Adventure World

Chile & Easter Island

Chile is a long narrow strip of land nestled between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. The country encompasses geographic and climatic extremes such as the dry desert in the north, coast and lush countryside in the central region, lakes and rainforests in the south, fjords and glaciers in Patagonia, stormy plains in Tierra del Fuego and subtropical Pacific Islands.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 3700km from the Chilean coast, lies fascinating Easter Island, famous for its unexplained ‘Moais’ - huge 50 tonne carved stone figures.

Top Highlights

Santiago: The gateway city to Chile - Santiago is a sprawling modern metropolis with narrow streets. A walking tour of Santiago is the best way to see this city of contrasts.

Must sees: Palacio de la Moneda (the royal mint); Mercado Central (a wrought-iron edifice that occupies an entire block); Cerro Santa Lucia (a hilltop sanctuary with gardens, footpaths and fountains); Cerro San Cristobal (crowned by a 36m while statue of the Virgin Mary and is reached by funicular railway). Day trips to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar are available.

Atacama Desert: Bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the starkly desolate but unique Atacama Desert comprises deeply incised canyons and the Andean altiplano (steppe) and its volcanic summits.

San Pedro de Atacama is a placid oasis of adobe houses at the northern end of the Salar de Atacama, a saline lake that has almost completely evaporated. Valley de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), where flood and wind have left an array of oddly shaped polychrome desert landforms.

Lake District: Puerto Montt and Osorno are the best centres for exploring the Chilean lakes. Puerto Varas (best-preserved concentration of Middle European architecture) is the gateway to the popular boat-bus crossing via Lago Todos los Santos to the Argentine lake resort of Bariloche.

Easter IslandRapa Nui, one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands. The island is scattered with hundreds of colossal moai, these tall and heavy statues were transported great distances from the quarry to coast and erected on great stone ahu (platforms). The islanders also created the large ahu’s on which the moai were erected, burial cairns (large piles of rock where bodies were entombed) and the foundations of the unusual hare paenga (boat-shaped thatched houses).

More Highlights

• Punta Arenas
• Puerto Natales
• Parque Nacional Torres del Paine

Fact Sheet

• Country Dialling Code: + 56
• When to Go: Santiago and Middle Chile are best in spring (Sep-Nov) or during the fall harvest (late Feb-Apr). Torres del Paine and lake region are best in summer (Dec-Mar). The dry summer months are the best time to visit the Atacama desert. Easter Island is cooler and best visited outside the summer months.
• Capital: Santiago
• Population: 14.8 million people and about a third reside in Gran Santiago. About 3000 people live on Easter Island, nearly all of them in Hanga Roa.
• Official Language: Spanish
• Currency: Peso (Ch$).US dollars are recommended.
• Electricity: 220V, 50 cycles
• Tipping: In restaurants it is customary to tip 10% of the bill.
• Bargaining: Is expected in markets.
• Geography: Chile stretches 4300 km from Peru to the Strait of Magellan. Contrasts include the scenic but nearly sterile Atacama Desert in the north, the metropolis of Santiago and its Valley Central (Central Valley), a verdant lake district and glacial landscapes of southern Patagonia.
• Gateway Airport: Santiago (SCL)
• Air: LAN operates on the international and domestic routes.
• Coach: Major highways and some others are paved, but many secondary roads are gravel or dirt. Buses that travel on main roads are comfortable and well maintained. Travel on the back roads is slower and buses less frequent but overall the country offers a good network.
• Food: For a snack empanada, a tasty turnover with vegetables, hard-boiled egg, olive, beef, chicken, ham and cheese. Breakfast (desayuno) usually consists of toast with butter or jam and tea. One of Chile’s most delicious and filling traditional dishes is pastel de choclo, a maize casserole filled with vegetables, chicken and beef. Seafood dishes are very popular.