Seen in the pages of an atlas, Chile's outline seems aberrant, even fantastical: almost 4000km in length and with an average width of just 180km, the very idea of it seems absurd. Once on Chilean soil, however, you'll be impressed by the country as a physical geographic entity. While the formidable barrier of rock and ice formed by the Andes cuts the country off from Argentina and Bolivia, the Atacama Desert, a thousand-kilometre stretch of parched wasteland, separates it from Peru to the north. And to the west, only a few islands dotted in the Pacific Ocean break the waves that roll onto Chile's coast from Australia.
All this has created a country distinct from much of the rest of South America. It is Westernized, relatively affluent, and boasts a long tradition of political stability and orderly government. Above all, though, it is its remote and dizzyingly beautiful landscapes that lure visitors to Chile. Much of the country is covered by vast tracts of barely touched wilderness – places where you can be days from the nearest tarred road, and where you can have steaming hot springs, gleaming white salt flats or emerald lakes all to yourself. Few countries can match the astounding contrasts of scenery, ranging from the driest desert in the world to immense ice fields and glaciers. In between these extremes is a kaleidoscope of panoramas: sun-baked scrubland, lush vineyards and orchards, virgin temperate rainforest, dramatic fjords and bleak Patagonian steppes. Towering over it all is the long spine of the Andes, punctuated by colossal peaks and smouldering volcanoes.
The
Altiplano and the Atacama Desert, the driest in the
world, are located between the cities of Arica and Copiapo.
Made up of rocks, sands, salt flats, lagoons and fuming
geysers, the myriad of colours and forms will take your
breath away.
Besides the capital Santiago, Central Chile presents
an extraordinarily fertile valley, the famous port of
Valparaiso, one of the newest UNESCO World Heritage
Sites, and the Andes, the spectacular mountain range
that runs the entire length of the country.
Between
the city of Temuco and the magical archipelago of Chiloe,
nature at its most stunning intermingles with a fascinating
native culture. Small, indigenous communities can be
found living amidst lush green valleys, snow-capped
volcanoes, pristine lakes and exuberant native forests.
Perhaps
the least explored and untouched corner of our planet,
the amazing strength and beauty of nature can be experienced
here in its full majesty. Home to penguins and whales,
Chilean Patagonia’s glaciers, craggy mountains
and wide open spaces is a "must" for the real
traveller. |
