You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Looks like I might be in Chile in December, with a week or so to do my own thing.
Does anyone have any tips? TBH for ease, some sort of group guided tour would be good, to minimise pre-trip planning (I'm pretty lazy). A lot of the trips I've looked at (Intrepid type companies) are pretty spendy, and while I don't mind paying a bit, I don't want to bankrupt myself.
Not looking for a biking trip really (and won't be taking a bike with me), though if there's a Chilean version of BikeVillage out there, who hire decent bikes, I guess I might be convinced.
Don't have full details yet but I'm guessing I'll be flying in and out of Santiago.
Depends what you want to do. I honeymooned there 13yrs ago and did Patagonia, the Lake District, Valparaiso, Santiago, and vineyards in Valle Central.
Internal flights and car hire were both easy and straight forward, as was not speaking the language in most places.
Its a huge country tho - can take 24 hours to get from Santiago to the north ( which I loved) and 48 to the south which is also fabulous.
I've only been to Santiago, and working with only weekends free, so limited use but anyway here you go - my top 5! (wish I could go back, loved the place)
1) they close the main road by the river through Santiago on a Sunday morning for joggers and cyclists - rent a bike or jog with the crowds, it's the most amazing life affirming and positive experience
2) The big skyscraper thing gives a really cool view, and the Andes are noticeably bigger than the alps (!)
3) an organised walking tour of the markets and history of Santiago was fabulous
4) The museum dedicated to the horrors of the military coup and junta, and subsequent re-emergence as a democracy is extremely moving
5) Walk (or bike!) up San Cristobal hill - views are amazeballs and I's sure there are things to do.
I rented a city bike and went most places using that, was great fun, felt as safe there as anywhere. Would have loved to go to Valparaiso or anywhere on the coast, but had no time.
I really loved Chile. (pic from San Cristobal)
There are several cruise lines who call in at Valparaiso, I wonder if it would be possible to book into some of the excursions they run?
Was there in 2017. Really really loved the south, especially Torres del Paine National Park and Puerto Natales. Feels properly remote.
Santiago was nice but didn't blow us away. Valparaiso was great, very lively, feels more like the hectic stereotype of South America than anywhere else we saw. If I was going back I'd love to see the Lake District, maybe Chiloe, in the mid-South region.
thanks all. lake district and atacama, as well as valparaiso all sound good, not sure i could fit them all in in a week! hmmm
From Santiago itself you can get up into the mountains quite easily. We had a couple of nights up in Baños Morales about 20 years ago, took the bus out of Santiago. If I had a week I’d head to Patagonia or even something nutty like Easter Island but you probably won’t want a week out there.