When individuals think about planning a trip to South America the typical suspects are Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina in order to be more precise, Rio, the Inca trail, Salt Plains and Patagonia only the Argentine part. These are all stunning places and certainly worth a visit at some point, but let's not forget the long strip of land joined to the west of Argentina known as Chile!

Often written off as boring, dull or expensive, this country has exploded into life with lots of stunning sights that are not fully discovered by your average Joe tourist on the South America holiday.

Stretching over 2,700 miles from tip foot and averaging just 109 miles wide the environment contrasts dramatically while you descend from the driest desert in the world within the north to 1 of coldest and many desolate places to live in the world in the south. The contrasts from end to end are simply stunning and really worth touring on your Chile trip.

~San Pedro de Atacama is a small village you could base yourself at the outset of your Chile trip. Even though town is pretty it does not offer much more when compared to a tourist attractions you would expect. The USP with this town may be the location. You could head out in to the desert late one afternoon and climb to the top of a sand dune to watch the sunset and the moon rise. This really is stunning as you can watch the colour from the desert floor change because the sun drops and the moon rise. Heaven is beautifully clear meaning the stars are really visible. The Milky Way will have never appeared so clear or close!

Simply to add to this incredible area you can take tours to the Altiplano lakes where flamingos live, head to the Tatio geyser first thing in the morning to watch the sunrise as the geyser erupts or try taking some relaxation time on your Chile vacation in the numerous hot springs dotted round the area. Be cautious though, a sudden rise in blood temperature could make you feel just a little dizzy in the beginning but that is just area of the fun. San Pedro is another start/finish spot for tours to the Salt Plains and ties in nicely with Bolivia.

Heading south may be the Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces which throughout the summer is the place to find flamingos, vicunas and guanacos but more to the point offers stunning hiking and climbing opportunities through the snow topped mountains and past the clear blue lagoons. Best of all though, this place is simply not on the tourist trail YET so to get away from everything head here.

Your next likely stop will be Santiago, capital of this vast country. Keeping it simple and to the point there are far better cities in the world than Santiago. However, it will have its draws and it is worth a few nights out of your holiday period to understand more about. Climb to the top of Cerro San Christobal (you can't miss it as being there is a 14m high white marble statue of the Virgin Mary perched on its peak). Here you can view the town using the Andes mountain range within the back ground (assuming the smog is not too thick on your chosen day of visit), then take the cable car down which winds around the hillside. Within the afternoon explore the centre and also the following day head to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar coastal towns just a few hour's north-west from the capital. This where the locals head for the weekend and holidays to swim, soak-up the sun's rays and party.

For wine lovers, the Casablanca Valley is where Chile's best Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot grapes are produced. For a small fee you are able to have a tour of the vineyards then sample the produce, surely a highlight of your Chile tour. If you fancy buying a few bottles you can do this and shipped home.

Chile hotels

Continuing our windy way south is Pucon, the outdoor adventure capital of Chile. If you want thrilling through your veins and feeling alive by pushing the boundaries beyond your normal limits then Pucon is perfect for you. Set upon the gorgeous Lago Villarrica having a volcano overlooking it truly is an ideal setting to take your lifetime into your own hands. Ride up it, jump off it, slip it etc. Pucon is the perfect Chile adventure holiday destination.

Continuing on the theme of adventure and adrenaline, hop on a bus and keep on south a bit more (you will likely notice the weather getting a little cooler now). There are lots of Nature in Chile but a specific favourite includes a couple of 2,000m high granite towers that dominate heaven line, these gave the nation's Park its name Torres del Paine which means the awesome term 'Towers of Pain'!!

Torres is a haven for all those searching for Chile adventure holiday, for hikers, ramblers and climbers alike, even if you're not so in love with walking you can still head out together with your camera to take photos from the view of the lakes, forests as well as a stunning blue glacier which just increases the diversity from the area.

San Pedro de Atacama accommodations

Torres is one of the most widely used parks so it can seem to be busy at times and the hostels do fill up quickly so always book in advance, nevertheless the place is really vast that to find peace and quiet is not hard.

Patagonia has become a area however the main place you are likely to base yourself throughout every season is Punta Arena, which is an ideal point for continuing your Chile travel in the local area with the main draw being the penguins across the Magellan Straight. The two main colonies that inhabit the area are on Seno Otway and on Isla Magdalena. These aren't the large penguins which are found in the Falklands but nether-the-less continue to be mighty impressive, even just in just amount with 6,000 at Seno Otway and around 50,000 on Magdalena Isla. The only way to visit these places is to employ a car or take a tour because there are no public buses towards the area. Fom Punta Arenas if you are feeling adventurous and energetic then definitely keep heading south to Cabo Froward the most southerly point around the continent. The two day hike is going to be windy and cold as it is an exposed path to the tough natural elements, as you would expect if this near to Antarctica but will surely be a highlight of the Chile itinerary.

Easter Island hotel

A pinnacle of any Chile tour would have to be Easter Island-a stunning isolated tropical island full of Moai statues is much more than 2,300 miles of the west coast of Chile. An easy island without the influx of tourism and gaudy hotels. Employ a car to drive the 50 odd km of anti-clockwise roads, some of them concrete, some gravel and others nothing more than dirt. No insurance is required, but then again there is barely any traffic so accidents shouldn't happen and when they do often cash changing hands will sort the problem. The statues are simply magnificent, considering how subjected to the harsh elements they've been for hundreds of years, they're incredibly well preserved and do not look dated or tired- ideal for you to definitely take pictures for the Chile holiday album. They are all over the island, 12 meters high, 2/3 meters wide and some even have hats.

With just one town which consists of a few bars, restaurants and the odd souvenir shop you do not come for luxury, just benefit from the simplicity and let your mind wander about the possible ways the statues weren't only carved but then moved, and ultimately what are they're for, and will they represent something? After all, your guess is as good as anyone else's.

When people think about traveling to South America the typical suspects are Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina or to become more precise, Rio, the Inca trail, Salt Plains and Patagonia only the Argentine part. They are all stunning places and certainly worth a visit sooner or later, but let's remember the long strip of land joined to the west of Argentina referred to as Chile!

Often written off as boring, dull or expensive, this country has recently exploded into life with many stunning sights that aren't fully discovered because of your average Joe tourist on a South America holiday.

Stretching over 2,700 miles from tip foot and averaging just 109 miles wide the environment contrasts dramatically while you descend from the driest desert on the planet in the north to one of coldest and many desolate places to live in the planet within the south. The contrasts from end to finish are merely stunning and really worth touring in your Chile trip.

~San Pedro de Atacama is a small village you can base yourself at the beginning of your Chile trip. Even though town is pretty it doesn't offer a lot more when compared to a attractions you would expect. The USP with this town is the location. You could go out to the desert late one afternoon and climb to the top of the sand dune to watch the sunset and also the moon rise. This is stunning as you can watch the color from the desert floor change because the sun drops and the moon rise. Heaven is beautifully clear which means that the heavens are really visible. The Milky Way may have never appeared so clear or close!

Simply to add incredible area you are able to take tours to the Altiplano lakes where flamingos live, go to the Tatio geyser very first thing each morning to watch the sunrise as the geyser erupts or take some relaxation time on your Chile vacation in the many hot springs dotted around the area. Be careful though, an abrupt increase in blood temperature could make you feel a little dizzy at first but that's just area of the fun. San Pedro is another start/finish place for tours towards the Salt Plains and ties in nicely with Bolivia.

Heading south may be the Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces which during the the summer time is the place to find flamingos, vicunas and guanacos but more importantly offers stunning hiking and climbing opportunities with the snow topped mountains and past the clear blue lagoons. Best of all though, this place is simply not on the tourist trail YET to escape from everything head here.

The next likely stop is going to be Santiago, capital of the vast country. Keeping it simple and to the point there are much better cities on the planet than Santiago. However, it will have its draws and it is worth a couple of nights out of your holiday time to explore. Climb to the top of Cerro San Christobal (you cannot miss it as there's a 14m high white marble statue from the Virgin Mary perched on its peak). Here you can view the town using the Andes mountain range in the background (assuming the smog isn't too thick on your chosen day's visit), then take the cable car down which winds round the hillside. Within the afternoon explore the centre and the overnight head to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar coastal towns just a couple of hour's north-west of the capital. This where the locals head for that weekend and holidays to swim, soak-up the sun and party.

For people, the Casablanca Valley is how Chile's best Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot grapes are produced. For a small charge you can take a tour from the vineyards then sample the produce, surely a highlight of your Chile tour. Should you fancy buying a few bottles this can be done and shipped home.

chile hotels

Continuing our windy way south is Pucon, the outdoor adventure capital of Chile. If you want adrenaline pumping using your veins and feeling alive by pushing the boundaries away from normal limits then Pucon is perfect for you. Set upon the gorgeous Lago Villarrica with a volcano overlooking it really is the perfect setting for taking your lifetime to your own hands. Ride up it, jump off it, fall down it etc. Pucon is the perfect Chile adventure holiday destination.

Continuing on the party's theme of adventure and adrenaline, jump on a bus and carry on south a little more (you will likely notice the weather obtaining a little cooler now). There are lots of Nature in Chile but a specific favourite has a couple of 2,000m high granite towers that dominate heaven line, these gave the National Park its name Torres del Paine which translates to the awesome term 'Towers of Pain'!!

Torres is really a haven for all those looking for Chile adventure holiday, for hikers, ramblers and climbers alike, even if you're not so sold on walking you are able to still go out together with your camera to consider photos from the view of the lakes, forests as well as a stunning blue glacier which just increases the diversity of the area.

San Pedro de Atacama accommodations

Torres is one of the most widely used parks so it can seem to be busy sometimes and also the hostels do fill quickly so always book ahead of time, however the place is so vast that to locate tranquility is simple.

Patagonia has become a area but the main place you will probably base yourself throughout every season is Punta Arena, that is a perfect point for continuing your Chile travel in the local area with the main draw being the penguins along the Magellan Straight. The 2 main colonies that inhabit the region take presctiption Seno Otway as well as on Isla Magdalena. These aren't the huge penguins that are based in the Falklands but nether-the-less continue to be mighty impressive, even in just sheer number with 6,000 at Seno Otway and around 50,000 on Magdalena Isla. The only method to visit these places would be to employ a car or take a tour because there are no public buses to the area. Fom Punta Arenas if you are feeling adventurous and energetic then definitely keep heading south to Cabo Froward which is the most southerly point around the continent. The two day hike is going to be windy and cold as it is an exposed road to the tough natural elements, understandably if this close to Antarctica but will surely be considered a highlight of your Chile itinerary.

Easter Island hotels

A pinnacle associated with a Chile tour would have to be Easter Island-a stunning isolated tropical island full of Moai statues is more than 2,300 miles from the west coast of Chile. An easy island with no influx of tourism and gaudy hotels. Employ a car to drive the 50 odd km of anti-clockwise roads, a number of them concrete, some gravel yet others nothing more than dirt. No insurance coverage is required, but then again there is barely any traffic so accidents should not happen and if they are doing often cash changing hands will sort the issue. The statues are simply magnificent, considering how exposed to the harsh elements they've been for hundreds of years, they're incredibly well preserved and don't look dated or tired- perfect for you to take pictures for the Chile holiday album. They are all within the island, 12 meters high, 2/3 meters wide plus some have hats.

With only one town which includes a few bars, restaurants and the odd souvenir shop you don't come here for luxury, just benefit from the simplicity and let your mind wander concerning the good ways the statues weren't only carved however moved, and ultimately what are they're for, and do they represent something? After all, your guess is really as good anyone else's.