Visiting Chile: when to go, budget and itineraries

The capital holds 40% of the country's population and takes 2 to 3 days to see: the historic centre, Cerro San Cristóbal, the central market for a seafood lunch. Less than two hours away by bus, Valparaíso's listed funiculars justify a day trip, as does the Colchagua wine route, 2.5 hours by car, for two tastings a day by appointment with lunch on-site.

San Pedro de Atacama, a 2.5-hour flight from Santiago, is the base for the Valle de la Luna, the Tatio geysers (departure around 4am) and altiplano lagoons above 4,000m. Plan on 3 to 4 nights, with a rest day before any high-altitude excursion to let your body adjust. The desert pairs well with a side trip into neighbouring Peru to extend the Andean circuit further north.

Six hours by road or a short flight north of Santiago, the Elqui Valley hosts several public observatories, including Cerro Mamalluca, which requires booking a few days ahead for a night session. The sky here ranks among the clearest on earth thanks to very low humidity and minimal light pollution. Also worth a stop: the pisco distilleries around Pisco Elqui village.

The Lake District, an hour's flight from Santiago, lines up volcanoes and forests around Pucón: a guided climb of Villarrica volcano (about 6 hours, crampons provided), the Termas Geométricas hot springs, and araucaria forest reserves. Three nights cover the essentials, a week lets you continue on to Puerto Varas and its twin volcanoes, Osorno and Calbuco, on the shore of Lake Llanquihue.

An hour by ferry or bridge from the mainland, the Chiloé archipelago holds sixteen Unesco-listed wooden churches and villages built on stilts, known locally as palafitos. Curanto, a dish of shellfish and meat cooked underground on hot stones, is traditionally served on weekends in family gatherings. Two nights are enough to see Castro and one smaller island such as Quinchao.

Torres del Paine national park, reached from Puerto Natales, is best visited October to April: the 4 to 5-day W trek staying in refuges, or a fixed base with day excursions for those who prefer not to camp. The Torres viewpoint is a 3 to 4-hour walk from the last refuge, best started before dawn to beat the crowds. Wind picks up sharply from November onward.

3,700 km offshore, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is reached by a 5-hour flight from Santiago, the country's only regular connection to it. Plan 3 nights to see the main ahu, including Tongariki with its fifteen aligned moai, and the Rano Raraku volcano where most of the statues were carved. Flights sell out fast in January and February, a period of local festivities.