Chile Travel Guide


The latest travel Information on Chile, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Chile Information

Overview

Chile is situated in South America, bounded by Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, the Antarctic and the Pacific Ocean. Home of the Andes mountain range, it is a thin ribbon of land, 4,200km (2,610 miles) long and nowhere more than 180km (115 miles) wide.

Because of its unusual geography, Chile has a hugely varied climate ranging from the world’s driest desert in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, to a snow-prone Alpine climate in the south. Travellers can enjoy the country’s abundant fauna and flora and spectacular scenery consisting of huge glaciers, fjords, waterfalls, blue lakes and numerous national parks where trekking is a very popular activity amongst tourists.


Top Things To See

Visit Arica, with its good beaches and the famous San Marcos Cathedral. Nearby, wonder at the unique landscape of Altiplano with its vast volcanoes, salt marshes and lakes existing together upon a high plateau, and home to the indigenous Aymara Indians. Through the Atacama Desert, excursions can be made to the hot springs of Mamina and to the oasis of the Pica Valley.

From the port of Antofagasta, visit Chuquicamata copper mine; the archaeological oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama; and the El Tatio geysers.

Get some sea breezes at Coquimbo and Los Vilos. Wander fine streets lined with attractive Spanish colonial style architecture in La Serena, the provincial capital. The town is at the mouth of the Elqui River and excursions can be made from here to the rich fruit-growing region of the Elqui Valley.

Explore the Central Region and the Islands, the most temperate and pastoral regions of the country, where the snow-capped peaks of the Andes provide a backdrop to rolling green fields, vineyards and orange groves. Valparaíso, the principal port, has many attractions.

In Santiago, visit sights such as the Virgin Mary on the peak of the 860m (2,822ft) Cerro San Cristóbal ( Saint Christopher’s Hill) and get great views of the city and the Andes. At the foot of the hill, in the Latin Quarter of Barrio Bellavista, nose round one of poet Pablo Neruda’s houses – La Chascona (website: www.fundacionneruda.org).

Sample Chile’s wine at vineyards in the heartland of the country.

Journey out to the Juan Fernández Islands (650km (403 miles) west of Valparaíso). Alexander Selkirk was shipwrecked here in the early 18th century, and Defoe based his novel Robinson Crusoe on Selkirk’s adventures.

Fly to Easter Island, another Pacific Chilean possession, situated 3,800km (2,361 miles) west of the mainland. Puzzle over the famous, yet mysterious Moai, gigantic stone figures up to 9m (30ft) tall which can be found all over the island. Other sites to investigate include the volcano crater Rano Kao, the Oronco rock carvings, and the museum in the main town of Hanga Roa.

Be amazed by the waterfalls at Laguna de La, in the Southern Region.

Admire the Lake District, where Lake Villarica and the Trancura and Cincira rivers combine to create beautiful scenery, and an angler’s paradise. Don’t miss Lake Todos los Santos either.

Travel right to the southernmost end of the railway line or the Pan American Highway, where visitors can find the picturesque town of Puerto Montt and, nearby, the colourful small fishing port of Angelmo.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Top Things To Do

Strut round Viña del Mar, Chile’s principal and most fashionable seaside resort with casinos, clubs and modern hotels.

Trek in one of Chile’s most popular regions – the Lake District, with beautiful national parks offering spectactular scenery and abundant flora and fauna.

Spot flamingos, rheas (an ostrich-like bird) and llamas at the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve – the Parque Nacional Lauca.

Marvel at Magellanic penguins in Chiloé Island, a region of evergreen forests and fjords. The abundant coastal wildlife of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego includes large colonies of sea elephants, sea lions and penguins.

Climb the Lake District’s Volcán Villarrica and Volcán Osorno. Various companies offer guided ascents, but ice gear is required. Guides are compulsory.

Fish in the Lake District and in Patagonia. The lakes near Puerto Montt, a port city whose economy is mainly based on fishing, offer excellent trout fishing. In Arica, near the northern border with Peru, conditions in the area are ideal for deep-sea fishing.

Go white-water rafting down the Maipo, Claro, Trancura and Bio-Bio rivers. Specialist operators can organise week-long trips. The scenery around the Bio-Bio includes hot springs and waterfalls. Swim, dive, waterski and sail in one of the many bays and fjords of Chile’s coastline.

Ski at the world-famous resort Portillo or ice skate on the spectacular Laguna del Inca. Other ski slopes in the area can be found at Farellones-El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado. The ski season runs from June to September.

Be in awe of huge icebergs from a glacier cruise, which follows a spectacular route through Chile’s Inside Passage, the Beagle Channel and around Cape Horn, passing through glacial valleys (notably at Laguna San Rafael), fjords and past huge icebergs. Passengers can disembark at various points en route, notably at Puerto Natales and on the Argentinian portion of Tierra del Fuego.

Set out on an expedition to Antarctica from Chile’s southernmost city, Punta Arenas.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Going Out

Food and Drink

Table service is usual in restaurants. Santiago has many international eateries.

National specialities:
• Empanada (combination of meat, chicken or fish, with onions, eggs, raisins and olives inside a flour pastry).
• Fish and seafood, including clams, sole, sea bass and oysters, are very good, particularly in fishing villages on the coast.
• Cazuela de ave (soup with rice, vegetables, chicken and herbs).
• Bife a lo pobre (steak with french fries, onions and eggs).
• Parrillada (selection of meat grilled over hot coals, often including delicacies such as intestines, udders and blood sausages).

National drinks:
•Chile is famous for its wine.
• Pisco (a powerful liqueur distilled from grapes after wine pressing).
•Grapes are also used to make the sweet brown chicha as well as aguardiente (similar to brandy).
• Chilean beer brands are Kuntsman, Crystal and Escudo.

Legal drinking age: No minimum age for drinking; must be 18 to purchase alcohol.

Tipping: Restaurants and bars add 10% to the bill. However, waiting staff will expect a 10% cash tip in addition.

Nightlife

While many restaurants and hotels offer entertainment, there are also a number of nightclubs. Santiago gets lively at the weekends, especially in the zonas of Bellavista, Providencia and Nuñoa. Bands and acts frequently perform; listings sections can be found in Friday’s La Tercera and El Mercurio. Things don’t usually get going until around 2200 or 2300 in restaurants, and 0100 in clubs and bars. Visitors should be aware that the English word ’nightclub’ means ’brothel’ in Chile.

Shopping

Special purchases include textiles such as colourful handwoven ponchos, vicuna rugs, alpaca jumpers and copper work. Chilean stones such as lapis lazuli, jade, amethyst, agate and onyx are all good buys. Camping and other outdoor equipment can be bought in Santiago as well as in areas where the activity is practised.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2000, Sat 1000-1400. Large shopping malls are open daily 1000-2100.


Climate

Ranges from hot and arid in the north to very cold in the far south. The central areas have a mild Mediterranean climate with a wet season (May to August). Beyond Puerto Montt in the south is one of the wettest and stormiest areas in the world.

Required Clothing

Lightweight, natural fabrics. Rainwear for the wet season. More substantial waterproofs are needed in the south.


Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2008 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Good Friday.
22 Mar Holy Saturday.
1 May Labour Day.
21 May Navy Day.
22 May* Corpus Christi.
29 Jun* St Peter and St Paul.
15 Aug Assumption.
11 Sep Reconciliation Day.
18 Sep Independence Day.
19 Sep Army Day.
12 Oct* Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
10 Apr Good Friday. 
11 Apr Holy Saturday.
1 May Labour Day.
21 May Navy Day. 
11 Jun* Corpus Christi.
29 Jun* St Peter and St Paul.
15 Aug Assumption.
11 Sep Reconciliation Day.
18 Sep Independence Day.
19 Sep Army Day.
12 Oct* Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Note

*If Corpus Christi, St Peter and St Paul and Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day) fall on a day other than Saturday, Sunday or Monday, the holiday is usually held on the nearest Monday.


Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: No

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No

Health Care

Health insurance is essential. Emergency services can be dialled free (tel: (2) 131 for an ambulance), but for medical emergencies, private services may deliver more modern equipment and a faster response. HELP (tel: (2) 631 0310) is an ambulance service for some of Santiago’s private hospitals. Clínicas (private hospitals) can be contacted directly in the case of a medical emergency.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Chilean Peso (CLP; symbol CH$) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of CH$20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CH$500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.

Currency Exchange

Foreign exchange transactions can be conducted through commercial banks, casas de cambio, or authorised shops, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Visitors should not be tempted by the premiums of 10 to 15% over the official rate offered by black marketeers. Casas de cambio are open daily 0900-1900.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Credit/debit cards (Visa, Diners Club, MasterCard and sometimes American Express) are widely accepted in towns and cities, where Redbanc ATMs are also largely available.

Traveller's Cheques

The government does not regulate the market of foreign currency in Chile, making it possible to exchange money and traveller’s cheques at any casa de cambio at market-driven exchange rates. There may be some difficulty exchanging traveller’s cheques outside major towns. Traveller’s cheques in US Dollars offer a better exchange rate.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1400.


Passport/Visa

British

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Australian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/2
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Canadian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/2
Return Ticket Required: Yes

USA

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/2
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Other EU

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No/1
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Passport Note

Passports issued to children must contain a photo and state the nationality.

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months required by nationals referred to in the chart above.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except the following:
(a) 1. nationals of Greece for up to 60 days and nationals of Romania for up to 30 days.
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey on the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding required travel documents for onward destination and not leaving the airport transit lounge.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Visa Note

2. Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA entering Chile for touristic purposes will be charged a processing fee payable on arrival and in cash only. For nationals of  Australia, the fee is US$56; for nationals of Canada, the fee is US$132; and for nationals of the USA, the fee is US$100 .


Contact Addresses

Servicio Nacional de Turismo (SERNATUR) (Tourist Office)

Avenida Providencia 1550, PO Box 7500548, Santiago, Chile
Tel: (2) 731 8419.
Website: www.sernatur.cl

Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of Chile in the UK

12 Devonshire Street, London W1G 7DS, UK
Tel: (020) 7580 6392 (embassy) or 1023 (consular section).
Website: www.echileuk.demon.co.uk
Working hours: Mon-Thurs 0900-1730, Fri: 0900-1430; Open to public: Mon-Fri 0900-1330.

Embassy of the Republic of Chile in the USA

1732 Massachussets Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel: (202) 785 1746.
Website: www.chile-usa.org


Travel Advice

Warning

Most visits are trouble-free.

The Llaima volcano, in the Araucania region of southern Chile, erupted on 2 January 2008. Although approximately 150 people have been evacuated from villages in the area immediately surrounding the volcano. Visitors should follow developments in the media and follow any guidance given by the local authorities.

Pickpocketing, other thefts and muggings are common and have been on the increase since the beginning of 2007.

Minefields are located in regions I, II and XII. It is recommended checking with the local authorities before travelling to the border areas of these regions.

The threat from terrorism is low. But travellers should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

Dengue fever is endemic to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year. In 2007 there has been a marked increase in the number of reported cases of dengue across the region.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel




Disclaimer
We've tried to make the information on this page as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information with the relevant authorities before you travel.