Chile is a strip of land 4300 miles long and barely 200 miles wide between the Pacific and the Andes. Stretching from Cape Horn to Peru in South America, this corridor is crammed with glaciers, ice fields, volcanoes, lakes, fertile valleys, sunny beaches and pristine wilderness. It's an unbeatable destination for any holiday, from an action-packed adventure to a peaceful wine tour.

Chile is also one of the safest countries in South America and, not surprisingly, Chileans love helping others discover it.

Anything is possible: world class rafting, kayaking and fly fishing on the Futaleufu river; surfing big waves around Pichilemu; skiing in Portillo; camping and hiking in the northern deserts; boat rides and road trips through the Lake District among alpine lakes and snow-capped volcanoes; relaxing in spas in northern Patagonia; wine tasting in the wine valley close to Santiago; shopping and being seen in the Providencia and Bellavista neighbourhoods of Santiago; hiking and riding across the gem of Patagonian's southern landscape, the Torres del Paine National Park.

While we specialize in operating trips in Chilean Patagonia we are happy to advise clients on travel in other parts of Chile or Argentina.  We have travelled extensively in these areas and can make itinerary recommendations and reservations for clients wanting to travel to other parts of Chile or Argentina.  Potential add-on trips include 3 or 4 night stays at all-inclusive estancias in Argentina, half or full day wine tasting trips near Santiago and/or 3 or 4 nights relaxation at beautiful mediterranean-like beach resorts in central Chile. 

Travel Tips
Time Zone GMT minus five in winter and GMT minus three in summer. Daylight saving begins the second Saturday of March and ends the second Saturday of October.

Opening Times
Banks Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm.
Shops Usually from 10am to 1pm and from 4pm to 7pm (later in larger towns).

Tipping Ten per cent. See FAQ for tipping while travelling in the Park.

Water
Tap water is safe to drink in large towns and cities. Bottled water is probably safer in rural areas and also in the Atacama desert where tap water contains arsenic. See FAQ to see what to drink while travelling in the Park.

Visas and passports
Visitors from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay need only national identity cards. Canadians, most western Europeans, Americans, New Zealanders and Australians can travel to Chile visa free for up to 90 days. Americans visiting for the first time will have to pay a one-off reciprocity fee of $100, which is valid for the life of their passport. The Chilean government levies the fee in response to a similar fee levied by the US for processing visas for Chilean nationals. Similarly, Canadians pay $55 and Australians $34. Payments must be made in cash when arriving by air.

Vaccinations
No mandatory vaccinations are required to enter Chile. However, we recommend that routine immunizations such as Tetanus and diphtheria are up to date. Polio is recommended if you have never had it. Children's immunizations should be up to date and include all the above plus pertussis, hib, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Hepatitis A is also strongly recommended both for adults and for children. There is no malaria in Chile.

Reading
Time Out Patagonia, Penguin Books
Nowhere is a Place, Travels in Patagonia, Bruce Chatwin
Natural Patagonia, Marcelo Beccaceci
The Last Cowboys at the End of the World, The Story of the Gauchos of Patagonia by Nick Reding
Your Child's Health Abroad by Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth and Dr Matthew Ellis
In Patagonia, Bruce Chatwin
Riding across Patagonia, Florence Dixie
Old Patagonian Express, Paul Theroux
Lonely Planet guide to Chile and Easter Island
Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes

Patagonia
Land of roaring seas, freezing winds and empty spaces

Punta Arenas
This windswept town was once one of the world's richest ports and its mansions and grand squares bear witness to its prosperous past

Puerto Natales
Lively waterside town and gateway to Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park
Chile's most prized national park and one of the largest sources of temperate-zone glaciers in the world

Bernardo O'Higgins National Park
Isolated glaciers quiet waterways and ancient forests