Squeezed between the Pacific ocean and the long Andes chain, Chile is an implausible ribbon rather than a country. Rarely more than 180 kms wide, the country stretches over 4,000 km and covers an amazing wealth of stunning landscapes: from the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world, to the glaciers and ice fields of Patagonia.

Between these poles lie exquisite beaches, fertile valleys with orchards and vineyards, vast temperate forests, shimmering emerald lakes, incredible fjords, barren Patagonian steppes, and the rugged Andes, with glacial peaks and smouldering volcanoes. Much of this is relatively uninhabited, making the country a marvellous place for the nature lover, trekker and outdoors person.

To this should be added mysterious Easter Island, far out in the Pacific, with its huge stone ocean-looking statues that still baffle the experts.

Lake District An attractive region of dense forest, farmland and clear lakes at the foot of stunning snowcapped volcanoes. Many national parks protect spectacular wilderness scenery and offer hiking trails and numerous volcanic hot springs to relax.. more details

Torres del Paine, Chile's most famous attraction, in southern Patagonia, a spectacular mountain range of awesome near-vertical granite needles that thrust more than 2km into the sky, amidst an untouched wilderness of lakes, glaciers, and pristine forests. A heaven for walkers, nature lovers and mountaineers. more details

Atacama Desert The driest desert in the world, a desolate plain that contains areas where no rain has ever been recorded, also has breathtaking moonscape scenery, geysers, ancient petroglyphs, ruins, and abandoned mining towns. Attractive oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama, with its colonial church and adobe houses, is a great base to explore the area, including a trip to the other-worldly scenery of altiplano lakes and volcanoes over 4,000m high close to the Argentina border. more details

Chiloe An isolated peaceful archipelago just south of the Lake District famous for traditional culture and rich folklore. The sheltered east coast is dotted with farming and fishing villages, with colourful wooden churches and houses built on stilts, while the windswept west coast is covered with dense forest. more details
 
Carretera Austral The Southern Highway, extending over a thousand kilometres south of  Puerto Montt, is one of the most breathtaking roads in Latin America. It passes through vast expanses of pristine wilderness, between snowcapped mountains, narrow fjords, glaciers, emerald rivers and temperate rainforest. more details

Laguna San Rafael One of the most spectacular sights in Chile. The iceberg-filled lake, the heart of a huge national park of ice fields with soaring mountain peaks, pristine forests and glacial lakes, is an excellent spot to see sea lions, albatrosses, penguins and other marine wildlife. Reached by a marvellous 200km boat journey through a maze of fjords. more details

The Central Valley Chile’s rich agricultural heartland stretching 400km south of Santiago, with orchards, vineyards, colonial haciendas, quiet villages, and a traditional rural culture. more details

Easter Island (Rapa Nui), One of the world’s remotest places, almost four thousand km west of Chile, home to the incredible and still mysterious huge, ancient monolithic stone statues left by an enigmatic prehistoric cultures. more details

Valparaiso  Chile’s main port, full of character, and with a maze of cobbled streets lined with quaint gaily painted houses that cover the steep hillside down to the seashore. The coast around Valparaiso has endless bays with attractive white sand beaches and resort towns, the best known being upmarket Vina del Mar.

Skiing Probably the best skiing in South America, with incredible powder snow on the high-altitude slopes. The season is from June to September, and the best slopes and are close to Santiago.