, it is also very, very hot! Plan ahead, bring plenty of water and try not to be cycling around too much in the hottest part of the day, go early!
Next on your to-do list here, must be, STARGAZING! Known for being the best place in the world for stargazing, the unpolluted skies of the Atacama desert come to life at night. Standing out in the middle of the desert underneath a glistening blanket of stars, staring directly at the Milky Way is without doubt one of my most incredible memories, not only of Chile but of my whole Latin America trip!
There are lots more to do here, and I will be writing all about it in a blog post soon! But moving on south from here, there are some hot-spots down the country but for us, unfortunately, our only option due to time restraints was to fly directly to Santiago! After a short flight we arrived into the urban capital, and this was an all new kind of culture shock, sky-scrapers, big franchises and suit wearing businessmen. We had our first taste of Couchsurfing here, and I can say that it completely changed the way we travel! From being very nervous, debating whether to do it or not, we plucked up the courage to try it here in Santiago, partly because of the hostel prices! But we are so glad that we did, and we couldn't have had a more perfect first host! Javiera, an incredible lady with admirably brilliant English, welcomed us into her city centre home with open arms and we built a great friendship with her over the few days, countless glasses of wine and her love for her country. After hours of talking we now had regrets that we did not have enough time to discover the whole country as Javiera fondly described to us, but after many recommendations from her, we started to explore her home city immediately.
Santiago is a modern city with enough to do to keep you busy and interest for a few days, as any major city, Santiago has some very interesting neighborhoods. Wander around the bohemian Barrio Lastarria, sipping coffee in many of its quirky cafes, take a picnic and climb Cerro San Cristobal for irresistible views, spend the day museum hopping pondering in thought and visit the highest building in South America for a view over the whole of the city and the snow-capped mountains of the Andes in the backdrop!
Only a two hour journey from the capital is the port city of Valparaiso, one of our favourite places in South America! The home city of the well-renowned poet, Pablo Neruda, a mecca for artists, poets and creatives, this city of misfits oozes charm and creativity. Covered from head to toe in all kinds of art, wander its hilly streets with your head held high and camera in hand because you will no doubt be mesmerised by the art on show. Every inch of the city is covered in street art, graffiti and poetry, you can spend every hour of the day for a week here and you will still be finding a new hidden piece of art, every time you look up. Visit Pablo Neruda's home, which has now turned into a museum, climb to some of the cities incredible hilltop vistas or sit back an people watch until your hearts content. You will fall in love with this city as we all do!
Sometimes when travelling it isn't just about the places that you visit but its the people that you meet, and that could not be more true than what happened to us in "Valpo". Through the power of Instagram, we met up with a Chilean blogger from the near by town of Vina Del Mar. Our new friend Fran went well out of her way to show us her favourite parts of her country that are missed by tourists! We drove for hours up the coast, stopping off at the most beautiful beach side towns, exploring well off the beaten track and spending the day at the mercy of her recommendations. We were lucky enough to see a side of Chile that not many travellers get to see! However, Fran didn't stop there, one afternoon after she finished work, she picked us up from our hostel and drove us out to the much spoken about vineyards, to taste her favourite wines, even if she wasn't drinking! We have been very lucky to have met so many special people along our travels but what Fran did for us in those few days we will be forever grateful for. We have so much admiration for what she did for us, and for wanting nothing in return, all she wanted was to show off her own part of the world and wanted us to appreciate it as much as she does!
Sadly, we had to leave Chile well before we wanted to but we leave with some unbelievable memories and a wealth of new friendships, and will most definitely be back to finish of what we started! Here are our must visit places that we didn't quite get to:
- Arica
- Antofagasta
- La Serena
- Pisco Elqui
- Torres Del Paine
- Punta Arenas
- Puerto Montt
- Chiloe
- Pucon
& many more!
Getting Around..
The main mode of transport in Chile again will be by bus, however if you are short on time, have a look at flights! Sometimes, that 24 hour bus journey can be more expensive than a quick flight! When you get to the big cities, you have the option of trains and metros but remember to get your Bip! card for Santiago and metro card for Valpo.. Also, from the deserts of the north or the big cities, a bike is always a good idea to help you make the most of your day exploring. If you're heading south to Patagonia, have a look at renting a car, Javiera from Santiago and Fran from Vina Del Mar, persuaded us that this will be our next big road trip!
Here are some of the bus companies that we used or heard good things about;
- Pullman
- Turbus
- CATA
- Cruz del Sur
Our Route..
Useful Info
- Capital City: Santiago
- Time Difference: GMT minus four hours.
- Language Spoken: The official language here is Spanish, but English is also widely spoken in the most touristy areas.
- Local Cuisine: There is so much fresh seafood to be had along the coast of Chile but here are some other must eats; The Completo (A huge hotdog, sold on most street corners), Empanadas (Fried pastry, filled with meat, veg or cheese), Pastel de Choclo (Almost like a beef & corn Shepard's Pie!), Cerviche (Marinated raw fish) and Pichanga (A huge pile of meat, any kind of meat at that, avocado, onions and cucumber, basically any left overs are added to the plate).
- Local Beer & Drink: The most common beers that you will see are Cristal and Dorada, but my favourite has to be Cerveza Austral & you won't be able to go far without trying a Pisco Sour (Argued to be the national drink along with Peru).
- Visa: Generally not required for stays up to 90 days.
- Entrance & Exit Fee: No fees required for British citizens but certain countries do need to pay reciprocity fees.
- Proof of Onward Travel: Not required.
- Currency & Exchange rate (Aug 2018): Chilean Peso (CH$) £1 = $848 / $1 = $667
- Useful prices to note;
- 1 night in a hostel (Dorm Bed) = $6787 - $14,424 CH$ / £8 - £17 / $10.15 - $21.60
- (Private Double Room) = $14,424 - $55,249 CH$ / £17 - £65 / $21.60 - $82.70
- 1 local beer = $600 - $1500 CH$ / £0.70 - £1.75 / $8.90 - $2.25
- A typical meal for one = $4000 - $8000 CH$ / £4.70 - £9.40 / $5.99 - $11.99
- Average cost of a 2 hour bus journey = $3.500 - $4000 CH$ / £4.11 - £4.70 / $5.25 - $5.99
Chilean Peso (CH$) / British Pound (£) / US Dollar (USD)
Our must visit place..
We loved every part of Chile that we visited but for us, the day spent exploring the beach towns north of Vina Del Mar has to be up there.. So our must visit place in Chile is the picturesque beach-side town of ZAPALLAR, a truly beautiful place, and a real hidden gem, far off the tourist trail!
