Beginning in the north the border with Peru and stretching over 4000 km to Tierra del Fuego in the south, Chile is a country of incredible contrasts. From the lunar desert landscapes of Atacama to the wilderness of the Patagonian steppe, at its widest point Chile is less than 350 km so almost everywhere you are the majestic Andes, the geographical border with Argentina provide a spectacular backdrop.
Contrary to belief, Chile can be a year round destination. Although there is more rainfall in the winter months between May and August, the capital of Santiago and the surrounding areas of Middle Chile are still mild compared to the British winter. Not that the Santiagans, wrapped up in hat, scarf and gloves would have you believe! Lying at 2300m above sea level, San Pedro de Atacama has warm, clear, sunny days but cold nights, particularly so in winter. Patagonia and Torres del Paine are beautiful areas to visit at all times of the year. The flowers in springtime, the summer sunshine and the autumnal orange and golden leaves are stunning but winter is just as picturesque. Although it is cold all year round, in July and August the wind is at its lowest and as the winter skies are often clearer, the visibility is much better which makes it an ideal season to appreciate the striking snowy scenery with virtually no one else around.
After a long flight from London to Santiago, via Madrid, most people want a comfortable hotel in the city, just 20 minutes from the airport. to relax in for the afternoon. As Chile is so long, it is impossible to avoid taking several domestic flights, which inevitably result in revisiting Santiago as flight schedules rarely coincide. As an alternative, I drove 50 minutes from the airport straight to Valparaiso on the coast. Valpo, as is called by its residents, is like no other city in Chile. It has a unique charm that can be likened to the colourful, aluminium-framed houses of the La Boca district of Buenos Aires, or a mix of the small,
narrow streets of Lisbon with the rundown allure of Havana. Despite being a popular port of call for cruise ships, the city was virtually overlooked by those on board as it was seen as the point of access to Santiago, which is just one hour away. However, since being named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the fortunes of this distinctive city have started to change. Many small boutique hotels have opened, attempting to entice people away from the more glamorous neighbourhood of Viña del Mar, the beach playground of the wealthy Chileans.
Valpo is effectively two cities rolled into one: the less inspiring flat shopping and business district of El Plan near the port; and the winding labyrinth of rambling streets and alleyways, with the colourful houses made from corrugated iron that sit perched on the edge of the many cerros or hills rising precariously above. Each cerro has its own unique identity but it is Cerro Alegre and Concepción that attract the most visitors with their very individual and bohemian style.
The best way of exploring the hillside is by way of the 15 different ascensores, funicular-type lifts built between 1883 and 1916. Conveniently the oldest of these is Ascensor Concepción which climbs to Cerro Concepción from where you can wander for hours along picturesque street passageways, past photogenic houses and climb seemingly never-ending staircases up to the higher cerro. The Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda had one of his three houses, La Sebastiana, on Cerro Bellavista, which showcases Neruda’s eccentric style and is filled from the basement to the crows-nest like attic-study with his knick-knacks and quirky items collected on his extensive travels.
On a quiet residential street in Cerro Alegre, Hotel Zero is the perfect place to relax, either for a couple of nights after the long flight from London, or at the end of a tour of Chile before going home. Walking down the street you would miss it if you didn’t know it was there, but once inside, a beautiful converted house opens up in front of you, providing an instant calming and relaxing atmosphere. The high ceilings and huge windows shower the rooms with light and if you have a room at the back of the house, from the exquisite beds there is a view across the bay and to the port far below. An identical view can also be seen from the hidden sun terraces or panoramic winter terrace where breakfast and the Saturday brunch are served. Reflected in the hotel’s honesty bar, the very friendly owners and managers have successfully created a true, relaxed home-from-home gem, which makes you very reluctant to leave.
For the rest of my trip, I was lucky to be staying in two of the Chilean Explora hotels. The first, Hotel Salto Chico in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia opened in 1993 from ‘a philosophy of travel born out of the desire to explore the natural and cultural environment of remote regions at the Southern tip of South America’. Following its success, a sister hotel opened five years later in the Atacama Desert and in December 2007 the newest hotel, Posada Mike Rapu, opened on Easter Island.
Waking up the morning after a 2-½ hour flight and then a one-hour drive in the dark, it could easily have been mistaken that we’d been transported to another planet. We’d swapped city life for the desert and instead of a view over the busy docks of Valparaiso, I was having breakfast surrounded by volcanoes. Sitting at 2300m above sea level in the north of Chile, close to the Bolivian and Argentinean borders, San Pedro de Atacama is a small and relaxed desert town teeming with both backpacker hostels and luxury hotels, that provide a taste of the Andean culture that is harder to find elsewhere in Chile.
The Explora guides meet the guests each evening in the bar to discuss the excursions for the following day. There are possibilities of half or full day trips ranging from short easy walks along sand dunes or a horse ride across the Atacama salt flat to whole day treks up some of the world’s highest volcanoes.
If that sounds too energetic, there is always the option of soaking in the hotel’s own natural hot springs about an hours drive away! One of Explora’s most unique advantages is the recently opened observatory. Because of the high altitude and no humidity, the air is much thinner and there is very little pollution from lights or other sources. Stargazing in northern Chile is among the best in the world so even without a telescope, it is impossible not to be mesmerised but the starry night skies. With the aid of trained astronomers and a powerful telescope, you can find yourself looking into star clusters, planets and even to other galaxies seventeen million light years away. A new device is soon to be installed at the Explora observatory, which will allow guests to photograph the night skies with their own digital cameras giving guests the perfect souvenir of the clear night sky.
Along with star-gazing, two of the most memorable highlights of the Atacama experience are watching the flamingos paddling in the lakes
while the distant mountains change from a dusty red though to purple as the sun sets over the Atacama salt flats. Equally beautiful and photogenic was walking with our guide through the famous Valley of the Moon. Having lived and worked in the area for over 10 years, our guide Javier knew the Valley like it was his back garden. Seeing no one else for 3 hours it felt like we were alone with nothing but sand dunes, salt mountains and the volcanoes over 150 km away on the seemingly-endless horizon. Considering the extreme temperatures and high altitudes, the area seems a particularly harsh and inhospitable living environment for any wildlife. However, once the sun rises and you look closely, there is an abundance of birds and animals. The Andean geese and coots that nest on the frozen lakes high up in the mountains, take their heads out of the ice where they have been buried during the night to keep warm. The viscachas, a small rodent, native to South America and seen predominantly in the Andes, that looks like a rabbit with a long tail can be seen searching for food around the rocky outcrops where they can easily scurry back to hide from potential predators. Vicuñas, the wild and untamed relative of the llama, only live at altitudes above 4000m and as law from poachers now protects them, they are relatively unafraid of passing vehicles so can be spotted close to the roads.
Part of the Explora philosophy emphasises that it’s not just the destination that is important, but that the journey getting there is of equal, if not greater interest. After a four hour flight to Punta Arenas and then a five hour drive into Torres del Paine National Park, nowhere is this thinking more true and apparent. Interestingly, Torres del Paine sits on the same latitude south of the equator, as London is north but I cannot imagine anywhere in the UK, let alone London feeling quite so isolated and remote.
The view from the plane as we followed the Andes south from Santiago over the Southern Ice Field was magical. The clouds broke and enormous glaciers, icebergs and frozen lakes emerged below us. Although knowing it would be mid-winter, after three days in the desert, arriving in Punta Arenas, the most southerly city in South America, I was not mentally prepared for snow! Whereas in the Atacama the temperature ranged from –20ºC early in the morning to mid-twenties during the day, Southern Patagonia varied little between –5ºC and 4ºC. In summer, the long road between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales is a three-hour expanse of little but a few scattered estancias and their grazing sheep and cattle but in July, it was a true winter-wonderland and the drive along the frozen road passed quickly. Along the road we saw plenty of wildlife, including the native rhea, South America’s ostrich, falcons, the arctic fox, and the biggest surprise of all was the colonies of flamingos, which looked somehow out of place as they swam across icy lakes.
There is something exciting about arriving at new places by night and by the time we entered the National Park it was dark so could only imagine what would await us the following morning. We were not disappointed. The Salto Chico Explora hotel is perched on the edge of Lake Pehoé and has probably one of the best views of all the hotels within the park over the glistening lake to the Paine Grande Mountain and famous Paine Massif.
There is a very common perception that Patagonia is somewhere off limits in winter but the absence of the biting Patagonian wind means the calm lakes create mirror images of the mountains and landscapes. This lack of icy wind also makes the colder temperatures more manageable! The days are much shorter: the sun rises after 8am and sets by 6pm so the striking colours of the sky can be seen changing without early mornings or late nights. Winter is also the best time to see the infamous puma, as it has to venture further down the mountains to find food than it would do in the summer.
For me the biggest advantage of travelling to Patagonia in winter is that there is almost no one else there.
None of the campsites are open for the trekkers wanting to hike the famous ‘W’ around the base of the Torres (Towers) and only a handful of the hotels stay open throughout. Those that do, including Explora, work on a very low capacity so it is quite feasible that on any excursions into the park you won’t come across another person. Obviously the weather conditions do limit some of the activities but there are still plenty of possibilities and there is something incredibly special about horse riding across the snow-covered plains and through frozen streams with the Torres Massif in the background. The most memorable part of the full day trek to the French Valley was walking through snow where the only fresh footprints apart from my own, were that of the puma.
In a country as long and narrow as Chile, that has all types of weather and so many different regions geographically, it is impossible to pick the ‘ideal’ season to travel. Traditionally, the high season has been from December to February, the southern hemisphere summer, but more and more people are choosing to travel in Spring, September to November and Autumn, March to May. Winter seems to put people off because it is assumed it will be too cold or wet, and perhaps difficult to travel to particular regions. Whilst this is of course true to specific areas, the Lake District for example can be very wet in winter, what awaits visitors brave enough to venture away from the European summer is a country with incredible contrasts, stunning scenery and the most welcoming hospitality. And most importantly, far less people to spoil the view!
Contrary to belief, Chile can be a year round destination. Although there is more rainfall in the winter months between May and August, the capital of Santiago and the surrounding areas of Middle Chile are still mild compared to the British winter. Not that the Santiagans, wrapped up in hat, scarf and gloves would have you believe! Lying at 2300m above sea level, San Pedro de Atacama has warm, clear, sunny days but cold nights, particularly so in winter. Patagonia and Torres del Paine are beautiful areas to visit at all times of the year. The flowers in springtime, the summer sunshine and the autumnal orange and golden leaves are stunning but winter is just as picturesque. Although it is cold all year round, in July and August the wind is at its lowest and as the winter skies are often clearer, the visibility is much better which makes it an ideal season to appreciate the striking snowy scenery with virtually no one else around.
After a long flight from London to Santiago, via Madrid, most people want a comfortable hotel in the city, just 20 minutes from the airport. to relax in for the afternoon. As Chile is so long, it is impossible to avoid taking several domestic flights, which inevitably result in revisiting Santiago as flight schedules rarely coincide. As an alternative, I drove 50 minutes from the airport straight to Valparaiso on the coast. Valpo, as is called by its residents, is like no other city in Chile. It has a unique charm that can be likened to the colourful, aluminium-framed houses of the La Boca district of Buenos Aires, or a mix of the small,
narrow streets of Lisbon with the rundown allure of Havana. Despite being a popular port of call for cruise ships, the city was virtually overlooked by those on board as it was seen as the point of access to Santiago, which is just one hour away. However, since being named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the fortunes of this distinctive city have started to change. Many small boutique hotels have opened, attempting to entice people away from the more glamorous neighbourhood of Viña del Mar, the beach playground of the wealthy Chileans.Valpo is effectively two cities rolled into one: the less inspiring flat shopping and business district of El Plan near the port; and the winding labyrinth of rambling streets and alleyways, with the colourful houses made from corrugated iron that sit perched on the edge of the many cerros or hills rising precariously above. Each cerro has its own unique identity but it is Cerro Alegre and Concepción that attract the most visitors with their very individual and bohemian style.
The best way of exploring the hillside is by way of the 15 different ascensores, funicular-type lifts built between 1883 and 1916. Conveniently the oldest of these is Ascensor Concepción which climbs to Cerro Concepción from where you can wander for hours along picturesque street passageways, past photogenic houses and climb seemingly never-ending staircases up to the higher cerro. The Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda had one of his three houses, La Sebastiana, on Cerro Bellavista, which showcases Neruda’s eccentric style and is filled from the basement to the crows-nest like attic-study with his knick-knacks and quirky items collected on his extensive travels.On a quiet residential street in Cerro Alegre, Hotel Zero is the perfect place to relax, either for a couple of nights after the long flight from London, or at the end of a tour of Chile before going home. Walking down the street you would miss it if you didn’t know it was there, but once inside, a beautiful converted house opens up in front of you, providing an instant calming and relaxing atmosphere. The high ceilings and huge windows shower the rooms with light and if you have a room at the back of the house, from the exquisite beds there is a view across the bay and to the port far below. An identical view can also be seen from the hidden sun terraces or panoramic winter terrace where breakfast and the Saturday brunch are served. Reflected in the hotel’s honesty bar, the very friendly owners and managers have successfully created a true, relaxed home-from-home gem, which makes you very reluctant to leave.
For the rest of my trip, I was lucky to be staying in two of the Chilean Explora hotels. The first, Hotel Salto Chico in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia opened in 1993 from ‘a philosophy of travel born out of the desire to explore the natural and cultural environment of remote regions at the Southern tip of South America’. Following its success, a sister hotel opened five years later in the Atacama Desert and in December 2007 the newest hotel, Posada Mike Rapu, opened on Easter Island.
Waking up the morning after a 2-½ hour flight and then a one-hour drive in the dark, it could easily have been mistaken that we’d been transported to another planet. We’d swapped city life for the desert and instead of a view over the busy docks of Valparaiso, I was having breakfast surrounded by volcanoes. Sitting at 2300m above sea level in the north of Chile, close to the Bolivian and Argentinean borders, San Pedro de Atacama is a small and relaxed desert town teeming with both backpacker hostels and luxury hotels, that provide a taste of the Andean culture that is harder to find elsewhere in Chile.
The Explora guides meet the guests each evening in the bar to discuss the excursions for the following day. There are possibilities of half or full day trips ranging from short easy walks along sand dunes or a horse ride across the Atacama salt flat to whole day treks up some of the world’s highest volcanoes.
If that sounds too energetic, there is always the option of soaking in the hotel’s own natural hot springs about an hours drive away! One of Explora’s most unique advantages is the recently opened observatory. Because of the high altitude and no humidity, the air is much thinner and there is very little pollution from lights or other sources. Stargazing in northern Chile is among the best in the world so even without a telescope, it is impossible not to be mesmerised but the starry night skies. With the aid of trained astronomers and a powerful telescope, you can find yourself looking into star clusters, planets and even to other galaxies seventeen million light years away. A new device is soon to be installed at the Explora observatory, which will allow guests to photograph the night skies with their own digital cameras giving guests the perfect souvenir of the clear night sky.Along with star-gazing, two of the most memorable highlights of the Atacama experience are watching the flamingos paddling in the lakes
while the distant mountains change from a dusty red though to purple as the sun sets over the Atacama salt flats. Equally beautiful and photogenic was walking with our guide through the famous Valley of the Moon. Having lived and worked in the area for over 10 years, our guide Javier knew the Valley like it was his back garden. Seeing no one else for 3 hours it felt like we were alone with nothing but sand dunes, salt mountains and the volcanoes over 150 km away on the seemingly-endless horizon. Considering the extreme temperatures and high altitudes, the area seems a particularly harsh and inhospitable living environment for any wildlife. However, once the sun rises and you look closely, there is an abundance of birds and animals. The Andean geese and coots that nest on the frozen lakes high up in the mountains, take their heads out of the ice where they have been buried during the night to keep warm. The viscachas, a small rodent, native to South America and seen predominantly in the Andes, that looks like a rabbit with a long tail can be seen searching for food around the rocky outcrops where they can easily scurry back to hide from potential predators. Vicuñas, the wild and untamed relative of the llama, only live at altitudes above 4000m and as law from poachers now protects them, they are relatively unafraid of passing vehicles so can be spotted close to the roads.Part of the Explora philosophy emphasises that it’s not just the destination that is important, but that the journey getting there is of equal, if not greater interest. After a four hour flight to Punta Arenas and then a five hour drive into Torres del Paine National Park, nowhere is this thinking more true and apparent. Interestingly, Torres del Paine sits on the same latitude south of the equator, as London is north but I cannot imagine anywhere in the UK, let alone London feeling quite so isolated and remote.
The view from the plane as we followed the Andes south from Santiago over the Southern Ice Field was magical. The clouds broke and enormous glaciers, icebergs and frozen lakes emerged below us. Although knowing it would be mid-winter, after three days in the desert, arriving in Punta Arenas, the most southerly city in South America, I was not mentally prepared for snow! Whereas in the Atacama the temperature ranged from –20ºC early in the morning to mid-twenties during the day, Southern Patagonia varied little between –5ºC and 4ºC. In summer, the long road between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales is a three-hour expanse of little but a few scattered estancias and their grazing sheep and cattle but in July, it was a true winter-wonderland and the drive along the frozen road passed quickly. Along the road we saw plenty of wildlife, including the native rhea, South America’s ostrich, falcons, the arctic fox, and the biggest surprise of all was the colonies of flamingos, which looked somehow out of place as they swam across icy lakes.
There is something exciting about arriving at new places by night and by the time we entered the National Park it was dark so could only imagine what would await us the following morning. We were not disappointed. The Salto Chico Explora hotel is perched on the edge of Lake Pehoé and has probably one of the best views of all the hotels within the park over the glistening lake to the Paine Grande Mountain and famous Paine Massif.
There is a very common perception that Patagonia is somewhere off limits in winter but the absence of the biting Patagonian wind means the calm lakes create mirror images of the mountains and landscapes. This lack of icy wind also makes the colder temperatures more manageable! The days are much shorter: the sun rises after 8am and sets by 6pm so the striking colours of the sky can be seen changing without early mornings or late nights. Winter is also the best time to see the infamous puma, as it has to venture further down the mountains to find food than it would do in the summer.For me the biggest advantage of travelling to Patagonia in winter is that there is almost no one else there.
None of the campsites are open for the trekkers wanting to hike the famous ‘W’ around the base of the Torres (Towers) and only a handful of the hotels stay open throughout. Those that do, including Explora, work on a very low capacity so it is quite feasible that on any excursions into the park you won’t come across another person. Obviously the weather conditions do limit some of the activities but there are still plenty of possibilities and there is something incredibly special about horse riding across the snow-covered plains and through frozen streams with the Torres Massif in the background. The most memorable part of the full day trek to the French Valley was walking through snow where the only fresh footprints apart from my own, were that of the puma.In a country as long and narrow as Chile, that has all types of weather and so many different regions geographically, it is impossible to pick the ‘ideal’ season to travel. Traditionally, the high season has been from December to February, the southern hemisphere summer, but more and more people are choosing to travel in Spring, September to November and Autumn, March to May. Winter seems to put people off because it is assumed it will be too cold or wet, and perhaps difficult to travel to particular regions. Whilst this is of course true to specific areas, the Lake District for example can be very wet in winter, what awaits visitors brave enough to venture away from the European summer is a country with incredible contrasts, stunning scenery and the most welcoming hospitality. And most importantly, far less people to spoil the view!
