PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Chile ........... 2Map .................................. 420 Top Experiences ....... 6Need to Know ................. 16If You Like ........................ 18Month by Month ............. 21Itineraries ........................ 23Chile Outdoors ............... 28Travel with Children ....... 33Regions at a Glance ....... 35

YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT

Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip

UNDERSTAND CHILE

Chile Today ..................... 418History ............................. 420Life in Chile ...................... 433Chilean Wine ................... 435Literature & Cinema ...... 438The Natural World .......... 441National Parks ................ 447

Chile Today Too bad there is no award for the most dogged country, because Chilewould be a serious candidate. After an 8.8 earthquake hit o the centralcoast in February 2010, Chile dug in. The earthquake carried the power of 10,000 Hiroshima bombs: with the ensuing tsunami it was responsi e for hundreds of deaths and US$30 billion dollars in damage. Yet twomonths later, students returned to school, and the a ected roads, ortsand air orts were up. In large part the recovery depended on citizens who hel ed each other with no formal emergency res onse in lace

USACHILE UK

population per sq km

≈ 1 person

Literature &Cinema While poetry has long been the golden nugget of this nChilean cinema is gaining world recognition. In the last gmilitary dictatorship prompted an artistic exodus and cmodern Chile has rebounded with a fresh and sometimphasis on the arts.

Literature & Poetry Twentieth-century Chile has produced many of Latin Acelebrated writers. The most acclaimed are poets Pablo Nboxed text, opposite) and Gabriela Mistral, both Nobel Pri

Mistral (born Lucila Godoy Alcayaga; 1889–1957) was aral schoolmistress from Elqui Valley who won great acclaipassionate, re ective and mystical poetry. She became So rst Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1945.

Nicanor Parra (b 1914) drew Nobel Prize attention for hential and colloquial ‘antipoetry.’ De Hojas e Parr FromParra) and Poemas y antipoemas (Poems and Anti oemswell known Bohemian Jorge Tellier 1935–96 wrote oe

Chile: A Traveler’s Literary Com-

panion (2003), edited by Kath-

erine Silver, is an appetite-whetting

whiz through Chile’s rich liter-

ary tradition, with snippets from the work of many top writers, including

Neruda, Dorf-

Meet A Land of ExtremesPreposterously thin and unreasonably ong, Chile stretches from the belly of outh America to its foot, reaching from he driest desert on earth to vast southern lacial elds. It’s nature on a symphonic cale. Diverse landscapes unfurl over a 300km stretch: parched dunes fertile

stayed intact for so long. The very human quest for development could imperil these treasures sooner than we think. For now, Chile guards parts of our planet that re-main the most pristine, and they shouldn’t be missed.

La Buena Onda In Chile, close borders foster intimacy. No matter where you go it feels a little

Welcome to Chile

“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

PAGE

2

PAGE

417GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP

Learn about the big picture, so youcan make sense of what you see

Norte Chico Beaches Activities Architecture

Beaches A string of pretty beaches lines the coast of Norte Chico, including activity hubs like buzzy La Serena as well as virtually virgin strips of sand and hip beach hide-aways like the tiny Bahía Inglesa.

Activities You can climb the world’s highest active volcano, Ojos del Salado, sail the coast around Bahía Inglesa, hop on a boat to see Hum-

Sur Chico Parks Outdoors Lakes

Parks Sur Chico parks o er a wealth of landscapes. Climb Volcán Villarrica and peer into its gas-spewing crater. Other parks show-case alpine lakes, araucaria forests and ski slopes.

Outdoors While trekkers relish the laundry list of trails, rafting, kayaking, canopy zip lines, mountain biking and volcano climbing are other great options here.

Chiloé Churches Culture Nature

Churches These Unesco Word Heritage site churches will have you worshipping architecture. Each village centerpiece was built at the call of Jesuit missionar-ies in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Culture Chiloé’s distinctive avor, notable in

mythology and folklore, lives in the architecture of churches and pal-afitos (stilt houses). Cuisine dates to

(p ) gArtes (Beautiful Art) – says it all. Fan ne arts can spend the day admiring

works at the Museo Nacional de Beland the Museo de Arte Contemporáhoused in the stately Palacio de Bellbefore checking out edgy modern phand sculpture at the nearby Museo dVisuales. Along the way, take a breakseveral sidewalk cafes along the cobpedestrian streets. Palacio de Bellas A

Parque Nacional Tordel Paine 2 Some rites of passage never los

peal, so strap on that heavy pacthrough howling steppe and windingbehold these holiest-of-holy granite spires (p 359 ). Las Torres may be theattraction of its namesake park, but wilderness has much more to o er. Isculpted surface of Glacier Grey, expquiet backside of the circuit, kayak tSerrano or ascend John Gardner Pasing views of the southern ice eld.

20 TOP EXPERIENCES

1 Itiner-aries Whether you’ve got six days or

60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travelers.

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BOLIVIA

BRAZIL

CHILE

San Pedro de Atacama

Pucón

Puerto Montt

SANTIAGO

ReservaNacional LosFlamencos

El TatioGeysers

Valle de la Luna

Portillo

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

#•Chiloé

PACIFIC

OCEAN

ARGENTINA

PARAGUAY

URUGUAY#_

#•

#•

#•

#•

‚To EasterIsland

Valparaíso

2

I SBN 978 -1 -74179 -583 -7

9 781741 795837

99525

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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Carolyn McCarthy, Jean-Bernard Carillet, Bridget Gleeson,

Anja Mutić, Kevin Raub

p401(Rapa Nui)

p378Tierra del Fuegop339

Southern Patagonia

p305Northern Patagonia

p284Chiloé

p223Sur Chico

p87Middle Chile p40

Santiago

p193Norte Chico

p142Norte Grande

Easter Island

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z ................. 452Transportation ............... 463Language ........................ 473Index ................................ 487Map Legend .................... 494

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

Spanish pronunciation is easy, as most sounds have equivalents in English. Read ourpronunciation guides as if they were English, and you’ll be understood. Note that throaty sound (like the ‘ch’ in the Scottish loch), v and b are like a soft English ‘v’ (be-tween a ‘v’ and a ‘b’), and The stressed syllables are indicated with an acute accent in written Spanish (eg with italics in our pronunciation guides.

The polite form is used in this chapter; where both polite and informal options are given, they are indicated by the abbrevia-tions ‘pol’ and ‘inf’. Where necessary, both masculine and feminine forms of words are included, separated by a slash and with the masculine form rst, eg

BASICSlo. Hola. o

ye. Adiós.ou? ¿Qué tal?

Bien, gracias.dón

ko·mo se ya·ma oo·steko·mo te ya·mas (inf)

Do you speak English?a·bla een·gles (pol)a·blas een·gles (inf)

ACCOMMODATIONSI’d like a single/double room.

kee·sye·ra oo·na a·bee·ta·syon

een·dee·vee·dwal/do·bHow much is it per night/person?

kwan·to kwes·ta porno·che/per·so·na

Does it include breakfast?een·kloo·ye el

de·sa·yoo· ·n

aire acondcionad

Language

PAGE

38

PAGE

451

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SANTIAGO . . . . . . . . . .40AROUND SANTIAGO . . . . . . 80Pomaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Maipo Valley Wineries . . . . .82Cajón del Maipo . . . . . . . . . .82Ski Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

MIDDLE CHILE . . . . . . 87VALPARAÍSO & THE CENTRAL COAST . . . . . 90Valparaíso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90Viña del Mar . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Casablanca Valley Wineries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107ACONCAGUA VALLEY . . . . 110SOUTHERN HEARTLAND . .112Colchagua Valley . . . . . . . . 113Pichilemu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Maule Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Chillán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Termas de Chillán & Valle Las Trancas . . . . . . . . 126Coastal Towns . . . . . . . . . . . 128Concepción . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Salto del Laja . . . . . . . . . . . 131Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja . . . . . . . . . 132Los Angeles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135ARCHIPIÉLAGO JUAN FERNÁNDEZ . . . . . . . 135San Juan Bautista . . . . . . . 138Parque Nacional Archipiélago Juan Fernández . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Isla Alejandro Selkirk . . . . . 141

NORTE GRANDE . . . . 142Arica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Chile 11 Highway. . . . . . . . . 154Putre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156Parque Nacional Lauca . . . 159South of Parque Nacional Lauca . . . . . . . . . .160Iquique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Pica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Calama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174Chuquicamata . . . . . . . . . . 175San Pedro de Atacama . . . 177Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187El Tatio Geysers . . . . . . . . . 189Antofagasta . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

NORTE CHICO . . . . . . 193Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Caldera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Bahía Inglesa . . . . . . . . . . . 197Copiapó . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces . . . . . 202Ojos del Salado . . . . . . . . . 202Huasco Valley . . . . . . . . . . 203Parque Nacional Llanos de Challe . . . . . . . . 205Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt . . 205La Serena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Elqui Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214Limarí Valley . . . . . . . . . . . 220Río Hurtado Valley . . . . . . . 221Parque Nacional Bosques de Fray Jorge . . .222

SUR CHICO . . . . . . . . 223LA ARAUCANÍA . . . . . . . . . . 226Temuco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226Parque Nacional Tolhuaca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230Parque Nacional Conguillío . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231Curacautín . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233Reserva Nacional Malalcahuello-Nalcas . . . .233Melipeuco . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234Villarrica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235Pucón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238Parque Nacional Villarrica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244Río Liucura Valley . . . . . . . .246Parque Nacional Huerquehue . . . . . . . . . . . .247Lican Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248LOS RÍOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249Valdivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249THE LAKES DISTRICT . . . . 256Osorno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256Entre Lagos . . . . . . . . . . . . .258Parque Nacional Puyehue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259Puerto Octay . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Frutillar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262Puerto Varas . . . . . . . . . . . .263Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales . . . . . . . . . . .270Cochamó . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272Río Cochamó Valley . . . . . .272Río Puelo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273Río Puelo Valley . . . . . . . . . 274Puerto Montt. . . . . . . . . . . .275

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

CHILOÉ . . . . . . . . . . . .284Ancud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286Monumento Natural Islotes de Puñihuil . . . . . . . 291Chepu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291Quemchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292Isla Mechuque . . . . . . . . . .292Dalcahue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293Isla Quinchao . . . . . . . . . . .295Castro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296Parque Nacional Chiloé . . .301Quellón . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

NORTHERN PATAGONIA . . . . . . . .305Hornopirén . . . . . . . . . . . . 308Parque Nacional Hornopirén . . . . . . . . . . . . .310Parque Pumalín . . . . . . . . .310Chaitén . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312Futaleufú . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314Palena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316La Junta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317Puyuhuapi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318Termas De Puyuhuapi . . . . 319Parque Nacional Queulat . .320Coyhaique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321Reserva Nacional Coyhaique . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326Reserva Nacional Río Simpson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326Monumento Natural Dos Lagunas . . . . . . . . . . . .326Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael . . . . . . .326Reserva Nacional Cerro Castillo . . . . . . . . . . .327

Villa Cerro Castillo . . . . . . .327Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez . .328Chile Chico . . . . . . . . . . . . .328Reserva Nacional Jeinemeni . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Puerto Río Tranquilo . . . . 330Cruce El Maitén . . . . . . . . . 331Puerto Guadal . . . . . . . . . . . 331Puerto Bertrand . . . . . . . . . 331Valle Chacabuco (Parque Nacional Patagonia) . . . . .332Cochrane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334Reserva Nacional Tamango . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335Caleta Tortel . . . . . . . . . . . .335South to Villa O’Higgins . . 336Villa O’Higgins . . . . . . . . . 336

SOUTHERN PATAGONIA . . . . . . . .339MAGALLANES . . . . . . . . . . . 341Punta Arenas . . . . . . . . . . . 341ÚLTIMA ESPERANZA . . . . . 351Puerto Natales . . . . . . . . . .352Cueva del Milodón . . . . . . .358Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins . . . . . .359Parque Nacional Torres del Paine . . . . . . . . .359ARGENTINE PATAGONIA . . 367El Calafate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367Perito Moreno & Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (South) . . . .372El Chaltén & Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (North) . . . . 374

TIERRA DEL FUEGO. .378CHILEAN TIERRA DEL FUEGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379Porvenir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382Timaukel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383Estancia Yendegaia . . . . . 384Isla Navarino . . . . . . . . . . . 384Cabo De Hornos & Surrounding Islands . . . . 388ARGENTINE TIERRA DEL FUEGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388Ushuaia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398Río Grande. . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

EASTER ISLAND(RAPA NUI) . . . . . . . . 401HANGA ROA . . . . . . . . . . . . 403PARQUE NACIONAL RAPA NUI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .411Northern Circuit . . . . . . . . . 411Southwest Circuit . . . . . . . 411Northeast Circuit . . . . . . . . 412UNDERSTAND EASTER ISLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413Easter Island Today . . . . . . 413History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . 414SURVIVAL GUIDE . . . . . . . . 414Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . . . . 414TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . 415Getting There & Away . . . . 415Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . 416

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Kevin Raub Sur Chico, Chiloé Kevin Raub grew up in Atlanta and started his career as a music journalist in New York, working for Men’s Journal and Rolling Stone magazines. The rock ’n’ roll lifestyle took its toll, so he needed an extended vacation and took up travel writing while ditching the States for Brazil. Despite a dog chewing off a corner of his rental car license plate in Chile, he survived unscathed on this, his second time through Sur Chico and Chiloé. This is Kevin’s 19th Lonely Planet

guide. You can fi nd him at www.kevinraub.net.

Contributing Author Grant Phelps trained in the art of winemaking in his native New Zealand and embarked on a 10-year career as a ‘fl ying winemaker’, working harvests in seven diff erent countries before experienc-ing a wine-fuelled epiphany in Chile. Now resident in Valparaíso, he has been making wine in Chile for 12 years and is currently chief winemaker for Viña Casas del Bosque, in the Casablanca Valley.

Read more about Kevin at:lonelyplanet.com/members/kraub

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9839th edition – October 2012ISBN 978 1 74179 583 7© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

OUR WRITERS Carolyn McCarthy Coordinating Author; Northern Patagonia, Southern Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego Carolyn has suff ered from a severe case of Chilenisis since working as a hiking guide in the Lakes District some years ago. For this trip, she motored the Car-retera Austral and hiked in Torres del Paine and Isla Navarino. She has also au-thored Lonely Planet’s Argentina, Panama, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, The Travel Book, Best in Travel and Trekking in the Patagonian Andes.

Carolyn has contributed to National Geographic, Outside and Lonely Planet Magazine, among other publications. You can follow her Americas blog at www.carolynswildblueyonder.blogspot.com.

Jean-Bernard Carillet Easter Island (Rapa Nui) Journalist and photographer Jean-Bernard is a die-hard island lover and diving instructor. He’s made many trips to the South Pacifi c, including four to Easter Island. On this gig, he searched for the most enjoyable hikes, the most stupendous vistas, the best-value accommodations and the most potent pisco sour. His favourite experiences included enjoying a picnic at sunrise at Ahu Tongariki and walking along the rugged north coast. Jean-Bernard

has contributed to many Lonely Planet titles and writes for travel and dive magazines.

Bridget Gleeson Santiago, Middle Chile Based in Buenos Aires, Bridget was just starting out as a travel writer when her sister fell in love with a Chilean. She’s been crossing the Andes ever since to visit the Santiago branch of the family, learning how to mix the perfect pisco sour and negotiate the price of fresh machas (razor clams) along the way. She writes about Latin American food, wine and travel for Lonely Planet, Budget Travel, Afar, Jetsetter and BBC Travel.

Anja Mutić Norte Grande, Norte Chico While growing up in Croatia, New York–based Anja Mutić had a deep fascination with the ancient civilizations of South America. The appeal grew even more when she fi rst visited the continent in 2001. She has since been returning regularly, for work and for play. On the last two-month jaunt around Chile, she was consistently rained out in the Atacama, said to be the dri-est desert in the world.

Read more about Bridget at:lonelyplanet.com/members/bridgetgleeson

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

OVERPAGE

MORE WRITERS

Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travelers.

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Parque NacionalTorres del Paine

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Four WeeksBest of Chile

Skate through Chile’s amazing diversity in one month. From Santiago, feed your cre-ative yen wandering around boho capital Valparaíso. If it’s winter, explore nearby powder stashes at top Andean resorts like Portillo.

Then turn up the dial with desert heat. Fly or bus to the highland village of San Pedro de Atacama. Absorb altiplano ambiance visiting the moonlike Valle de la Luna, the steaming and strange El Tatio geysers and the stark Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos. Wind up days of hiking, horseback riding or volcano climbing with mellow evening bonfi res and star-stocked skies.

Delve into temperate rainforest in Pucón, where rafting, hiking and hot springs fi ll up your Lakes District dance card. From Puerto Montt, detour to folklore capital Chiloé; or cruise on a four-day ferry ride through glacier-laced fjords to Puerto Natales. By now you are probably in top shape for Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Take up to a week on the trails of this world-famous hiking destination. Then barrel back to Santiago and hop a plane to Easter Island (Rapa Nui) to puzzle over its archaeological treasures for fi ve days.

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Two WeeksLa Capital and Wine Country

Start your wine-soaked sojourn through Central Chile with a few nights in the hap-pening capital, Santiago. Hit the classic sights – stroll around the historic center, stop into the Catedral Metropolitana, break for a lively seafood lunch in the clam-oring Mercado Central, and tour La Chascona, Pablo Neruda’s Bellavista home.

Then check out some of the city’s contemporary charms, sipping champagne at a gallery in Vitacura or catching an independent fi lm at the brand-new Centro Gabriela Mistral.

You don’t have to venture too far into the countryside to drink from the fl owing casks of central Chile’s wineries. Big-bodied reds are crafted in Santiago’s outskirts; sample from both a commercial heavy hitter, such as Viña Concha y Toro and a boutique winemaker – our fave is Viña Aquitania. You can sip Chile’s signature whites in the Casablanca Valley, where aspiring grape pickers can join Viña Casas del Bosque’s March harvest tour.

Explore the de facto Chilean wine capital on a Colchagua Valley wine tour in Santa Cruz. Highlights include a carriage ride through Viu Manent’s vineyards, the organic, biodynamic wines at Emiliana and the haute hand-picked approach of Casa Lapastolle. Half the fun is getting there – the Santa Cruz steam engine Tren del Vino off ers doorstop delivery (with shuttles) as well as on-board wine tasting.

Recover from the overindulgence by heading to the seaside and climbing up one of Val-paraiso’s famously steep hills – but make sure you also catch a ride on one of the city’s antique elevators, like Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso’s oldest – at least once. Wander the charming alleyways, taking in stunning ocean views around nearly every corner, then step into Neruda’s La Sebastiana getaway before feasting on freshly caught seafood.

Exhausted from the urban hiking? Unwind at the nearby resort city of Viña del Mar – Santiaguinos’ favorite for a quick beach getaway, with little pressure to sightsee. Simply pull up a chair at Enjoy del Mar, strategically located where the sea meets the Río Marga, and toast your travels with yet another pisco sour.

Other acclaimed tours take in Talca, where lovers of a fi ne vintage get a varied experi-ence; at Viña Gillmore you can even get wine therapy at the spa!

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» (above) Parque Nacional Queulat (p320) » (left) Wine cellar, Viña Concha y Toro (p82), Pirque

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Four WeeksPioneer Patagonia

If you wish to travel only back roads, if you desire getting dirty, almost lost and awe-inspired, look no further than this four-week plan. Following the Carretera Aus-tral, this route criss-crosses its little-known off shoots and gives you plenty of time on the hoof. Summer, with more-frequent transportation connections and warm

weather, is the best time to go. Leave Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas for the Cochamó or Río Puelo valleys, where you

can hike or horseback ride, camping or staying at remote lodgings. From Puerto Montt, ferry to Parque Pumalín and camp in an ancient forest with boardwalk trails to booming waterfalls. Ramble the Carretera Austral to La Junta, where a farmstay and lazy river run will put you in the Huck Finn mode. Check out the hot-springs options near Puyuhuapi or if you’re not ready to come clean, camp under the hanging glacier at Parque Nacional Queulat.

Coyhaique is the next major hub. After making connections to Chile Chico on the enormous Lago General Carrera, hop the border to Los Antiguos and travel Argentina’s classic Ruta 40 to El Chaltén for hiking around the gnarled tooth of Cerro Fitz Roy. Take two days to visit El Calafate, spending one under the spell of the magnifi cent glacier Perito Moreno in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. While you’re there, feast on giant steaks and bottles of peppery Malbec. From El Calafate it’s an easy bus connection to Parque Na-cional Torres del Paine via Puerto Natales. Hike the ‘W’ route or go for the full week-long circuit. By now you’re in prime hiking shape – enjoy passing others on the trail. Return to Natales for post-trek pampering, namely handcrafted beer, hot tubs and thin-crust pizza. If you have time, head back to Puerto Montt via the Navimag ferry. Otherwise, fl y from Punta Arenas.

An alternative route would be to skip Chile Chico and follow the Carretera Austral to its southern terminus – Villa O’Higgins. Relax, go fi shing and hike. From here, a rugged boat-hike combination can get you across the border to El Chaltén, where you can rejoin the itinerary a week behind schedule.

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Seven to 10 daysDesert Solitaire

How about a few weeks sleeping under star-crazy skies, following condor shadows along desert mountaintops? You’ll need a 4WD and plenty of food, water and extra gas. Start with a surfboard in Iquique to sample the swells of Playa Cavancha and Playa Huaiquique, and then jump off a cliff on a tandem paragliding jaunt. With

the adrenaline rush in place, slow things down with a contemplative wander around ni-trate ghost towns Humberstone and Santa Laura, where you can poke around the creepy abandoned buildings of these once fl ourishing spots and explore their crumbling grandeur.

Head further north from here, stopping in the isolated coastal town of Pisagua, once a bustling nitrate-era port, then a penal colony and today a nearly abandoned and strangely lyrical place where algae gatherers work alongside the ruins of busted mansions; don’t miss the windswept old cemetery sloping forlorn on a nearby hill. Cheer up in sunny Arica, where plenty of surf awaits below the dramatic headland of El Morro lording it over the city and remarkably preserved Chinchorro mummies lie in situ at the small museum just below the hill. From the coast, head inland via Hwy 11, passing geoglyphs, colonial chapels and misty mountain hamlets, to the pretty Andean village of Putre. Take a day or two here to catch your breath, literally, as Putre sits at a dizzying altitude of 3530m. Once you’ve adjusted to the height, head to nearby Parque Nacional Lauca, where you can take in the perfect cone of Volcán Parinacota, wander through the tiny Aymara village with the same name and walk around the lovely Lago Chungará, all paired with awesome wildlife sight-ings in this Unesco Biosphere Reserve.

Further south, the remote Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas shelters thousands of these fl ighty creatures and few interlopers to spook them, so go easy. Heading south on tough terrain through dazzling landscapes, through the isolated salt fl at of Monumento Natural Salar de Surire with its three fl amingo species (best seen between December and April), your reward for an adventurous ride is reaching the ultra-removed Parque Nacional Vol-cán Isluga, before looping back to Iquique.

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