Welcome to the land of weons, people who add in “po” at the end of every word and throw your school taught Spanish out the window. Chilenismo is best drank sober, a tough challenge considering you have touched down in a long and narrow nation rich in grapes used in wine and dare I say it, the national drink pisco.
Chile is a South American country occupying land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, and Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south.
Its 756,096.3km2 worth of territory is topographically unique and rich in minerals (Chile is the world’s number 2 producer of lithium) with a very varied natural climate.
The diverse climate ranges from the world’s driest desert in the north—the Atacama Desert—through a Mediterranean climate in the center, humid subtropical in Easter Island, to an oceanic climate, including alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south.
In short, there is plenty to see and do, you just need to pack the right clothes and shoes in advance – something this jetsetter did not do. Too busy envisioning cocktails on the rooftop of the W Hotel in Santiago to hot and sweaty salsa sessions in Bella Vista’s Maestra La Vida – hiking boots, thermals, and a thin jacket were regrettably not even considered. Trust me you need them and not just for the south of Chile.
Hence, chasing the sun and wanting to experience more of a classic “hot” summer I strayed from exploring the magnificent lakes, glaciers, and mountains in the south and searched for more options beyond Patagonia.
The City of Colour – Valparaiso
Just a short 1.5hrs drive north of Santiago is this fantasy place of a chain of 45 hills around a bay, each distinctly different, each with there own cable cars and houses painted in a wild array of colours.
This city confronts your sense of space. It is at once trendy yet dilapidated. It is cheerful, yet also a bit abandoned. It is one giant contradiction – a perfect reflection in some ways of the current state of Chile, forever sitting at the crossroads of the West, considered the gringos of Latin America by its neighbours Argentina, while still being proud of their revolutionary past, the folklore of Violeta Parra and their beloved poet, Pablo Neruda.
In fact, Pablo Neruda, who drew much inspiration from this hard-working port town, said it best: ‘Valparaíso, how absurd you are…you haven’t combed your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you.’
Instead of hitching a lift in the many mini-buses climbing the hills of Valparaiso, I recommend taking in the sights, feeling the day to day life of its locals by walking the zig-zag streets, through its tiny paseos and up beautifully painted stairs.
The house of Pablo Neruda, Museum Sebastiana, is a must-see. The tour of the house in the shape of a boat does an outstanding job of bringing the bonhomie and eccentricity of Neruda to life while taking you back to a pre-World War II Chile, buzzing with positive change and innovation.
Funnily enough, the bohemian city of Valpo, as called by its inhabitants, has a sister city which is worlds apart yet minutes away. Vina del Mar is a seaside city where wealthy Santigenos have their summer residences to enjoy the azure blue sea, fresh seafood, and ritzy restaurants. Admittingly, the beaches are worth exploring; just expect to freeze when you dive in, as the Humboldt Current is famous in this neck of the woods. Try a Cheesy Seafood Empanada while on the coast as well as the ceviche.
A quick excursion for the gourmands is wine tasting. Just a 40 minutes drive inland is one of Chile’s famous white wine regions – El Casa Blanca. The Sauvignon Blanc is supposedly on par with Marlborough in NZ. A beautiful estate to explore is the Emiliana Organic Vineyards – producing its own honey, olive oils as well as wine. The acres of land are filled with roaming chickens, llamas, veggie patch, flowers and of course, amazing grapes.
Again I preferred their white wines to the reds given in the wine-tasting tour. However, hands down you must try a Carmenere while in Chile. Argentina may have its Malbec, but the Carmenere, also originally a French grape, ought to get more international exposure.
The Geological Wonderland – San Pedro de Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert impressed me – more than I had expected. I arrived with my own prejudices after living in the Sultanate of Oman and camped under the stars like a Bedouin on many occasions. However, this experience was unlike any other.
The esert may be the oldest desert on earth and has experienced extreme hyper aridity for at least 3 million years, making it the oldest continuously arid region on earth. It is so arid that many mountains higher than 6,000 m (20,000 ft) are completely free of glaciers. The soil has even been compared to that of Mars!
It is home to many animals – from llamas, guanacos to pink flamingos. This desert reaches amazing heights and even is home to live Volcanoes. If in the area, stop by the APEX Observatory 5100mts above sea level which offers amazing stargazing and night photography opportunities of the galaxy as the world sleeps.
Another highlight are the various salt lakes – so concentrated in salt you are instructed to not let the water touch your eyes or dip your hair in it! These magical salt lakes are akin to the floating sensation people have when they visit the Dead Sea.
Newly opened was the National Park of 7 Salt Lakes – 7 very distinct looking salt lakes, only 2 open to the public for swimming.
Make sure you bring your camera as you won’t want to miss the colours, the textures, and the light in an otherwise random location in the middle of a very arid desert.
Also, don’t wear thongs thinking it’ll be a quick walk, and then hop into the pools. Wear sneakers and make sure you wash off every inch of salt after you leave the lakes – the microcrystals will burn and cut your skin otherwise.
Definitely, make sure you visit San Pedro de Atacama and brush up on your Portuguese as Brazilian tourism has jokingly seen the name change to Sao Paolo de Atacama.
Chile in the summer was full of adventure, hilarious language exchanges and magical sunsets from the Cerros of Santiago to Valpo and the desert peaks of San Pedro.
Note – Qantas flies daily to Santiago while SKY Airlines offer affordable internal domestic flights across Chile and even Latin America.