Chile’s Unparalleled Beauty

Chile – the world’s narrowest country – is a destination which is often overlooked by travellers. It’s vast and changeable landscapes include humming cities, thick forests, towering mountains, parched desserts, glassy lakes, and glacial fjords. Chile is perhaps one of the only destinations on earth where you can find all these marvels of nature in one country.

Colonised by the Spanish in the 16th century, Chile’s culture is a rich and colourful blend of colonial architecture and Mapachue, Aymara, Quechua, Chango, and 6 other indigenous peoples’ way of life. The second safest country to travel to in South America – according to the Global Peace Index ratings for 2021 – travellers who love their bread will also feel at home here, with Chileans being the second biggest consumers of bread in the world.

Valparaíso

There are a variety of exciting and culturally colourful destinations throughout the country, including the historic city of Valparaíso. Located on the coast of central Chile, this city is an authentic sea port and one of Chile’s most important docks, as well as being the ‘first merchant port of the pacific coast of South America that linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, via the Strait of Magellan.’ With this historic background, it gained UNESCO World Heritage City status in 2003, and the fond nickname ‘Jewel of the Pacific’.

An amalgamation of old and new architecture, narrow streets and funicular elevators, this city is full of historic and colourful buildings which come alive at night. Spend your days at the Mercado Cardonal, which offers a selection of fruit and vegetables as colourful as the buildings which surround them. Or make your way to the Museo Marítimo Nacional; a colonial style building built with bright white stone and with imposing cannons placed by the entrance. Here, travellers can spend the day educating themselves on the historic importance of this sea port city, currently still the headquarters of the Chilean Navy.

Santiago

A roughly 1.5 hour car journey heading South East from Valparaíso will bring you to the cosmopolitan capital city of Santiago – so called as it sits in the Santiago basin. The frost covered peaks of the Andes can be seen from most points in the city and are a constant reminder of the magnificent scenery which Chile is made up of. The largest city in Chile, Santiago is a perfect blend of metropolitan city – with skyscrapers to match – colonial buildings, and public parks.

Santiago has something to intrigue every tourist. Spend your days wandering around the famed Lastarria district, weaving in and out of quaint bookstores, admire the brilliant work at art galleries which showcase local artists, and cultural centres.

Easter Island

2,290 miles from the coast of Chile lies the remote, mythical and magical Easter Island. Whilst the giant moai statues are well known in popular culture, their emergence and meaning are lesser so. The moai statues showcase the imaginative and original tradition of meaningful sculpture between the 11th and 17th centuries, begun on Easter Island first by the Polynesian settlers in 300 CE.

The Rapa Nui National Park helps to preserve and protect these historical landmarks, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, solidifying their cultural importance to the Rapa Nui people, and encompassing roughly 900 moai, 300 ceremonial sites, ‘and thousands of structures related to agriculture, funeral rites, housing and production, and other types of activity.’

Lake District

Volcanoes, ice capped mountains, thick forests, luscious green shrubbery, reflective lakes and winding rivers are all encompassed in the lake district of Chile. Despite the changeable landscape, there is a sense of tranquillity and stillness, and a poignant reminder that nature was here first. Travellers are offered a place where they can escape the crowd and explore at their own pace – enjoying the sense of eutierra; becoming one with nature. The giant size of this area means that activities can range from ziplining through the trees in the forest to skiing on the snowy slopes of the mountains.

Found in the Lake District of Chile is Chiloé Island. A colourful blend of dense forest and ports with wooden houses, the largest island of the Chiloé archipelago is home to the historic ‘Churches of Chiloé’.

Torres del Paine National Park

There are few places on Earth where you can find all the colours of the world. Torres del Paine National Park is one such place. The mountains here turn from granite grey to rust red in the setting sun, with the snow capped tips rising high above you. Vivid green grasses and trees, azure mirror-like lakes, and wildflowers of every colour of the rainbow – including Orchids, Blanquita and purple Lupine – blanket areas of the foothills, creating a national park which is filled with biodiversity and ethereal beauty.

The landscapes and flora are not the only thing worth noting in this park as it is home to pumas, foxes, ostriches, pudus, huemul deer, and flamingos. Covering an astonishing 448,280 acres Torres del Paine National Park will leave visitors with unforgettable memories, a deep attachment to nature, and an undeniable appreciation for our extraordinary planet.

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