Santiago
Chile's rapidly evolving capital city boasts a vibrant eating out and nightlife scene, several fascinating museums, numerous cultural pursuits and a selection of excellent places to stay.
- The wedge-shaped Centro is the oldest part of Santiago, and the busiest, bounded by the Río Mapocho and Parque Forestal in the north, the Vía Norte Sur in the west, and Av General O’Higgins (the Alameda) in the south.
- North and east of the center is Barrio Bellavista, with Cerro San Cristóbal (Parque Metropolitano).
- To the west is Barrio Brasil, the bohemian enclave of the city.
- At the tip of this triangle and extending east are the wealthy comunas (sectors) of Providencia and Las Condes, accessed via the Alameda.
- Nuñoa is a residential neighbourhood south of Providencia.
- Barrios Lastarria & Bellas Artes are home to three of the city’s best museums and the center of Santiago café culture, these postcard-pretty neighbourhoods are Santiago’s twin hubs of hip.
- Las Condes, Barrio El Golf & Vitacura's boasts glittering skyscrapers, security-heavy apartment blocks, American chain restaurants and spanking-new malls: these neighbourhoods are determined to be the international face of Chile’s phenomenal economic growth.
- Barrio Recoleta bustlles with Korean eateries, a happening marketplace overflowing with ripe fruit, a colourful jumble of street vendors – this burgeoning barrio is just a slight detour off the beaten path.
SANTIAGO IN…
Two Days:
Start at the bustling Plaza de Armas. Peer into the old train-station-turned-cultural-center Estación Mapocho, or have a coffee and check out contemporary art and fair-trade crafts at the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda. Have a seafood lunch at the Mercado Central, then hike up Cerro Santa Lucía to see the city from above. Head to Bellavista for a classic Chilean dinner at Galindo. On your second day, tour Pablo Neruda’s house, La Chascona, then ride the funicular to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal. After an excellent seafood lunch at quirky Peluquería Francesa, check out the cultural calendar and bookstore at Centro Gabriela Mistral. Later, have a rica rica sour (pisco sour with desert herbs) at Opera Catedral (www.operacatedral.cl).
Four Days:
On your third day, go hiking in the Cajón del Maipo or taste-test local varietals at a winery. Spend your fourth day admiring street art in Barrio Brasil, stopping for steaks at Las Vacas Gordas. Toast your stay in Santiago with dinner and drinks at Providencia’s Liguria.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Valparaíso
One of South America's most enchanting cities, Valparaíso has a tangle of colourful houses, cobbled streets and bohemian hang-outs spread across a series of undulating hills overlooking the Pacific. Poets, painters and would-be philosophers have long been drawn to this frenetic port city. Along with the ever-shifting population of sailors, dockworkers and sex workers, they’ve endowed gritty and gloriously spontaneous Valparaíso with an edgy air of ‘anything goes.’ Add to this the spectacular faded beauty of its chaotic cerros (hills), some of the best street art in Latin America, and a maze of steep, sinuous streets, alleys and escaleras (stairways) piled high with crumbling mansions, and it’s clear why some visitors are spending more time here than in Santiago.
Wandering through Valpo’s streets admiring its murals and architecture is one of the city’s best activities. Don’t miss a trip or two on one of the six rattling ascensores (funiculars), built between 1883 and 1916, that crank you up into the hills and meandering back alleys (several more are currently being repaired). Beach lovers should head north to Viña and Zapallar.
- El Plan & El Puerto is Valparaíso’s flat commercial zone. El Plan, isn’t as atmospheric as the hills that rise above it, but it contains a few monuments.
- Artists and writers have long favoured the quiet residential hill neighbourhood of Cerro Bellavista; today a steady stream of hotels and eateries are opening in the area.
- Cerro Artillería provides for clear views out over the sea - which made this southwestern hill a strategic defence spot.
TOP FIVE VIEWPOINTS:
- Paseo 21 de Mayo on Cerro Artillería to survey the cranes and containers of the port.
- Plaza Bismark on Cerro Cárcel for a panoramic take of the bay.
- Mirador Diego Portales (top of Ascensor Barón, Cerro Barón) on - Cerro Barón for a sweeping perspective of Valpo’s colourful house-cluttered central views.
- The viewpoint at the end of Calle Merlet on Cerro Cordillera to see the rusting roofs of Barrio El Puerto (www.barriopuertovalparaiso.cl) and the civic buildings of Plaza Sotomayor from above.
- Paseo Atkinson on Cerro Concepción for views of typical Valpo houses during the day, and a twinkling sea of lights on the hills at night.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Isla Negra
The spectacular setting on a windswept ocean headland makes it easy to understand why Casa de Isla Negra (www.fundacionneruda.org) was Pablo Neruda’s favourite house. Built by the poet when he became rich in the 1950s, it was stormed by soldiers just days after the 1973 military coup when Neruda was dying of cancer. The house includes extraordinary collections of bowsprits, ships in bottles, nautical instruments and wood carvings. Neruda’s tomb is also here, alongside that of his third wife, Matilde. (Note that despite the name, Isla Negra is not an island.)
Isla Negra is an easy half-day trip from Valparaíso.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#e32c31"}

Viña del Mar
Clean and orderly Viña del Mar is a sharp contrast to the charming jumble of neighbouring Valparaíso. Manicured boulevards lined with palm trees, stately palaces, a sprawling public beach and beautiful expansive parks have earned it the nickname of Ciudad Jardín (Garden City). Its official name, which means ‘Vineyard by the Sea,’ stems from the area’s colonial origins as the hacienda of the Carrera family. Not many foreign travellers stay here, opting instead for a day trip from Valparaíso. Nevertheless, Viña remains a popular weekend and summer destination for well-to-do Santiaguinos – and the carrete (partying) here is first rate.
North of Viña del Mar, a beautiful road snakes along the coast, passing through a string of beach towns that hum with holidaying Chileans from December to February. Towering condos overlook some, while others are scattered with rustic cottages and the huge summer houses of Chile’s rich and famous.
- Come to Reñaca, just north of Viña, for a sunset hike with incredible views on Roca Oceanica, a rocky hill looking out over the Pacific.
- Continue to Concón, 15km from Viña, for its unpretentious seafood restaurants.
- Further north, Horcón was Chile’s first hippie haven. Brightly painted, ramshackle buildings clutter the steep main road down to its small, rocky beach where fishing boats come and go. These days there’s still a hint of peace, love and communal living – note the happy-go-lucky folks gathering on the beach at sunset with dogs, guitars and bottles of liquor in paper bags.

La Serena
Blessed with neo-colonial architecture, shady streets and golden shores, peaceful La Serena turns trendy beach resort come summer. Founded in 1544, Chile’s second-oldest city is a short jaunt from character-laden villages, sun-soaked pisco vineyards and international observatories for stargazing. Nearby Coquimbo is more rough-and-tumble, but lives and breathes a hearty nightlife.
Excursions in the region range from national-park visits to night-time astronomical trips and pisco-tasting tours. Agencies in town offer full-day trips through the Elqui Valley, boat trips in the Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt and night-time stargazing in the valley’s observatories.

Vicuña
Just 62km east of La Serena, the town, with its low-key plaza, lyrical air and compact dwellings, is worth a visit for a day or two before you head out into the countryside to indulge in fresh avocados and papayas – not to mention the famous grapes that are distilled into pisco.
Take advantage of some of the clearest skies in Chile while in the Elqui Valley and look at the universe through some of the world's most powerful telescopes.

Pisco Elqui
Renamed to publicize the area’s most famous product, the former village of La Unión is a laid-back hideaway in the upper drainage area of the Río Claro, a tributary of the Elqui. It has become the area’s most popular backpacker draw in recent years, and while it can get overcrowded, it’s well worth a couple of days’ stay.
The star attraction in Pisco Elqui is the Distileria Pisco Mistral (http://www.destileriapiscomistral.cl), which produces the premium Mistral brand of pisco. The hour-long ‘museum’ tour gives you glimpses of the distillation process and includes a free tasting of two piscos and a drink at the adjacent restaurant, which hosts occasional live music.
Take advantage of some of the clearest skies in Chile while in the Elqui Valley and look at the universe through some of the world's most powerful telescopes.

Copiapó
Welcoming Copiapó has little to hold travellers, but it does offer a handy base for the remote mountains bordering Argentina, especially the breath-taking Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces, Laguna Verde and Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world. The discovery of silver at nearby Chañarcillo in 1832 provided Copiapó with several firsts, including Chile’s first railroad, telegraph and telephone lines.

Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces
This hard-to-reach park, has all the rugged beauty and a fraction of the tourists of more famous high-altitude parks further north. Quite apart from pristine peaks and first-rate climbing challenges, the park shields some wonderful wildlife: flamingos in summer, large herds of vicuñas and guanacos, giant and horned coots and even the occasional condor and puma. Located just outside the park boundaries, 6893m Ojos del Salado is Chile’s highest peak, a mere 69m short of Argentina’s Aconcagua, the continent’s highest and the world’s highest active volcano.
It’s easy to get lost on your way to the national park, and there is no public transportation; consider taking a tour from Copiapó.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Bahia Inglesa
With rocky outcrops jutting out of turquoise waters and a long white-sand beach, this sweet seaside resort offers ideal beachside frolicking. The name originates from the British pirates who anchored here in the 17th century. Today, it’s one of the north’s most popular vacation spots, hectic in summer and mellow (and much cheaper) in the off season. There’s a cool Mediterranean feel and a lovely beachfront promenade. Locally harvested scallops, oysters and seaweed sweeten the culinary offerings.
From Copiapó, bus first to Caldera (one hour). From Caldera’s bus terminal and main square, fast colectivos run to Bahía Inglesa (10 minutes).

Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar
he cold Humboldt Current flows up the desert coastline, bringing with it its peppy namesake penguin and abundant marine life. The worthwhile 440-sq-km Pan de Azúcar includes white-sand beaches, sheltered coves, stony headlands and cactus-covered hills.
Hired boats cruise around Isla Pan de Azúcar to view its 2000 Humboldt penguins, as well as cormorants, gulls, otters and sea lions.
Pan de Azúcar is 30km north of Chañaral via a well-maintained paved road. Most people reach it by tour or transfer from Caldera/Bahía Inglesa or Copiapó.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Antofagasta
The largest city in the Atacama, a rough-and-ready jumble of one-way streets, modern mall culture and work-wearied urbanites, is low on travellers’ lists. Founded in 1870, the city earned its importance by offering the easiest route to the interior.
Nitrate-mining heydays left their mark with Victorian and Georgian buildings in the Barrio Histórico between the plaza and old port. The British-influenced Plaza Colón features Big Ben replica Torre Reloj. Sea lions circle Antofagasta’s busy fish market Terminal Pesquero.
The oft-photographed national icon La Portada is a gorgeous natural arch located offshore, 22km north of Antofagasta.

Calama
Calama's existence is inextricably tied to the colossal Chuquicamata mine - the town is a powerhouse - pumping truckloads of copper money into the Chilean economy each year.. For travellers, this murky city makes a quick stopover before San Pedro de Atacama. With inflated service prices and schops con piernas (like cafés con piernas, but with beer) it clearly caters to miners.

Chuquicamata
Slag heaps as big as mountains, a chasm deeper than the deepest lake in the USA, and trucks the size of houses: these are some of the mind-boggling dimensions that bring visitors to gawk into the mine of Chuquicamata (or ‘Chuqui’). This awesome abyss, gouged from the desert earth 16km north of Calama, is one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines. The mine, which employs 20,000 workers, spews up a perpetual plume of dust visible for many miles in the cloudless desert. The elliptical pit measures an incredible 8 million sq meters and has a depth of up to 1250m.

San Pedro de Atacama
It is said that the high quantities of quartz and copper in the region gives its people positive energy, and the good vibes of northern Chile’s number-one tourist draw, San Pedro de Atacama, are sky high. The popularity of this adobe precordillera oasis stems from its position in the heart of some of northern Chile’s most spectacular scenery. A short drive away lies the country’s largest salt flat, its edges crinkled by volcanoes (symmetrical Licancábur, at 5916m, looms closest to the village). Here too are fields of steaming geysers, a host of otherworldly rock formations and weird layer-cake landscapes.
San Pedro itself, 106km southeast of Calama via paved Chile 23, is quite small, but it attracts hordes of travellers. Despite the high prices and tourist-agency touts, there’s undeniable allure to this desert village with its picturesque adobe streets, laid-back residents and music-filled eateries.
POPULAR ATTRACTIONS
- The crumbly 12th-century ruins of fortress Pukará de Quitor, 3.5km northwest of town and accessible by rental bike, afford great views of town and the oasis expanse. Another 3km on the right, Quebrada del Diablo (Devil’s Gorge) offers a serpentine single track that mountain bikers dream of.
- At 4300m above sea level, the famous El Tatio (95km north of town) is the world’s highest geyser field. Visiting at dawn is like walking through a gigantic steam bath, ringed by volcanoes and fed by 64 gurgling geysers and a hundred gassy fumaroles striking against the azure clarity of the altiplano. Swirling columns of steam envelop onlookers in a Dantesque vision, and the soundtrack of bubbling, spurting and hissing sounds like a field of merrily boiling kettles. As dawn wears on, shafts of sunlight crown the surrounding volcanoes and illuminate the writhing steam. Dress in layers: it’s extremely cold at dawn.
- Watching the sun set from the exquisite Valle de la Luna is an unforgettable experience. As you sit atop a giant sand dune, panting from exertion, a beautiful transformation occurs: the distant ring of volcanoes, rippling Cordillera de la Sal and surreal lunar landscapes of the valley are suddenly suffused with intense purples, pinks and golds. The ‘Valley of the Moon’ is named after its lunar-like landforms, eroded by eons of floods and wind. It’s 15km west of San Pedro at the northern end of the Cordillera de la Sal.
- The jagged crust of the Salar de Atacama looks for all the world like god went crazy with a stippling brush. But in the midst of these rough lifeless crystals is an oasis of activity: the pungent Laguna Chaxa (CH$2500; h8am-8pm), 67km south of town is home to three species of flamingo (James, Chilean and Andean), as well as plovers, coots and ducks.
- The volcanic hot springs of Termas de Puritama (https://termasdepuritama.cl), 30km northeast of town, are accessible by taxi or tour. The temperature of the springs is about 91°F (33°C), and there are several falls and pools.

ALMA Radio Telescope
The flats of Chajnantor plateau, at 5000m altitude 40km east of San Pedro de Atacama, host the most ambitious radio telescope the world has ever seen. The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA; meaning ‘soul’ in Spanish) consists of 66 enormous antennae, most with a diameter of around 12m. This field of interstellar ‘ears’ simulates a telescope an astonishing 16km in diameter, making it possible to pick up objects in space as much as 100 times fainter than those previously detected.
Contact the ALMA Visitor Center to visit. It’s free but guest numbers are limited; register online. A free shuttle from Tumisa near Ave Pedro de Valdivia provides transportation to the facility, leaving at 9am and returning at 1pm Saturday and Sunday.
ALMA is just one of northern Chile’s cutting-edge astronomical facilities. Climatic conditions in the Atacama Desert make it an ideal location for stargazing. This is not only thanks to cloudless desert nights, but also the predictable winds that blow steadily in from the Pacific Ocean, causing minimal turbulence – a crucial requirement for observatories to achieve optimal image quality.

Iquique
Jutting into the sea and backed by the tawny coastal range, Iquique sits like a stage. And, in fact, the city is no stranger to drama. It first lived off guano reserves, grew lavish with 19th-century nitrate riches, then lost momentum, and now stakes its future on commerce and tourism, manifested in the duty-free mega-zone, the sparkly glitz of the casino and ubiquitous beach resort development. The real gems of this coastal city are the remainders of lovely Georgian-style architecture, Baquedano’s fanciful wooden sidewalks, thermal winds and a ripping good surf.
Iquique’s most popular beach - Playa Cavancha - is worth visiting for swimming and body-boarding. Surfing and body-boarding are best in winter, when swells come from the north, but are possible year-round. There’s less competition for early-morning breaks at the north end of Playa Cavancha.
Ghost towns punctuate the desert as you travel inland from Iquique; they’re eerie remnants of once-flourishing mining colonies that gathered the Atacama’s white gold – nitrate. Along the way, pre-Hispanic geoglyphs recall the presence of humans centuries before. Further inland the barren landscape yields up several picturesque hot-spring villages.
- If you only see one attraction outside Iquique, make it Humberstone (http://www.museodelsalitre.cl/) , 45km east of the city. With the spark of the nitrate boom long gone, the ghost town remains a creepy shell. Built in 1872, the town’s opulence reached its height in the 1940s: the theatre drew Santiago-based performers, workers lounged about the massive cast-iron pool moulded from a scavenged shipwreck, and amenities still foreign to most small towns abounded. The development of synthetic nitrates forced the closure of the oficina by 1960. Today some buildings are restored, but others are unstable; explore them carefully. A Unesco World Heritage site, it makes its list of endangered sites for the fragility of the existing constructions. The skeletal remains of Oficina Santa Laura are a half-hour walk southwest. To get to Humberstone, catch a colectivo for Pozo Almonte from the eastern side of Iquique’s Mercado Centenario. To return, stand at the bus stop outside the entrance of Humberstone and flag down any bus marked ‘Iquique’.
- The whopping pre-Columbian geoglyph El Gigante de Atacama (Giant of the Atacama), 14km east of Huara on the slopes of Cerro Unita is, at 86m, the world’s largest archaeological representation of a human figure. Representing a powerful shaman, its blocky head emanates rays and its thin limbs clutch an arrow and medicine bag. Experts date it to around AD 900. The best views are from several hundred meters back at the base of the hill. To visit, go in a taxi or on a tour.
- Amid Atacama’s desolate pampas you’ll find straggly groves of resilient tamarugo (Prosopis tamarugo) lining the Panamericana south of Pozo Almonte. The forest once covered thousands of square kilometers until clear-cutting for the mines nearly destroyed it. The trees are protected within the Reserva Nacional Pampa del Tamarugal, which also features 420 restored geoglyphs of humans, llamas and geometric shapes blanketing the hillside at Pintados. A derelict nitrate railyard of ruined buildings and rusting rolling stock, the site lies 4.5km west of the Panamericana via a gravel road, nearly opposite the eastward turnoff to Pica.
- The oasis of Pica is a green-hued patch on a dusty canvas, 113km southeast of Iquique. Its fame hails from its pica limes, the key ingredient of the tart and tasty pisco sour. Day-trippers can enjoy splashing around the freshwater pool, Cocha Resbaladero, fresh fruit drink in hand.
- Mamiña, 125km east of Iquique (not on the same road to Pica) is a terraced town with thermal baths, a 17th-century church and a pre-Columbian fortress, Pukará del Cerro Inca. The village huddles into upper and lower sectors, the former clustered around the rocky outcrop where the 1632 Iglesia de San Marcos stands, while the latter lies low in the valley, near the hot springs.

Arica
The pace of Arica is simply delightful. It’s warm and sunny year-round, there’s a cool pedestrian mall to wander around come sunset, and decent brown-sugar beaches are just a short walk from the town center. Top this off with some kick-ass surf breaks and a cool cliff-top War of the Pacific battlefield at El Morro, and you may just stay another day or two before you head up to nearby Parque Nacional Lauca or take an afternoon off from ‘beach duty’ to visit the Azapa Valley, home to some of the world’s oldest-known mummies.
- One part of the old rail line that linked Arica with La Paz, Bolivia, has been restored, allowing you to ride a tourist train that runs once a week between Arica and the Lluta Valley town of Poconchile, some 37km to the northeast. The 1950s vintage train cars currently depart Saturdays at 10:30am and arrive back in Arica at 3:30pm, after a one-hour stop in Poconchile.
The train departs from the station in Chinchorro, about 3km northeast of the center. Call ahead or confirm with the tourist office that the train is running. Outside high season (December to mid-March) it tends to run only twice a month. (http://trenturistico.fcalp.cl)

Parque Nacional Lauca
At woozy heights with snow-dusted volcanoes, remote hot springs and glimmering lakes, Lauca, 160km northeast of Arica, is an absolute treasure. Herds of vicuña, viscachas (rabbit-like rodents) and bird species including flamingos, giant coots and Andean gulls inhabit the park (1380 sq km; altitude 3000m to 6300m) alongside impressive cultural and archaeological landmarks.
Lauca’s crown jewel, the glittering Lago Chungará (4517m above sea level), is a shallow body of water formed by lava flows damming the snowmelt stream from Volcán Parinacota (6350m), a beautiful snow-capped cone that rises immediately to the north. Laguna Cotacotani has been partially drained by the national electricity company but you will still see diverse birdlife along its shores and scattered groves of queñoa, one of the world’s highest-elevation trees. Wander around beautiful Parinacota, a tiny Aymara village of whitewashed adobe and stone streets. If you’re lucky, the guide will procure the key for the town’s undisputed gem, its 17th-century colonial church, reconstructed in 1789.
At the park’s western entrance, Las Cuevas has a viewing point marked by a sculpture resembling zampoña (panpipes) balanced on a garish staircase. Some tours include a quick dip in Termas Jurasi, a pretty cluster of thermal and mud baths huddled amid rocky scenery, 11km northeast of Putre.
Many tour agencies offer one-day blitzes from sea-level Arica – a sure-fire method to get soroche (altitude sickness). These tours leave around 7:30am and return about 8:30pm. It is common to become very sick when ascending to high altitudes without proper acclimatization. Avoid overeating, smoking and alcohol consumption the day before and while on tour.
Tours that include at least a night in Putre are a wiser option, allowing more time to acclimatize. If you are renting a car, or have your own, carry extra fuel and anti-freeze.
maphub-meta:{"marker-color": "#3cc954"}

Laguna San Rafael National Park
Home of the San Rafael Glacier. Take a boat trip to the ice-filled lagoon that is Chile's fastest shrinking glacier and get close to the ice in a Zodiac speedboat.

Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island is the main island in the remote Juan Fernández Archipelago and national park, off the Chilean coast. It’s known for its dive sites and native wildlife such as firecrown hummingbirds and fur seals. On the northern side is the fishing village of San Juan Bautista. Nearby, political prisoners were once held at the Cave of the Patriots.

Pichilemu
Chile’s unofficial surf capital, Pichilemu, you will find wave warriors brave the icy waters year-round, while mere beach-going mortals fill its long black sands December through March. Pichilemu’s laid-back vibe and great waves make it easy to see why it’s so popular with visiting board-riders. The westernmost part of ‘Pichi’ juts out into the sea, forming La Puntilla, the closest surfing spot to town.

Santa Cruz
With around 20 wineries open to the public, the Colchagua Valley is Chile’s biggest and best-established wine region. Its deep loamy soils, abundant water, dry air, bright sunshine and cool nights nurture some of the country’s best reds. Many travellers who come here to taste wine book hotel rooms in Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz is ground zero of Chile’s winemaking and wine-touring scene is a fairly sleepy place with a picturesque main square. The place perks up during the lively Fiesta de la Vendimia de Colchagua (Plaza de Armas; March), celebrating the grape harvest.

Curicó
Attracting visitors interested in local vineyards and the exquisite Reserva Nacional Radal Siete Tazas, Curicó is a laid-back city, best known for its postcard-perfect Plaza de Armas, complete with monkey-puzzle trees and palms, a striking early-20th-century wrought-iron bandstand, and a wooden statue of the Mapuche chief Toqui Lautaro. Very sadly, up to 90% of the older buildings in Curicó’s historic center fell in the February 2010 earthquake.
Curicó bursts into life for the Fiesta de la Vendimia de Curicó (Wine Harvest Festival; http://vendimiachile.cl; Plaza de Armas; March), celebrating the wine harvest.

Talca
he Maule Valley, a hugely significant wine-producing region for Chile, is responsible for much of the country’s export wine. The specialty here is full-bodied cabernet sauvignon, though intriguing bottles of old-vine Carignan and País are the real stars.
Many visitors use Talca as a base for exploring the wineries and the nearby Reserva Nacional Altos de Lircay. Ask for the free Región del Maule booklet at Sernatur in Talca for great information (in English) on recommended treks, local tips and a guide to regional flora and fauna.
Founded in 1690, Talca is steeped in history; Chile’s 1818 declaration of independence was signed here. These days, it’s mainly known as a convenient base for exploring the gorgeous Reserva Nacional Altos de Lircay and the Maule Valley wine country. You’ll find a decent range of traveller’s services, including dining and lodging options, plus lovely views of the Andes when you’re strolling down the sun-baked pedestrian thoroughfare at noon.

Nevados de Chillán Ski Center
The southern slopes of the 3122m Volcán Chillán are the stunning setting of the Nevados de Chillán Ski Center (http://www.nevadosdechillan.com/) . With 40 runs, superlatives abound here: it has the longest piste in South America (13km Las Tres Marías), the longest chairlift and some of the biggest and best off-piste offerings. Hikers come out on summer weekends, but it’s quiet on a weekday in the off season – bring your own picnic and don’t count on hotels being open. Bring cash from Chillán.

Concepcio
Concepción is an important port city known for its universities and musical acts (many of Chile’s best rock groups got their start here). There’s an energetic, youthful and left-leaning arts, music and culture scene. ‘Conce’ sits on the northern bank of the Río Biobío, Chile’s only significant navigable waterway. The metropolis seems to go on forever, with an estimated 950,000 people living in the greater area.

Los Ángeles
A useful base for visiting Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja, Los Ángeles is an otherwise unprepossessing agricultural and industrial service center 110km south of Chillán.
Unless you really need to catch an early morning bus from here, rural guesthouses just out of town make for a more pleasant stay. I

Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja
The sparkling centrepiece of Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja is the towering snow cone of Volcán Antuco (2985m).
A fantastic trek, Sendero Sierra Velluda, circles its skirt, taking three days, or you can go for a day hike to get a taste of the action.

Temuco
With its leafy, palm-filled plaza, its pleasant Mercado Municipal and its intrinsic link to Mapuche culture, Temuco is the most palatable of Sur Chico’s blue-collar cities to visit. The city is the former home of Pablo Neruda, one of most influential poets of the 20th century, who once called it the Wild West. Although it’s not a high-value destination in itself, most folks do spend some time here if for no other reason than transport logistics.

Parque Nacional Conguillío
A Unesco Biosphere Reserve, Parque Nacional Conguillío protects the lovely araucaria and also shelters more than 600 sq km of alpine lakes, deep canyons and native forest. It includes a tiny ski area, but its centerpiece is the smoldering Volcán Llaima (3125m), which last erupted on New Year’s Day, 2008.
To see solid stands of monkey-puzzle trees, hike the superb Sierra Nevada trail (7km, three hours one-way), which leaves from the parking lot at Playa Linda. The Cañadon Truful-Truful trail (0.8km, 30 minutes) passes through the canyon, where the colorful strata, exposed by the rushing waters of Río Truful-Truful, are a record of Llaima’s numerous eruptions.

Villarrica
Unlike Pucón, its neighbour across windswept Lago Villarrica, Villarrica is a real living and breathing Chilean town. While not as charming, it’s more down-to-earth than Pucón, lacks the bedlam associated with package-tour caravans, and has more reasonable prices and a faded-resort glory that attracts travellers of a certain lax disposition.
The newish costanera (lakeshore boardwalk), a post-2010 Concepción earthquake project, is impressive and they have done a fine job with the new artificial black-sand beach, Chile’s first (the city’s main street, Aviador Acevedo, also received a 2017 makeover). Considering you can book all the same activities here as in Pucón, it makes for an agreeable alternative for those seeking less in-your-face tourism and a more culturally appropriate experience.

Pucón
Pucón is firmly positioned on the global map as a center for adventure sports; its setting on beautiful Lago Villarrica under the smoldering eye of the volcano of the same name seals its status as a world-class destination for adrenaline junkies. Once a summer playground for the rich, Pucón is now a year-round adventure machine catering to all incomes, especially in February (a time to avoid, if possible), when it is absolutely overrun. The town receives alternating floods of package tourists, Santiago holidaymakers, novice Brazilian snowboarders, adventure-seeking backpackers, new-age spiritualists and mellowed-out ex-activists turned eco-pioneers.
While its popularity can be off-putting for some, Pucón boasts the best small-town tourism infrastructure south of Costa Rica. That means quality accommodations, efficient tourism agencies, hundreds of activities and excursions, vegetarian restaurants, falafel, microbrews and hundreds of expat residents from the world over.
Summiting Volcán Villarrica is far and away the number-one excursion in Pucón, but it’s not without its risks. Volcano ascensions were suspended in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic fireworks show put on by Pucón’s definitive landmark on March 3, 2015. Around 3am, Villarrica briefly roared to life, spitting lava spectacularly up to 3km skyward for all the town to see.

Curarrehue
East of Pucón, the Camino Pucón–Huife cuts through a lush valley hosting myriad hot springs, a nature sanctuary and views of the silver ribbon Río Liucura.
The Mapuche stronghold of Curarrehue, 40km west of the Argentine border, isn’t much to look at, but it has begun a slow rise to fame for its Mapuche cultural museum and wealth of etnoturismo opportunities. The small pueblo – and its fancy new Plaza de Armas – counts 80% of the population as Mapuche and is the last town of note before the Paso de Mamuil Malal (Paso Tromen) border with Argentina.

Parque Nacional Huerquehue
Rushing rivers, waterfalls, monkey-puzzle trees and alpine lakes adorn the 125-sq-km Parque Nacional Huerquehue, only 35km from Pucón.
The Los Lagos trail (7km, four hours round-trip) switchbacks through dense lenga forests to monkey-puzzle trees surrounding a cluster of pristine lakes. Cerro San Sebastián (16km, seven hours round-trip) is considered the best trek in all of La Araucanía. From the park entrance, climb from 700m to 2000m. From the top, on a clear day, you can see eight volcanoes and 14 lagoons.

Parque Nacional Villarrica
This glorious spread of volcanoes and lakes is one of Chile’s most popular parks. The highlights of the 630-sq-km park are the three volcanoes: 2847m Villarrica, 2360m Quetrupillán and, along the Argentine border, a section of 3747m Lanín.

Lago Calafquén
Black-sand beaches and gardens draw tourists to this island-studded lake, to fashionable Lican Ray (30km south of Villarrica) and the more down-to-earth Coñaripe (22km east of Lican Ray). Out of season, it’s dead. Lican Ray is tiny, with campgrounds surrounding the town. In Coñaripe, look for a friendly tourist kiosk on the main square. The road heading north of Coñaripe leads to a number of hot springs.

Valdivia
Valdivia was crowned the capital of Chile’s second newest region, Región XIV (Los Ríos), in 2007, after years of defection talk surrounding its inclusion in the Lakes District despite its geographical, historical and cultural differences. It is the most important university town in southern Chile and, as such, offers a strong emphasis on the arts, student prices at many hostels, cafes, restaurants and bars, southern Chile’s best craft-beer culture and a refreshing dose of youthful energy and German effervescence.
Av Costanera Arturo Prat is a major focus of activity, but the most important public buildings are on Plaza de la República.

Osorno
Osorno is a bustling place and the commercial engine for the surrounding agricultural zone. Though it’s an important transportation hub on the route between Puerto Montt and Santiago and the Huilliche communities of the Osorno coast, most visitors spend little time here, despite evidence of a blossoming hipsterdom– once a town in dire need of quality eats and drinks, Osorno now harbours a handful of cool cafes, good restaurants and quality bars that could distract you for a day or two if necessary.

Parque Nacional Puyehue
Volcán Puyehue (2240m) blew its top the day after the 1960 earthquake, turning its dense, humid evergreen forest into a stark landscape of sand dunes and lava rivers. In 2011, nearby Cordon Caulle erupted, sending ash as far as Buenos Aires. Today, Parque Nacional Puyehue protects 1070 sq km of this cool, contrasting environment.
Access the free Pocitos Termas about 80m across the Colgante bridge from the Conaf parking lot.
Trails abound at Anticura, 17km northwest of the Aguas Calientes turnoff. Pleasant, short walks lead to a lookout and Salto del Indio waterfall. The private El Caulle, 2km west of Anticura, accesses the southern entrance for the Puyehue Traverse, an iconic three- to four-day hike.

The Indigenous Coast
The indigenous Huilliche communities of Osorno’s gorgeous coast are sitting on an etnoturismo gold mine and have only started to realize it in the last few years. Fresh off an idea planted by a decade of sustainable tourism research by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), these communities are embracing visitors.
You can immerse yourself in their way of life over multiday trips that involve some of Chile’s most stunning beaches, Valdivian forest treks, and rural homestays around San Juan de la Costa and Territorio Mapa Lahual, an indigenous protected zone that stretches south into Río Negro province and includes Caleta Cóndor, one of Chile’s most stunning off-the-beaten path destinations.
In San Juan de la Costa, a series of five magnificent caletas (bays) are accessible by car and can be visited as day trips from around Osorno for those short on time.
Bahía Mansa, Pucatrihue and Maicolpué are villages where dolphins and sea lions practically swim to shore and women scramble about wild and rugged beaches collecting luga and cochayuyo, two types of seaweed that help fuel the local economy. On either side are the two best caletas, Manzano, 20km north of Bahía Mansa, and Tril-Tril, 7km south of Bahía Mansa.

Frutillar
The mystique of Frutillar is its Germanness, a 19th-century immigrant heritage that the village preserved. To come here is to savor this idea of simpler times, float in the lake, eat home-baked pies and sleep in rooms shaded by lace curtains. For many it is simply too still to linger; for others, it remains a serene alternative to staying in more chaotic Puerto Varas.
The town has two sectors: Frutillar Alto is a no-frills working town, while Bajo fronts the lakes and has all of the tourist attractions.

Puerto Varas
Two snow-capped volcanoes stand sentinel over picturesque Puerto Varas like soldiers of adventure. Just 23km from Puerto Montt but worlds apart in charm, scenery and options for the traveller, Puerto Varas has been touted as the ‘next Pucón.’ There’s great access to water sports here – rafting and sea kayaking in particular – as well as climbing, fishing, hiking and even skiing, making it a top choice for an extended stay.
While it gets packed in summer, it is quiet in winter. Visitors can stroll around town to take in the 19th-century German architecture. In summer, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks are rented on the lake. Grab a city map at the tourist information office, which highlights the Paseo Patrimonial, a suggested walking tour of 10 houses classified as national monuments.

Ensenada
Rustic Ensenada, 45km along a picturesque shore-hugging road from Puerto Varas, is really nothing more than a few restaurants, hospedajes and adventure outfitters, but for those looking for more outdoors and fewer hardwood floors, it’s a nice natural setting in full view of Volcán Osorno and Volcán Calbuco.

Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales
In this park of celestial lakes and soaring volcanoes, Lago Todos Los Santos and Volcán Osorno may be the standouts, but they’re actually just part of a crowd. One lake leads to the next and volcanoes dominate the skyline on all sides of this storied pass through the Andes range.
Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales protects 2510 sq km, including snow-tipped volcanoes Osorno (2652m), Puntiagudo (2190m) and Monte Tronador (3554m). Ruta 225 ends in Petrohué, 50km east of Puerto Varas, where there’s park access.
Minibuses from Puerto Varas are frequent in summer, but limited to twice daily the rest of the year.

Puerto Montt
The capital of the Lakes District, Puerto Montt is also the region’s traffic-choked, fast-growing commercial and transportation hub, with its most redeeming quality its plethora of exit points. Via plane, ferry, bus or rental car, you can get whisked away to a near-endless inventory of memorable locales. Otherwise, travellers have occasionally grown to love the unpolished working-class Chilean atmosphere here.

Ancud
Bustling and weathered, urban Ancud offers an earthy base to explore the penguin colonies and walk or sea kayak the blustery, dazzling north coast.

Castro
Castro is the attractive, idiosyncratic capital of Chiloé. With the last decade’s salmon boom, this working-class town transformed its homespun island offerings with modern mega-supermarkets and boutique hotels. At times loud and boisterous, the capital of the archipelago somehow retains its local Chilote character side by side with a comfortable tourism infrastructure. Located in the dead center of the island, Castro is a perfect base for exploring attractions further afield.
Don’t miss the distinctive palafitos houses, which testify to Castro’s heritage of humble beginnings in 1567. From the street, they resemble any other houses in town, but their backsides jut over the water and, at high tide, serve as piers with boats tethered to the stilts. They’re mostly along Costanera Pedro Montt, north of town.

Dalcahue
Dalcahue, 20km northeast of Castro, has a 19th-century Unesco church, Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores, and a famous crafts fair (Pedro Montt; 9am-6pm Dec-Feb, 9am-5pm Sun Mar-Nov) where you can buy the island’s most authentic arts and crafts – sweaters, socks and hats woven from oveja (wool) and dyed with natural pigments made from roots, leaves and iron-rich mud. It’s best on Sundays.
Midway between Dalcahue and Achao, Curaco de Vélez dates from 1660 and has a treasure of Chilote architecture, plus an outstanding open-air oyster bar at the beach. Buses between Achao and Dalcahue stop in Curaco.

Isla Quinchao
Isla Quinchao, southeast of Dalcahue, is one of the most accessible islands, and worth a day trip. Isla Quinchao’s largest town, Achao, features Chiloé’s oldest church. Wooden pegs, instead of nails, hold together Iglesia Santa María de Loreto.

Parque Nacional Chiloé
Gorgeous, evergreen forests meet taupe stretches of sand and the boundless, thrashing Pacific in this 430-sq-km national park, 54km west of Castro. The park protects diverse birds, Chilote fox and the reclusive pudú (the world’s smallest deer). Visitors are at the mercy of Pacific storms, so expect lots of rain.
Access the park through Cucao, a minute village with growing amenities, and park sector Chanquín, where Conaf runs a visitor center with iformation.

Quellón
A somewhat shabby port town, most travellers only head this way to make ferry connections to Chaitén.

Atacama Desert
Visit erupting geysers, crinkly salt plains and emerald lakes in the morning, and deep, mystical valleys by sunset in the driest desert on earth.

Parque Nacional Pumalín
Verdant and pristine, this 2889-sq-km park encompasses vast extensions of temperate rainforest, clear rivers and seascapes. A remarkable forest-conservation effort, stretching from near Hornopirén to south of Chaitén, Parque Nacional Pumalín attracts international visitors in great numbers.
Created by American philanthropist Doug Tompkins, it was one of the largest private parks in the world prior to its donation to Chile in 2017. For Chile it’s a model park, with well-maintained roads and trails, extensive infrastructure and minimal impact. There’s no entry fee as the park bisects the Carretera Austral and it would be difficult to distinguish the park users from those traveling through. Currently the only way to access some of the isolated northern reaches of the park is by boat. A few Puerto Varas–based operators organize boating and kayaking trips through the fjords and to otherwise-inaccessible hot springs

Futaleufú
The Futaleufú River’s wild, frosty-mint waters have made this modest mountain town famous. A small 20-block grid of pastel painted houses 155km southeast of Chaitén, it’s not just a mecca for kayaking and rafting, it also boasts fly-fishing, hiking and horseback riding. Improved roads and growing numbers of package-tour visitors mean it isn’t off the map anymore – just note the ratio of Teva sandals to woollen mantas. That said, it’s still a fun place to be.

Puyuhuapi
In 1935 four German immigrants settled this remote rainforest outpost, inspired by explorer Hans Steffen’s adventures. The agricultural colony grew with Chilote textile workers, whose skills fed the success of the 1947 German Fábrica de Alfombras, still weaving carpets today.

Parque Nacional Queulat
The 1540-sq-km Parque Nacional Queulat is a wild realm of rivers winding through forests thick with ferns and southern beech. Its steep-sided fjords are flanked by creeping glaciers. From Conaf’s Centro de Información Ambiental (8:30am-5:30pm) there is a 3km hike to a lookout with views of Ventisquero Colgante, a chalk-blue hanging glacier.
Just north of the southern entrance at Pudú (Km170), a damp trail climbs the valley of the Río de las Cascadas through a dense forest to a granite bowl where half a dozen waterfalls drop from hanging glaciers.

Coyhaique
The cow town that kept growing, Coyhaique is the regional hub of rural Aysén, urbane enough to house the latest techie trends, mall fashions and discos. All this is plopped in the middle of an undulating mountain range, with rocky humpback peaks and snowy summits in the backdrop. For the visitor, it’s the launchpad for far-flung adventures, be it fly-fishing, trekking the ice cap or rambling the Carretera Austral to its end. For those fresh from the rainforest wilderness of northern Aysén, it can be a jarring relapse into the world of semitrucks and subdivisions. Rural workers come to join the timber or salmon industries and add to the growing urban mass.
- Lago Elizalde is one of many serene mountain lakes surrounding Coyhaique and great for trout fishing, kayaking or simply time at the beach. It’s just 33km from Coyhaique. Buses depart from the bus terminal.
- Draped in lenga, ñire and coigue, the 21.5-sq-km Reserva Nacional Coyhaique has small lakes and Cerro Cinchao (1361m). The park is 5km from Coyhaique (about 1½ hours on foot), with views of town and Cerro Mackay’s enormous basalt columns in the distance. Take Av General Baquedano north, across the bridge, then go right at the gravel road, a steep climb best accessed by 4WD.

Lago General Carrera
Shared with Argentina (where it’s called Lago Buenos Aires), this massive 2240-sq-km lake is a wind-stirred green-blue sea in the middle of sculpted Patagonian steppe. Its rough and twisty roads dwarf the traveller: you’ll feel like you’re crawling through the landscape. An excellent journey follows the Carretera Austral south from Coyhaique, around the lake’s western border.
Just before reaching Balmaceda from Coyhaique, a right-hand turnoff (the sign points to Cochrane) heads toward Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo. The spires of glacier-bound Cerro Castillo tower over some 1800 sq km of southern-beech forest, an excellent trekking destination.

Valle Chacabuco
18km north of Cochrane, is a reformed estancia (grazing ranch) home to flamingo, guanaco, huemul (endangered Andean deer), puma, viscacha and fox. Conservacion Patagonica, the NGO behind the Patagonia National Park project, began this initiative in 2004. Now dubbed the Serengeti of the Southern Cone, the 690-sq-km Valle Chacabuco features Patagonian steppe, forests, mountains, lakes and lagoons. The park stretches from the Río Baker to the Argentine border. In a private vehicle, it’s possible to cross here at Paso Roballos.

Chile Chico
Gold and silver mines dot the roller-coaster road from Puerto Guadal, ending in Chile Chico, a sunny oasis of wind-pummelled poplars and orchards. From here, buses connect to Los Antiguos and Ruta 40 leading to southern Argentine Patagonia. Reserva Nacional Lago Jeinimeni, 60km away, is a treasure of flamingos and turquoise mountain lagoons. Aside from a few tours, there’s little transportation options.

Villa O’Higgins
Wild stretches of rushing rivers and virgin forest flank the curvy road south of Caleta Tortel. At Puerto Yungay a free government ferry (www.barcazas.cl) hauls passengers and cars across the Mitchell fjord to the final 100km stretch of the Carretera Austral. This famed road ends at the remote village of Villa O’Higgins, stopped by the massive glacial barrier of the Southern Ice Field. That doesn’t stop hardy adventurers from tackling the ferry-trek-ferry combination to El Chaltén, Argentina.

Torres del Paine National Park
Chile's most popular – and most spectacular – national park. Soaring almost vertically more than 2000m above the Patagonian steppe, the granite pillars of Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) dominate the landscape. Most visitors come for the park’s greatest hit but, once here, realize that other (less crowded) attractions offer equal wow power: azure lakes, trails that meander through emerald forests, roaring rivers to cross on rickety bridges and one big, radiant blue glacier.
The park is home to flocks of ostrich-like rhea (known locally as the ñandú), Andean condor, flamingo and many other bird species. Its star success in conservation is undoubtedly the guanaco, which grazes the open steppes where pumas cannot approach undetected. After more than a decade of effective protection from poachers, these large and growing herds don’t even flinch when humans or vehicles approach.
When the weather is clear, panoramas are everywhere. However, unpredictable weather systems can sheath the peaks in clouds for hours or days. Some say you get four seasons in a day here, with sudden rainstorms and knock-down gusts part of the hearty initiation. Bring high-quality foul-weather gear, a synthetic sleeping bag and, if you’re camping, a good tent. If you want to sleep in hotels or refugios (rustic shelters), you must make reservations in advance. Plan a minimum of three to seven days to enjoy the hiking and other activities.
Torres del Paine’s 2800m granite peaks inspire a mass pilgrimage of hikers from around the world. Most go for the Circuit or the ‘W’ to soak in these classic panoramas, leaving other incredible routes deserted. The Circuit (the ‘W’ plus the backside of the peaks) requires seven to nine days, while the ‘W’ (named for the rough approximation to the letter that it traces out on the map) takes four to five. Add another day or two for transportation connections. (See http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/ for details on hiking routes and sleeping options).
Tour operators in Puerto Natales offer guided treks, which include all meals and accommodations at refugios or hotels. For a day hike, walk from Guardería Pudeto, on the main park highway, to Salto Grande, a powerful waterfall between Lago Nordenskjöld and Lago Pehoé. Another easy hour’s walk leads to Mirador Nordenskjöld, an overlook with superb views of the lake and mountains.

Punta Arenas
This wind-wracked former penitentiary has hosted tattered sailors, miners, seal hunters, starving pioneers and wealthy dandies of the wool boom. Exploitation of one of the world’s largest reserves of hydrocarbon started in the 1980s and has developed into a thriving petrochemical industry. Today’s Punta Arenas is a confluence of the ruddy and the grand, geared toward both tourism and industry.
Worthwhile day trips include tours to the town’s first settlements at Fuerte Bulnes and Puerto Hambre. If you have the time, visit the thriving Magellanic penguin colonies of Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos.

Puerto Natales
A pastel wash of corrugated-tin houses shoulder to shoulder, this once dull fishing port on Seno Última Esperanza has become the hub of Gore-Tex-clad travellers headed to the continent’s number-one national park. While not a destination in itself, the town is pleasant, the austral light is divine and visitor services are getting ever more savvy.
Mirador Dorotea, the large rocky outcrop just off Ruta 9) is great for a day hike through a lenga forest on private land to splendid views of Puerto Natales and the glacial valley. Less than 10km from Natales.

Isla Navarino
Chile's southernmost inhabited territory (barring Antarctica), where the warmth of the locals contrasts with the harshness of the landscape. Forget Ushuaia – the end of the world starts here. With more than 150km of trails, Isla Navarino is a rugged backpackers’ paradise, with remote slate-coloured lakes, mossy lenga forests and the ragged spires of the Dientes de Navarino. The only town, Puerto Williams (population 1680), is a naval settlement and the official port of entry for vessels en-route to Cape Horn and Antarctica.

Porvenir
For a slice of home-baked Fuegian life, this is it. Spending a night in this rusted village of metal-clad Victorian houses affords you an opportunity to explore the nearby bays and countryside and absorb the laid-back local life. The king-penguin colony is usually accessed as a day tour from Punta Arenas.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Easter Island (Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian inhabitants) is like nowhere else on earth. Historically intriguing, culturally compelling and scenically magical, this tiny speck of land looks like it’s fallen off another planet. In this blissfully isolated, unpolished gem it’s hard to feel connected even to Chile, over 3700km to the east, let alone the wider world. It’s just you, the indigo depths and the strikingly enigmatic moai (giant statues) scattered amid an eerie landscape.
Gazing down into the giant crater of the extinct Rano Kau volcano and visiting the magical moai at Ahu Tongariki and Rano Raraku are once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Each February island culture is celebrated in the elaborate and colorful Tapati Rapa Nui festival. Peak tourist season coincides with the hottest months from January to March; off-season is comparatively quiet. Allow at least three days to see the major sites. Rapa Nui is two hours behind mainland Chile, six hours behind GMT (five in summer).

Hanga Roa
Hanga Roa is the island’s sole town, home to nearly all the Rapa Nui’s hotels, restaurants, shops and services.
Opportunities abound for hiking, sailing and cycling. There’s also excellent diving on Easter Island, with gin-clear visibility and a dramatic seascape.
Your first encounter with the moai will probably take place at Ahu Tautira (Av Policarpo Toro), which overlooks Caleta Hanga Roa, the fishing port in Hanga Roa at the foot of Av Te Pito o Te Henua

Parque Nacional Rapa Nui
Teeming with caves, ahu (stone platforms), fallen moai and petroglyphs, this national park encompasses much of Rapa Nui and all the archaeological sites. The admission fee can be paid in Hanga Roa or at the airport upon arrival. Respect the sites: walking on the ahu and removing or relocating rocks of archaeological structures are strictly taboo. Handle the land gently and the moai will smile upon you.
- Near Hanga Roa, Ahu Tahai is a short hike north of town, lovely at sunset, with three restored ahu. About 4km north of Tahai, Ahu Tepeu has several fallen moai and a village site. On the nearby coast, Ana Kakenga has two windows open to the ocean. Ahu Akivi is the site of seven moai, unusual because they face the sea, though like all moai they overlook the site of a village. At the equinoxes their gaze meets the setting sun.
- With white sands, clear water and leggy palms, Anakena beach is a stunning destination that abuts two major archaeological sites: Ahu Nau Nau and Ahu Ature Huki, the latter re-erected by Norwegian ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl and a dozen islanders.
- Dazzling in scale, Ahu Tongariki has 15 moai along the largest ahu built against the crashing surf. A 1960 tsunami demolished several moai and scattered topknots, but the Japanese company Tadano re-erected moai in the early 1990s.
- An ethereal setting of half-carved and buried moai, Rano Raraku is known as ‘the nursery,’ where moai were quarried from the slopes of this extinct volcano. It’s worth a wander through the rocky jigsaw patterns of unfinished moai. There are 600, with the largest 21m tall. The crater holds a reedy lake under an amphitheater of handsome heads.
- Visitors shouldn’t miss Rano Kau and its crater lake, a cauldron of tortora reeds. Along a sea cliff 400m above, the fragile Orongo Ceremonial Village (9:30am-5:30pm) is where bird-cult rituals were performed. A cluster of boulders with petroglyphs depict Tangata Manu (the birdman) and Make Make (their god). Walking (7km) or biking is possible; take water.