Chile
⭐️ Best for: Hiking, Natural Landscapes & Wine
⚠️ Difficulty: Moderate
💰 Budget: £££-££££
Itinerary
1 week
Santiago (3 days) >> San Pedro de Atacama (4 days)
3 weeks +
Chilean Patagonia (10+ days) >> Santiago (5 days) >> San Pedro de Atacama (5 days)
Places
Chilean Patagonia
The Chilean Patagonia terrain results in more remote locations which made it difficult to travel within the area, especially without a car. It's great for travellers looking for quieter, less touristy places in Patagonia with picturesque natural views of glaciers, fjords and pristine lakes. In the winter months (June - September) the temperature can drop to 0 degrees celsius and rise to around 20 degrees celsius in the summer (December - February).
Helpful Tip:
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Many national parks and trails are closed during the winter months (May-September) so plan your visit accordingly.
Puerto Natales
Very touristy and the busiest place I visited in Patagonia as many people use this city as a base before heading to different treks. 6 hour bus from El Calafate, Argentina.
Things to do:
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Torres del Paine National Park
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Day trip - 8 hour hike
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W-trek - 4-5 days trek
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O-trek - 8-9 days trek
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🛏️Where I stayed:
El Patagonico
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Very kind staff who help you plan your trip to Torres del Paine
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Clean, cosy and warm with comfortable beds
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Kitchen for guest use
🍴Where I ate:
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Hablemos Coco Restaurant (Vegan) - Hearty dishes and sandwiches & the best vegan hot chocolate I've ever had!
Coyhaique
Known for being connected to remote parts of Chilean Patagonia. It's an hour collectivo or taxi from Balmaceda Airport (BBA).
Things to do:
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Hiking & sceneary
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Coyhaique National Reserve
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Queulat National Park (3 hours away)
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Plaza de Armas - small park surrounded by a plaza of restaurants and little shops
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Shopping - market stalls selling souvenirs & warm traditional clothing
🛏️Where I stayed:
Huellas y Senderos Hotel
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Pricey but nice
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5 minute walk from the Plaza de Armas
🍴Where I ate:
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Mama Gaucha - good pizza place, has vegan options
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Silvestre Food Truck Vegano (vegan) -
food truck
Puerto Rio Tranquilo
A small town, quite out of the way, a 4 hour bus from Coyhaique. The only reason I came here was for the Marble Caves and I don'r regret it.
Things to do:
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Marble Caves - Kayak or boat trip (I kayaked with ChileAndes - better experience, can get closer and inside the caves)
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Exploring glaciers
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Kayak lake tours
🛏️Where I stayed:
Alma Patagona Hostel
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Included breakfast
🍴Where I ate:
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Veggie food was a bit difficult to find here and it took some walking around until I found something I could eat.
San Pedro de Atacama
Known as the 'driest place on earth', even though it rained every evening I was there and the last time it rained there was 12 years ago...Nonetheless, a trip highlight, a small town in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 2,407m surrounded by desert, salt flats, geysers and volcanoes which means there is A LOT to do here. An hour collectivo from El Loa Calama Airport (CJC) or an 18-hour bus from Santiago via Antofagasta.
Things to do:
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Moon valley - walk around desert, salt plains, & rock formations, and watch the sunset from a viewpoint with a spread of snacks and pisco sours.
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Baltinache Lagoon - high salinity lagoon you can float in
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Sandboarding - ski, sandboard or bodyboard down dunes
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Astronomical Tour at the Meteorite Museum - use the telescope to take pictures of and admire the starry sky.
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3-day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour in Bolivia goes from San Pedro up to Uyuni and visa versa, popular spot to cross between Chile and Bolivia
🛏️Where I stayed:
Backpackers San Pedro - LOVED this hostel
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Fabiola who runs it is the best!
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Small hostel with a kitchen for guest use
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Easy to meet people
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Hostel activities most nights - free red wine night, beer and bonfire night, & a pisco sour making class
🍴Where I ate:
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Estrella Negra (Vegan) - Big menu, serve veganised versions of popular South American dishes such as empanadas, ceviche and the Chilean dish 'pastel de choclo'.
Helpful Tip:
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Many tour operators in town so you can shop around for prices
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Don't drink the night before the 4am geyser tour because they take you straight up to 5000m elevation.
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Don’t walk and eat an ice cream because within seconds you're going to be licking a layer of dust off it.
What to watch out for:
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There are wild dogs on the outskirts of town and I was advised by the hostel manager not to go running out here because of them.
Santiago
Santiago is a modern city with a rich history. It's easy to navigate and I had a great time here.
Things to do:
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Walking tour (Free Walking Tour Santiago - guides have a 'Free Tour' red shirt)
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San Cristobal hill hike - great sunset viewpoint
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Vineyard tours & Vinotecas (wine bars and stores)
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Bike tours
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Visit the Giant Chilean flag on a 61m flagpole
🛏️ Where I stayed:
Ventana Sur Hostel - LOVED this place
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Small hostel, home-like feel with 2 dorm rooms & 2 private rooms
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Has a kitchen & pool, and its very easy to meet other travellers
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Owner Ivan gets to know his guests & prepared breakfast for us every morning and provides great recommendations
🍴 Where I ate:
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Kambo (vegan) - AMAZING vegan sushi with so many options
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El Completo Feliz (vegan) - food truck that sells vegan versions of the Chilean hot dog dish completo.
What to watch out for:
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Pickpockets - was warned about them a few times on the walking tour
Transport
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Difficult to avoid taking domestic fights due to the size and terrain in Chile
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LATAM - largest South American airline, no issues with them
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Flew to Punta Arenas (near Puerto Natales) to Balmaceda (near Coyhaique), Santiago & Calama (near San Pedro de Atacama)
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Booked the bus from Argentina to Chile through Busbud - travelled with Marga Taqsa (staff were great at helping you cross the border)
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Booked local buses through local websites, such as Sao Paulo Buses to get to Puerto Rio Tranquilo
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Bus stations were easy to use with people happy to help you find your way
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Cost effective, but longer travel times
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Uber and InDrive were safe and easy to use in Santiago
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Local taxis and collectivo services were cheap and easy to use in Patagonia & San Pedro de Atacama - the towns are quite small so it's easy to find local transport
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Driving is the best way to explore Chilean Patagonia & there are many car rental companies around
Safety
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Overall, I felt very safe everywhere in Chile
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Santiago felt modern and easy to navigate
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Patagonia and San Pedro de Atacama felt quiet but tourist-friendly
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I still used normal precautions, especially at night
Practical Tips
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Language: Spanish, Currency: Chilean Peso
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If you're tight for time, opt for flights
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Pack with all climates in mind - Southern Chile = cold and windy, Northern Chile = temperatures can reach 30 degrees celsius in the day.
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I mainly used my card in most places, but you need cash for taxis, tips & some shops.
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There's lots of travellers going from El Calafate to Puerto Natales, so if you have trouble crossing there's usually people around to help you.
More To Try
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Rapa Nui - Famous for its stone carvings of giant human heads
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Valparaíso - Port city famous for its UNESCO protected architecture
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Pucon - Town by Lake Villarrica, great for outdoor activities such as climbing Villarrica volcano, visiting the National Resreve, waterfalls & hot springs.
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Arrope de Chañar - Syrup from the fruit of the chañar tree mostly found in the Atacama region
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Completo - Chilean hot dogs with a variety of different toppings and combinations
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Pastel de Choclo - Usually a meat heavy dish but some vegan restaurants do an alternative version
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Pisco sour - The drink of Chile, made with Chilean Pisco, powdered sugar, ice cubes and the juice of a lime from the town of Pica in the Atacama Desert
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Piscola - Popular variant of the Pisco Sour with cola added
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Mote con Huesillo - Non-alcoholic Chilean summertime drink made with dried peaches, water, sugar, cinnamon & hulled wheat.