NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? OUR EXPERTS HAVE THE ANSWERS…
THE EXPERTS
I’d like to visit Chile for the first time next year. Which month should I go and what should I aim to see on a two-week trip?
In November — late spring — peak-season hordes are yet to arrive and the weather is generally good in both the north and south. You can sample Chile’s remarkable geographic diversity in a fortnight if you take some internal flights.
Start in the Atacama Desert: the town of San Pedro de Atacama is surrounded by otherworldly landscapes, while Lauca National Park — ahigh-altitude realm of lakes, llamas and volcanoes — offers equally impressive scenery. In central Chile, the engaging port of Valparaíso is renowned for its food and street art, while further south, the mist-shrouded Chiloé archipelago is rich in myths, wooden churches and temperate rainforests. Finish in Torres del Paine National Park, a trekking hotspot that showcases southern Patagonia’s soaring mountains.
Hotel group Tierra has excellent luxury hotels in the north and south of the country. And if you have a few extra days — and the budget — avisit to far-flung Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is highly recommended, with flights of around five hours from Santiago, the Chilean capital, from £600 return. tierrahotels.com latamairlines.com
March is an excellent month as the weather is great overall: still hot, but not overbearing. The threat of disruptive rain in the desert is at an end and the temperamental far south tends to be more stable. Fewer people travel during this period, so visitors to Patagonia have a greater chance of spotting wildlife, including the elusive puma. The Vendimia harvest festivals also run through March, with traditional music and plenty of wine.
For a first visit, I recommend the Torres del Paine National Park, the Atacama Desert, the Chilean Lake District and the wineries of the Central Valley. The Lake District is the northern gateway to Patagonia, with its forests of monkey puzzle trees, turquoise lakes and snowy volcanoes. Finish at a winery in the Maipo Valley, less than an hour’s drive from Santiago airport.
A 13-day trip with Journey Latin America from the Atacama to Patagonia, much like this one, costs from £5,370 per person, including all hotels, excursions, transfers and domestic flights. journeylatinamerica.com
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