Exploring Chile’s natural beauty

If you’re thinking of moving abroad or traveling, here’s why I recommend Chile

I moved to Chile in 2017 on a bit of a whim. I was having a quarter-life crisis and I wanted an adventure. I googled international teaching jobs, had some Skype interviews, and six months later I was on my way.

I knew a few people who had traveled to Chile before me, and they had highly recommended it as a beautiful place to visit, but even so, when I first arrived, I was stunned.

I love mountains, and in particular, snowy ones. I arrived in Chile just at the end of its winter, and I was lucky enough to have a view of the Andes from my apartment window.

It. Was. Spectacular.

But seeing the Andes from my bedroom window wasn’t the only highlight of being in Chile. Here’s my list of 7 top places to visit from North to South.

1. Atacama Desert/San Pedro de Atacama

When I arrived in Chile, I was a bit biased against the desert. As I’ve already said, I love snow-capped mountains and I prefer being cold, so I didn’t really think the desert was for me. But I was so wrong! San Pedro de Atacama is the main tourist town and it’s a gorgeous place full of stone, whitewashed buildings, markets and live music.

From there you can travel to the Moon Valley and see hues of brown, orange and pink spread out for miles around you. Being there was so different from anywhere that I’d ever been before that it felt like another world. Not far from San Pedro are salt flats, crystal blue lakes and a flamingo nature reserve. The colours are unreal.

The other highlight was stargazing as the skies are so clear there and there are many observatories — so by day and night, your eyes are filled with wonder!

I also traveled to Uyuni in Bolivia at this point on a five-day trip from San Pedro. If you have the time, it is also breathtakingly beautiful.

2. Vicuña/Valle de Elqui

There are many vineyards and pisco distilleries to visit in Valle de Elqui, but there’s something more than that. There’s a feeling, a quality to the air and the land that is restorative. I visited three times over the course of the five years that I lived there and loved something new each time. I did a downhill 60km bike ride and stopped at markets and small towns and villages along the way. Each town was full of colour and life with shops and markets and restaurants. I hiked into the mountains with a group and stopped to see a magnificent waterfall. I was also there during Chile’s National Independence Day and went to a traditional hillside festival on the side of the mountain. It is a place full of energy.

3. Valparaíso

It’s hard not to mention Valparaíso when talking about Chile. It is a port on the coast, around an hour and a half from Santiago. What makes it special are the steep hills (cerros) that come inland from the coast and make for some incredible views over the coastline. It’s also the heart of artistic creation in Chile, and the streets are full of cool graffiti, eccentric buildings and huge murals. It also has an annual samba festival where a parade of samba bands, dancers and fans walk through the streets along the coastline.

4. Pichilemu

Pichilemu is another coastal town that has become popular with surfers and yogis. It is a regular weekend destination as it isn’t too far from Santiago and has a cool, hippy vibe. The sea is bloody cold though! I went to a yoga/surfing retreat there and had an amazing time. There’s also kitesurfing too, although I wasn’t brave enough for that!

5. Villarrica/Pucón

These two towns border the same dazzlingly clear lake and have easy access to surrounding national parks which are full of Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria) which are native to Chile. There’s also the possibility of climbing Volcán Villarrica in a long day’s trek from Pucón — not for the faint-hearted as you need crampons and a pick axe to make your way up the snow and ice. I would describe myself as a medium-fit hiker and I was able to do it, so it’s well worth it for the amazing views you get of the surrounding lake district, the peeking into the lava crater at the top (although no lava was visible when I hiked it — probably a good thing!) and for the fact that you get to slide back down it on a sled in snow channels!

During the summer you can swim in the lake, and the area has lots of hiking/camping/kayaking opportunities. This is my favourite part of Chile and I went as often as I possibly could while I lived there.

6. Torres Del Paine / Puerto Natales, Patagonia

Torres Del Paine is probably one of the most well-known parts of Chile. It’s a huge and sprawling National Park with mountains, glaciers and lakes, and the place where you can see the Torres — three striking granite peaks nestled on the edge of a lake.

Really there aren’t words to describe Torres Del Paine — all I can say is that I loved every second of the time that I was there. Puerto Natales is the town closest to Torres del Paine where you will always find a community of backpackers, trekkers and adventure seekers!

7. Punta Arenas/Tierra Del Fuego

This was actually the last place that I visited in Chile before I moved home, and the most Southerly that I’ve ever been! I went for one main reason and that was the penguins.

I took a boat to an island called Isla Magdalena where there is a colony of extremely cute Magellanic penguins, and you are able to get off the boat and walk on a marked-off loop around the island with penguins all over the place. Ethically speaking, I’m not sure if this is the best idea, but selfishly speaking, I absolutely loved it.

I also went to Tierra del Fuego and saw a colony of King Penguins — but from much further away. It was so interesting to see how different these two species are from each other. The only downside to Punta Arenas is the wind. At night I thought that my accommodation would get blown away it was so windy (it didn’t — they’re very used to the wind). Punta Arenas is where Chile’s new president, Gabriel Boric, is from, and the city is also very cool (and pretty cold!).

This list isn’t exhaustive.

You could spend a whole year traveling through Chile. Or you could live there and get to try and understand Chilean Spanish!

Either way, I really recommend you go.

P.s my profile pic is me at the Hand of the Desert in Antofagasta, Chile :)