The Lonely Planet tour guide chose the Chilean capital as one of the 10 most attractive cities to visit next year. One of the qualities that stands out is the radical change Santiago experienced after the country overcome with optimism some dramatic events that suffered in 2010, as the 8.8 earthquake and the collapse in a mine which trapped underground 33 miners.
“Culture and sports have come to the fore and new museums have opened to acclaim,” announces Lonely Planet. The article also emphasizes the top-notch restaurants, the exciting nightlife and the upcoming “inauguration of the tallest building on the continent, the 70-storey Torre Gran Costanera”.
Another point that stands out is that Santiago de Chile allows a wide variety of excursions: “Day trippers can scale an Andean peak in summer, ski its powder-clad slopes in July, or cycle through the idyllic vineyards of the Casablanca, Maipo and Colchagua valleys”.
Other cities in the top 10 list are London, Cadiz, Stockholm and Hong Kong.
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Usually, people associate snowboard with snow. However, this sport can also take place in the sand, receiving the name of sandboard. People who practice sandboarding say it is a unique experience where the adrenalin is always present, especially when you slide down a 120 meters high dune, located in Death Valley in the Atacama Desert… the driest place in the world! (more…)
If one of your dreams is to sail in the company of dolphins, Chile is the place where you can make it happen.
In the Atacama Region, 114 km from the northeast of La Serena, is Punta de Choros, a little fisherman village whose inhabitants have always lived in communion with the environment, keeping nature almost intact. Its desert landscape contrasts with the blue sea and its white sand beaches will make you feel as if you where in the Caribbean. (more…)
It’s a privilege to enjoy the bounties of the sea in the desert, especially to get cool of the heat of this area… At Pan de Azúcar National Park you can find this and more! Only 20 km from the north of Chañaral, in the Atacama Región, is found 43.000 hectares of this park protected by CONAF -National Forestry Corporation in Chile-, where predominate a lot of kind of cactus, as well as rocks with distinctive forms, mountains and extensive white sand beaches. (more…)
570 kilometers south of Santiago, capital city of Chile, it is located the most southern saltwater lake in the world, right in the Araucanía Region, 90 kilometers southwest of the city of Temuco (regional capital).
More than 100 Mapuche communities, one of the oldest indigenous cultures in the country, inhabit the area. Visitors can share and learn about their traditions and ancestral customs that remain today.
To spread its customs they have developed a tourism project called “Nature and Culture in Ancient Lake Budi”, which aims to present their culture, values, beliefs and way of work to all people interested in knowing something more about their history. In this way they can keep their traditions alive during the course of the years. (more…)
Every year the small town of La Tirana, with no more than 560 inhabitants, is filled with dancing, colorful costumes, singing and joy to celebrate one of the most important religious festivals of Chile. It is located 72 km southeast of Iquique, capital of Tarapacá Region, in Pamapa Tamarugal, and each July 16 gathers around 300,000 visitors that witness the celebration where Virgen del Carmen (Del Carmen Virgin) is venerated.
This religious tradition originates from an ancient legend that tells the story of an Inca princess named Ñusta, who managed to escape, along with a group of Indians, from the conqueror Diego de Almagro. (more…)
Beauty, nature and music make the wonderful city of Frutillar a unique place, located on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, in the Los Lagos Region of Chile.
It is a city full of history, as from 1856 the different German families came to settle in the area, this is why most of Frutillar houses and gardens reflect a strong Germanic influence.
For those who want to know more about the history of Frutillar, the German Colonial Museum houses an important part of its history. In it you’ll find a large collection of objects used at the time, plus a series of wooden buildings that recreate typical construction in those years. Some of the most notable are the water mill, the country house, the bell tower and the blacksmith house.
One of the things that enchants Frutillar visitors, are its incredible landscapes. (more…)
Valdivia is the capital of the Los Rios Region (The rivers) and is located 841 kilometers south of Santiago. It is the only navigable city of Chile, located at the confluence of the rivers Calle Calle, Valdivia, Cau-Cau and Cruces.
It is not rare to walk through the River Market in Valdivia, beside the Calle Calle River, and find a group of sea lions sunning or moving a few meters from the people. It is a true reflection of how the city is able to coexist with nature, as is also surrounded by ancient rainforests with species such as Myrtle, the Nostro and Coihue. (more…)
According to a recent ranking by the prestigious American newspaper The New York Times, Santiago was chosen as the best destination worldwide, for year 2011. The list includes 41 cities and places from around the world, pointing out Santiago because of its high economic growth, its varied calendar of concerts and art exhibits and its large recovery after the earthquake of February 2010.
The Chilean capital is in an ongoing tourist expansion as in the past years a series of luxury modern and elegant hotels have been built. (more…)
Fights between pirates and natives; hidden treasures and souls in torment are some of the stories that surround Mocha Island. The Lafkenches, the Mapuche native tribe, called the island with the name of Amuchura, which means “the resurrection of souls.” According to their beliefs, the souls left the continent and traveled to the island as a prelude to eternity. (more…)
