Chile by Latventure

Chile, the slender country between ice and desert, stretches over 4,200 km along the Pacific coast and unites breathtaking natural regions. In the north lies the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world, with bizarre salt lakes and geysers beneath brilliant blue skies. Central Chile around Santiago has a Mediterranean character: world-renowned wines thrive in the Maipo Valley, while snow-capped Andean peaks rise majestically above the vineyards.

Further south begins “little South America”: emerald-green lake landscapes framed by volcanic cones in the Región de los Lagos, evergreen rainforests on Chiloé Island, and finally rugged Patagonia with its ice-blue glaciers (Grey, Balmaceda) and the steep granite towers of Torres del Paine. Chile is a land of extremes – from the 6,893 m-high Ojos del Salado to the fjords of Tierra del Fuego, from the mysterious Moai statues of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) to the steaming thermal springs of the Andean valleys.

Culturally, Chile is both European and indigenous. In the cities, one feels a modern rhythm, while the Mapuche in the south and the Aymara in the north preserve their cultural heritage. Despite earthquakes and volcanoes, Chile has highly developed infrastructure and is considered safe and well organised. The country between the Pacific and the Andes captivates with its immense natural diversity and the warmth of its people, who are proud of their pisco, their poetry (Neruda, Mistral) and the crystal-clear night skies of the Atacama.