Destination: Chile

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Chilean Highlights

FOUR WEEKS

Even with four weeks you’ll need your skates on to cover all this ground. Remember you’ll lose whole days in traveling so it pays to be selective and to take advantage of speedy internal flights. If you have less than three weeks, concentrate on one or two regions to avoid frantically hopping between buses and planes.



When time is of the essence many visitors take a whirlwind tour of Chile’s top spots. Starting in Santiago, take a quick trip to Valparaíso or shoot up into the Andes for some winter skiing fun – perhaps at Portillo. Hop on a bus or plane north to the tiny highland village of San Pedro de Atacama. Allow yourself several days to bounce around the surrounding desert altiplano, catch the sun setting at moonlike Valle de la Luna, boil eggs for breakfast in the steaming El Tatio Geysers and spot flamingos in Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos. If you’ve got the energy go mountain biking, horseback-riding or volcano-climbing here too.

Then haul ass south to Pucón in the scenic Lakes District for more outdoor adventures and a smoldering volcano to peer into. From Puerto Montt fit in a quick detour to the culturally unique island of Chiloé; or steam ahead on a four-day ferry ride past the islands, fjords and ice fields of Patagonia, ending up at Puerto Natales. Take your time to explore the spectacular Parque Nacional Torres del Paine – one of the continent’s top hiking destinations. Then if there’s still time, barrel back to Santiago and hop on a plane to Easter Island to relax and puzzle over its archaeological treasures for a week.