Long, slender Chile is one of the world's greatest natural playgrounds. At one end is desert, at the other are glaciers - the whole ensemble framed with volcanoes and edged by beautiful beaches - almost tropical in some places - and fjords. It’s hard to think of a country that boasts such diverse landscapes. As for its cities, they are considered South America’s safest, offering a warm welcome wherever you go. Below we have listed some fantastic places to stay, from rural estancias through stunning eco-resorts, to designer urban chic. Chile has it all.
Where to start? The capital Santiago is both historic and trendy, with an exciting foodie scene, and it’s a good base for exploring the local vineyards and the coastline. Valparaíso is the second largest city, but it’s very different, more colourful and arty, with fewer chain hotels and international restaurants. But of course you’re probably not here for the cities. You're here for Chile's astounding natural wonders: Patagonia, the Atacama, the Andes, the fjords, Easter Island. Check out our selections of the best places to stay and travel in Chile below.
Chile by area
Santiago is the capital, and one of the major travel hubs. It’s cosmopolitan and sophisticated, a fascinatingly varied collection of neighbourhoods, with a generous scattering of grand architecture, excellent museums and world-class restaurants. Many neighbourhoods have great cafes, bars and beer halls, and come the evening they’re hubs of activity. There are some great urban chic places to stay here, as well as traditional grand dames.
Santa Cruz is in the Colchagua Valley, and is known best for its wines, wineries and tastings. But it's traditional farms too, especially farms producing tomato and wheat. And it has some elegant architecture, as well as those fields and fields of rolling green. Check into a winery or a rural farmstead.
As far as other great centres for travellers go: Valparaíso is a faded port-town beauty known for its edgy air, maze of streets, alleys and stairways, and for having some of the best street art in South America. Colonial era townhouse hotels abound here. 500 miles south, Pucón is on the eastern shore of beautiful Lake Villaricca, close to the Villaricca volcano, and is a spot well known by adventure tourists and adventurers alike. In summer the lake is perfect for all sorts of watersports and in winter you can ski and snowboard on the slopes of the volcano. Come here for some beautiful lakeside lodges.
On the southernmost tip of the Andes - the extreme south of Patagonian Chile - are three looming great stone towers, standing like solemn granite guardsmen over a ruggedly beautiful landscape brimming with teal-coloured lagoons, blue glaciers, snowcapped mountains and lakes that mirror the sky: this is the Torres del Paine. If you want to get-away-from-it-all then this is the place to escape. Everything. The National Park covers 181,414 hectares of dark green forest, raging rivers, bright blue glaciers and mirrored lakes; the landscape teems with guanaco - a species related to the llama - and pumas, while the sky soars with Andean condors. Most days, you can see the baqueanos - Chilean cowboys - ride their beloved horses through the rugged terrain. There are some truly outstanding eco-resorts and hotels in this region, in stunning locations.
If you’re here for the Torres del Paine you’re already in the Puerto Natales region, an area of outstanding natural beauty at the opening of the Ultima Esperanza Sound. And it’s a great place to stay to explore Patagonia’s fjords and sounds. If you’re lucky you’ll see icebergs, and possibly kayak right up beside them.
Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is one of the world’s most remote islands, with its striking moai statues and the conundrum of how they were constructed and positioned. As well as being a fascinating open-air museum to the ancient inhabitants and their 887 monuments, Easter Island is also an amazing place to dive, snorkel, surf, ride horses, hike or bike - or just relax in a once in a lifetime holiday adventure setting. There is accommodation to match.
By now you will have seen the grasslands of the volcanic mountains and the towering glaciers of Patagonia, but what about the deserts? San Pedro de Atacama is in the heart of the world’s driest non-polar desert, a place of huge dunes, rugged sandstone valleys, salt flats, broiling geysers and the odd long low lagoon populated by flamingos. It’s a spectacular landscape, and totally unlike any other. With clear starry skies, jaw-dropping scenery and activities ranging from sandboarding to hot air balloon rides, this dreamlike world will leave you breathless. As will its cool desert retreats...