top of page
IMG_3807.jpeg

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

Patagonia

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:​

  • 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:​​

  • Torres del Paine National Park

    • Day trip​ - 8 hour hike

    • W-trek - 4-5 days trek

    • O-trek - 8-9 days trek

Patagonia

🛏️Where I stayed:

El Patagonico

  • Very kind staff who help you plan your trip to Torres del Paine

  • Clean, cosy and warm with comfortable beds

  • Kitchen for guest use

🍴Where I ate:

  • Hablemos Coco Restaurant (Vegan) -  Hearty dishes and sandwiches & the best vegan hot chocolate I've ever had!

Coyhaique

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:​​

  • Hiking & sceneary

  • Coyhaique National Reserve

  • Queulat National Park (3 hours away)

  • Plaza de Armas - small park surrounded by a plaza of restaurants and little shops

  • Shopping - market stalls selling souvenirs & warm traditional clothing

🛏️Where I stayed:

Huellas y Senderos Hotel​

  • Pricey but nice

  • 5 minute walk from the Plaza de Armas

🍴Where I ate:​

  • Mama Gaucha - good pizza place, has vegan options

  • 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:​​

  • Marble Caves - Kayak or boat trip (I kayaked with ChileAndes - better experience, can get closer and inside the caves)​

  • Exploring glaciers

  • Kayak lake tours

🛏️Where I stayed:

Alma Patagona Hostel

  • Included breakfast

🍴Where I ate:

  • Veggie food was a bit difficult to find here and it took some walking around until I found something I could eat.

Marble caves
San Pedro de Atacama

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:

  • Moon valley - walk around desert, salt plains, & rock formations, and watch the sunset from a viewpoint with a spread of snacks and pisco sours.

  • Baltinache Lagoon - high salinity lagoon you can float in

  • Sandboarding - ski, sandboard or bodyboard down dunes

  • Astronomical Tour at the Meteorite Museum - use the telescope to take pictures of and admire the starry sky.

  • 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

Atacama desert

🛏️Where I stayed:

Backpackers San Pedro - LOVED this hostel

  • Fabiola who runs it is the best!

  • Small hostel with a kitchen for guest use

  • Easy to meet people

  • Hostel activities most nights - free red wine night, beer and bonfire night, & a pisco sour making class

🍴Where I ate:

  • 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:​​

  • Many tour operators in town so you can shop around for prices

  • Don't drink the night before the 4am geyser tour because they take you straight up to 5000m elevation.

  • 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:​

  •  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

Santiago is a modern city with a rich history. It's easy to navigate and I had a great time here.

​

Things to do:​

  • Walking tour (Free Walking Tour Santiago - guides have a 'Free Tour' red shirt)

  • San Cristobal hill hike - great sunset viewpoint

  • Vineyard tours & Vinotecas (wine bars and stores)

  • Bike tours

  • Visit the Giant Chilean flag on a 61m flagpole

🛏️ Where I stayed:

Ventana Sur Hostel - LOVED this place​

  • Small hostel, home-like feel with 2 dorm rooms & 2 private rooms

  • Has a kitchen & pool, and its very easy to meet other travellers

  • Owner Ivan gets to know his guests & prepared breakfast for us every morning and provides great recommendations​

🍴 Where I ate:

  • Kambo (vegan) - AMAZING vegan sushi with so many options

  • El Completo Feliz (vegan) - food truck that sells vegan versions of the Chilean hot dog dish completo.

Santiago

What to watch out for:​

  • Pickpockets - was warned about them a few times on the walking tour

Transport

  • Difficult to avoid taking domestic fights due to the size and terrain in Chile

  • LATAM - largest South American airline, no issues with them

  • Flew to Punta Arenas (near Puerto Natales) to Balmaceda (near Coyhaique), Santiago & Calama (near San Pedro de Atacama)

  • Booked the bus from Argentina to Chile through Busbud - travelled with Marga Taqsa (staff were great at helping you cross the border)

  • Booked local buses through local websites, such as Sao Paulo Buses to get to Puerto Rio Tranquilo

  • Bus stations were easy to use with people happy to help you find your way

  • Cost effective, but longer travel times

  • Uber and InDrive were safe and easy to use in Santiago

  • 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

  • Driving is the best way to explore Chilean Patagonia & there are many car rental companies around

Safety

  • Overall, I felt very safe everywhere in Chile
     

  • Santiago felt modern and easy to navigate
     

  • Patagonia and San Pedro de Atacama felt quiet but tourist-friendly
     

  • I still used normal precautions, especially at night

Practical Tips

  • Language: Spanish, Currency: Chilean Peso
     

  • If you're tight for time, opt for flights
     

  • Pack with all climates in mind - Southern Chile = cold and windy, Northern Chile = temperatures can reach 30 degrees celsius in the day.
     

  • I mainly used my card in most places, but you need cash for taxis, tips & some shops.
     

  • 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

  • Rapa Nui - Famous for its stone carvings of giant human heads

  • Valparaíso - Port city famous for its UNESCO protected architecture

  • Pucon - Town by Lake Villarrica, great for outdoor activities such as climbing Villarrica volcano, visiting the National Resreve, waterfalls & hot springs.

  • Arrope de Chañar - Syrup from the fruit of the chañar tree mostly found in the Atacama region

  • Completo - Chilean hot dogs with a variety of different toppings and combinations

  • Pastel de Choclo - Usually a meat heavy dish but some vegan restaurants do an alternative version

  • 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

  • Piscola - Popular variant of the Pisco Sour with cola added

  • Mote con Huesillo - Non-alcoholic Chilean summertime drink made with dried peaches, water, sugar, cinnamon & hulled wheat.

bottom of page