©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd “All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!” TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET Get the right guides for your trip

PAGE PLAN YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT 2 Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions YOUR TRIP to help you put together your perfect trip

Welcome to Chile ...... 2 Map ...... 4 20 Top Experiences ...... 6 Welcome to Chile Need to Know ...... 16 If You Like ...... 18 COUNTRY • The original Month by Month ...... 21 • Comprehensive • AdventurousAdventu Itineraries ...... 23 (p ) g Artes (Beautiful Art) – says it all. Fan À ne arts can spend the day admiring works at the Museo Nacional de Bel and the Museo de Arte Contemporá housed in the stately Palacio de Bell Chile Outdoors ...... 28 before checking out edgy modern ph and sculpture at the nearby Museo d Meet A LandVisuales. of Along the way, take stayeda brea kintact for so long. The very human several sidewalk cafes along thequest co forb development could imperil these E xtremes treasures sooner than we think. For now, pedestrian streets. Palacio de Bellas A Travel with Children ...... 33 20Preposterously thin and unreasonably Chile guards parts of our planet that re- ong, Chile stretches from the belly of main the most pristine, and they shouldn’t outh America toParque its foot, reaching Nacional from be To missed.r he driest desert delon earth Paine to vast southern TOP lacial À elds. It’s nature on a symphonic La Buena Onda Some rites of passage never los EXPERIENCEScale. Diverse landscapes unfurl over a In Chile, close borders foster intimacy. peal, so strap on that heavy pac Regions at a Glance ...... 35 300kmstretch:parcheddunesfertile2 No matter where you go it feels a little through howling steppe and winding behold these holiest-of-holy granite spires (p 359 ). Las Torres may be the attraction of its namesake park, but wilderness has much more to oՖ er. I sculpted surface of Glacier Grey, exp quiet backside of the circuit, kayak t Serrano or ascend John Gardner Pas 2 ing views of the southern ice À eld.

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

Norte BOLIVIA El Tatio Chico Sur Chico Chiloé Geysers •# •# SanPedrodeAtacama BRAZIL Valle de la Luna •# #÷ Beaches 33 Parks 333 Churches 333 Reserva PAR AGUAY NacionalLos PHRASEBOOK Activities 333 Outdoors 333 Culture 33 Flamencos É SHOESTRING

Architecture 3 Lakes 333 Nature 33 CHILE ARGENTINA É •# Portillo •# Big trips, Valparaíso #_ SANTIAGO • URUGUAY

Beaches Parks Churches ‚ É A string of pretty Sur Chico parks These Unesco To Easter Island small budgets beaches lines the oՖ er a wealth of Word Heritage site •# Pucón PACIFIC coast of Norte landscapes. Climb churches will have •# PuertoMontt OCEAN Chico, including Volcán Villarrica you worshipping Chiloé •# Multicountry

É • activity hubs like and peer into its architecture. Each ATLAN TIC buzzy La Serena gas-spewing crater. village centerpiece OCEAN as well as virtually Other parks show- was built at the call virgin strips of sand case alpine lakes, of Jesuit missionar- and hip beach hide- araucaria forests ies in the 17th and aways like the tiny and ski slopes. 18th centuries. Bahía Inglesa. Outdoors Culture Activities While trekkers Chiloé’s distinctive You can climb the relish the laundry Á avor, notable in world’s highest list of trails, rafting, mythology and active volcano, Ojos kayaking, canopy folklore, lives in del Salado, sail the zip lines, mountain the architecture of coast around Bahía biking and volcano churches and pal- Looking for other travel resources? Inglesa, hop on a climbing are other afitos (stilt houses). boat to see Hum- great options here. Cuisine dates to

PAGE UNDERSTAND GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP 417 Learn about the big picture, so you CHILE can make sense of what you see

Chile Today ...... 418 population per sq km History ...... 420 CHILE USA UK

Life in Chile ...... 433 ≈ 1 person Chilean Wine ...... 435 Literature & Chile Today LONELYPLANET.COM APPS EBOOKS MAGAZINE Literature & Cinema ...... 438 Cinema For travel information, Location-based Guidebooks For travel stories, Too bad there is no award for the most dogged country, because Chile While poetry has long been the golden nugget of this n would be a serious candidate. After an 8.8 earthquake hit oՖ the central Chilean cinema is gaining world recognition. In the last g coast in February 2010, Chile dug in. The earthquake carried the power advice, tips & digital guides for the street for your reader inspiration & ideas military dictatorship prompted an artistic exodus and c of 10,000 Hiroshima bombs: with the ensuing tsunami it was responsi e The Natural World ...... 441 modern Chile has rebounded with a fresh and sometim for hundreds of deaths and US$30 billion dollars in damage. Yet two chapters phasis on the arts. months later, students returned to school, and the aՖ ected roads, orts lonelyplanet.com/mobile lonelyplanet.com/ebooks lonelyplanet.com/magazine and air orts were up. In large part the recovery depended on citizens L iterature & Poetry who hel ed each other with no formal emergency res onse in lace National Parks ...... 447 Chile: A Traveler’s Twentieth-century Chile has produced many of Latin A Literary Com- celebrated writers. The most acclaimed are poets Pablo N panion (2003), boxed text, opposite) and Gabriela Mistral, both Nobel Pri edited by Kath- erine Silver, is an Mistral (born Lucila Godoy Alcayaga; 1889–1957) was a appetite-whetting ral schoolmistress from Elqui Valley who won great acclai whiz through passionate, reÁ ective and mystical poetry. She became So Chile’s rich liter- À rst Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1945. STAY IN TOUCH ary tradition, with Nicanor Parra (b 1914) drew Nobel Prize attention for h snippets from the work of many top ential and colloquial ‘antipoetry.’ De Hojas e Parr From writers, including Parra) and Poemas y antipoemas (Poems and Anti oems lonelyplanet.com/contact Neruda, Dorf- well known Bohemian Jorge Tellier 1935–96 wrote oe AUSTRALIA Locked Bag 1, Footscray, Victoria 3011 twitter.com/ %03 8379 8000, fax 03 8379 8111 lonelyplanet ISBN 978-1-74179-583-7 facebook.com/ 99525 Paper in this book is certified USA 150 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607 against the Forest Stewardship %510 250 6400, toll free 800 275 8555, fax 510 893 8572 lonelyplanet Council™ standards. FSC™ promotes environmentally responsible, socially lonelyplanet.com/ beneficial and economically viable UK Media Centre, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ 9 781741 795837 management of the world’s forests. %020 8433 1333, fax 020 8702 0112 newsletter

chile-easter-island-9-cover.indd 2 29/06/2012 1:53:19 PM PAGE ON THE YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE 38 In-depth reviews, detailed listings ROAD and insider tips

Norte Grande p142

Easter Island Norte Chico (Rapa Nui) p193 p401

Santiago p40 Middle Chile p87

Sur Chico p223 Chiloé p284

Northern Patagonia p305

Southern Patagonia p339 Tierra del Fuego p378

PAGE SURVIVAL VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO 451 GUIDE HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

Directory A–Z ...... 452 Transportation ...... 463 Language

Spanish pronunciation is easy, as most sounds have equivalents in English. Read our ko·mo se ya·ma oo·ste pronunciation guides as if they were English, ko·mo te ya·mas (inf) and you’ll be understood. Note that Do you speak English? Language ...... 473 throaty sound (like the ‘ch’ in the Scottish loch), v and b are like a soft English ‘v’ (be- a·bla een·gles (pol) tween a ‘v’ and a ‘b’), and a·blas een·gles (inf) The stressed syllables are indicated with an acute accent in written Spanish (eg with italics in our pronunciation guides. ACCOMMODATIONS Index ...... 487 The polite form is used in this chapter; I’d like a single/double room. where both polite and informal options are kee·sye·ra oo·na given, they are indicated by the abbrevia- a·bee·ta·syon tions ‘pol’ and ‘inf’. Where necessary, both een·dee·vee·dwal/do·b masculine and feminine forms of words are How much is it per night/person? included, separated by a slash and with the kwan·to kwes·ta por Map Legend ...... 494 masculine form À rst, eg no·che/per·so·na Does it include breakfast? BASICS een·kloo·ye el lo. Hola. o de·sa··yoo·n ye. Adiós. ou? ¿Qué tal? aire acond Bien, gracias. cionad dón

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Carolyn McCarthy, Jean-Bernard Carillet, Bridget Gleeson, Anja Mutić, Kevin Raub Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favourite places are listed first

Look out for these icons: Our author’s top A green or No payment recommendation sustainable option required

SANTIAGO ...... 40 NORTE GRANDE . . . . 142 SUR CHICO ...... 223 AROUND SANTIAGO ...... 80 Arica ...... 143 LA ARAUCANÍA ...... 226 Pomaire ...... 80 Chile 11 Highway...... 154 Temuco ...... 226 Maipo Valley Wineries . . . . .82 Putre ...... 156 Parque Nacional Cajón del Maipo ...... 82 Parque Nacional Lauca . . . 159 Tolhuaca ...... 230 Ski Centers ...... 85 South of Parque Parque Nacional Nacional Lauca ...... 160 Conguillío ...... 231 MIDDLE CHILE ...... 87 Iquique ...... 161 Curacautín ...... 233 Pica ...... 173 Reserva Nacional VALPARAÍSO & Malalcahuello-Nalcas . . . .233 THE CENTRAL COAST . . . . . 90 Calama ...... 174 Melipeuco ...... 234 Valparaíso ...... 90 Chuquicamata ...... 175 Villarrica ...... 235 Viña del Mar ...... 102 San Pedro de Atacama . . . 177 Pucón ...... 238 Casablanca Valley Reserva Nacional Los Wineries ...... 107 Flamencos ...... 187 Parque Nacional Villarrica ...... 244 ACONCAGUA VALLEY . . . . 110 El Tatio Geysers ...... 189 Río Liucura Valley ...... 246 Antofagasta ...... 189 SOUTHERN HEARTLAND . .112 Parque Nacional Colchagua Valley ...... 113 Huerquehue ...... 247 NORTE CHICO ...... 193 Pichilemu ...... 116 Lican Ray ...... 248 Parque Nacional Pan de Maule Valley ...... 118 Azúcar ...... 195 LOS RÍOS ...... 249 Chillán ...... 124 Caldera ...... 196 Valdivia ...... 249 Termas de Chillán & Bahía Inglesa ...... 197 THE LAKES DISTRICT . . . . 256 Valle Las Trancas ...... 126 Copiapó ...... 199 Osorno ...... 256 Coastal Towns ...... 128 Parque Nacional Entre Lagos ...... 258 Concepción ...... 129 Nevado Tres Cruces . . . . . 202 Parque Nacional Salto del Laja ...... 131 Ojos del Salado ...... 202 Puyehue ...... 259 Parque Nacional Huasco Valley ...... 203 Puerto Octay ...... 261 Laguna del Laja ...... 132 Parque Nacional Frutillar ...... 262 Los Angeles ...... 133 Llanos de Challe ...... 205 Puerto Varas ...... 263 Parque Nacional Reserva Nacional Nahuelbuta ...... 135 Parque Nacional Vicente Pingüino de Humboldt . . 205 Pérez Rosales ...... 270 ARCHIPIÉLAGO La Serena...... 206 Cochamó ...... 272 JUAN FERNÁNDEZ ...... 135 Elqui Valley ...... 214 Río Cochamó Valley ...... 272 San Juan Bautista ...... 138 Limarí Valley ...... 220 Río Puelo ...... 273 Parque Nacional Río Hurtado Valley ...... 221 Archipiélago Juan Río Puelo Valley ...... 274 Fernández ...... 140 Parque Nacional Puerto Montt...... 275 Bosques de Fray Jorge . . .222 Isla Alejandro Selkirk . . . . . 141 See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

On the Road

CHILOÉ ...... 284 Villa Cerro Castillo ...... 327 TIERRA DEL FUEGO. .378 Ancud ...... 286 Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez . .328 CHILEAN TIERRA Monumento Natural Chile Chico ...... 328 DEL FUEGO ...... 379 Islotes de Puñihuil ...... 291 Reserva Nacional Porvenir ...... 382 Chepu ...... 291 Jeinemeni ...... 330 Timaukel ...... 383 Quemchi ...... 292 Puerto Río Tranquilo . . . . 330 Estancia Yendegaia . . . . . 384 Isla Mechuque ...... 292 Cruce El Maitén ...... 331 Isla Navarino ...... 384 Dalcahue ...... 293 Puerto Guadal ...... 331 Cabo De Hornos & Isla Quinchao ...... 295 Puerto Bertrand ...... 331 Surrounding Islands . . . . 388 Castro ...... 296 Valle Chacabuco (Parque ARGENTINE TIERRA Parque Nacional Chiloé . . .301 Nacional Patagonia) . . . . .332 DEL FUEGO ...... 388 Quellón ...... 303 Cochrane ...... 334 Ushuaia ...... 390 Reserva Nacional Parque Nacional Tierra Tamango ...... 335 NORTHERN del Fuego ...... 398 PATAGONIA ...... 305 Caleta Tortel ...... 335 Río Grande...... 399 South to Villa O’Higgins . . 336 Hornopirén ...... 308 Villa O’Higgins ...... 336 EASTER ISLAND Parque Nacional Hornopirén ...... 310 (RAPA NUI) ...... 401 Parque Pumalín ...... 310 SOUTHERN HANGA ROA ...... 403 Chaitén ...... 312 PATAGONIA ...... 339 PARQUE NACIONAL Futaleufú ...... 314 MAGALLANES ...... 341 RAPA NUI...... 411 Palena ...... 316 Punta Arenas ...... 341 Northern Circuit ...... 411 La Junta ...... 317 ÚLTIMA ESPERANZA . . . . . 351 Southwest Circuit ...... 411 Puyuhuapi ...... 318 Puerto Natales ...... 352 Northeast Circuit ...... 412 Termas De Puyuhuapi . . . .319 Cueva del Milodón ...... 358 UNDERSTAND EASTER ISLAND ...... 413 Parque Nacional Queulat . .320 Parque Nacional Easter Island Today ...... 413 Coyhaique ...... 321 Bernardo O’Higgins ...... 359 History ...... 413 Reserva Nacional Parque Nacional Coyhaique ...... 326 Torres del Paine ...... 359 The Culture ...... 414 Reserva Nacional Río ARGENTINE PATAGONIA . . 367 Arts ...... 414 Simpson ...... 326 El Calafate ...... 367 Environment ...... 414 Monumento Natural Perito Moreno & SURVIVAL GUIDE ...... 414 Dos Lagunas ...... 326 Parque Nacional Directory A–Z ...... 414 Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (South) . . . .372 Laguna San Rafael ...... 326 El Chaltén & TRANSPORTATION ...... 415 Reserva Nacional Parque Nacional Getting There & Away . . . .415 Los Glaciares (North) . . . .374 Cerro Castillo ...... 327 Getting Around ...... 416 › Chile & Easter Island Top Experiences › 85ºW 70ºW 65ºW 60ºW 55ºW Easter Island (Rapa Nui) ARICA 109º30'W 80ºW SUCRE 0 4 km 109º20'WAnakena 0 2 miles P 20ºS a IQUIQUE n BOLIVIA 75ºW a m El Tatio Geysers BRAZIL e

r i The world’s highest c

a

n geyser field (p189)

North Coast a Chuquicamata Hanga Surfing in Iquique (p161) Roa Calama El Tatio Geysers 27º10'S PACIFIC and Arica (p143) PARAGUAY OCEAN San Pedro Tropic of Capricorn de Atacama ANTOFAGASTA Anakena Beach Volcán s Valle de la Luna Llullaillaco e Easter Island’s sandy d Magnificent desert (6720m) SALTA ASUNCIÓN paradise (p412) n landscapes (p187) 25ºS A

s

Ojos del o Salado l 25ºS PACIFIC (6893m) e TUCUMÁN Elqui Valley OCEAN d COPIAPÓ RESISTENCIA Poetry, pisco and pretty a CORRIENTES r villages (p214) e l l i d r o á BRAZIL

n

C Valparaíso a 30ºS LA SERENA Vicuña r Steep graffiti-clad hills a

P

to explore (p90) o Ovalle CÓRDOBA í SAN JUAN R SANTA FE 30ºS URUGUAY Santiago Museums, fine dining and Viña del Mar MENDOZA nightlife (p40) VALPARAÍSO SANTIAGO rnández Juan Fe RANCAGUA lago Isla Robinson s ié e chip MONTEVIDEO Ar Crusoe Curicó d BUENOS n 35ºS To Easter Island (3680km) A ARGENTINA AIRES Coastal s

Cordillera o TALCA l e

d Chillán CONCEPCIÓN a

r

e

35ºS Colchagua Valley l Los Angeles l

i Bahía

Sun-soaked vineyards and Parque Nacional d

r Blanca

wine tasting (p113) Nahuelbuta o C TEMUCO NEUQUÉN Villarrica Pucón The Lakes District VALDIVIA 40ºS Parque Nacional Volcanoes, lakes and rolling Puyehue farmland (p256) Osorno Frutillar Parque Nacional Puerto Varas Vicente Pérez Rosales PUERTO MONTT Cochamó ATLANTIC Ancud OCEAN Isla Grande Castro de Chiloé 40ºS Chiloé Chaitén Handcrafted remnants of the Quellón island's churches (p284)

s

e 45ºS

d

COYHAIQUE n Comodoro

A Rivadavia The Carretera Austral Valle Chacabuco Valle Chacabuco s

Chile’s most epic (Parque Nacional o (Parque Nacional Patagonia) road trip (p309) Patagonia) l Guanacos and condors (p332) e ARGENTINA

d

a 45ºS r e

l l Monumento Natural Torres del Paine i Los Pingüinos World-famous granite d 50ºS r El Calafate Meet Magellanic penguins (p349) spires (p359) o Parque Nacional C Torres del Paine RIO GALLEGOS STANLEY ELEVATION Puerto Natales Monumento Natural Los Falkland Islands 4000m Pingüinos Isla Magdalena 3000m PUNTA (Islas Malvinas) ARENAS Porvenir Isla Grande de 2000m Tierra del Fuego Puerto Williams 1000m 0 500 km 500m Parque Nacional Reach the continent’s 0 300 miles Tierra del Fuego USHUAIA 0 Puerto Williams southernmost outpost (p385)

95ºW 90ºW 85ºW Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn)

80ºW

75ºW

70ºW 65ºW

60ºW

55ºW 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. Read more about Kevin at: lonelyplanet.com/members/kraub 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. OUR STORY A 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’. 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. Read more about Bridget at: lonelyplanet.com/members/bridgetgleeson 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.

OVER MORE PAGE WRITERS Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd ABN 36 005 607 983 Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason- 9th edition – October 2012 able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about ISBN 978 1 74179 583 7 the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi- © Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 2012 mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China All 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. 23

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

BOLIVIA El Tatio Geysers •# •# SanPedrodeAtacama Valle de la Luna •# #÷ BRAZIL Reserva PARAGUAY NacionalLos Flamencos

É

CHILE ARGENTINA

É •# Portillo •# Valparaíso #_ SANTIAGO

‚ URUGUAY É To Easter Island •# Pucón PACIFIC •# PuertoMontt OCEAN Chiloé •#

É ATLAN TIC OC EAN

ParqueNacional #÷ Torres del Paine •# PuertoNatales

Four Weeks Best 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. 24

Viña

Valparaiso •#•# del Mar É Casablanca

•# Valley É SANTIAGO #_

PLAN YOUR TRIP TRIP YOUR PLAN •# Viña Aquitania

É •# Viña Concha y

CHILE Toro É

PACIFIC OCEAN É ITINERARIES

•# Colchagua Santa Cruz •# Valley

ARGENTINA É

Ta l c a •#

Two Weeks La 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! 25 AARON MCCOY / LONELY PLANET IMAGES © PLAN YOUR TRIP TRIP YOUR PLAN ITINERARIES

» (above) Parque Nacional Queulat ALFREDO MAIQUEZ / LONELY PLANET IMAGES © (p320) » (left) Wine cellar, Viña Concha y Toro (p82), Pirque 26

Cochamó Valley •# Puerto •# •# Río Puelo Montt Valley #÷ Parque

Pumalín É

É ARGENTINA PLAN YOUR TRIP TRIP YOUR PLAN •# La Junta Puyuhuapi •# Parque #÷ Nacional Queulat

É

•# Coyhaique É

É PACIFIC OCEAN CHILE Chile Chico •#•# Los Antiguos

ITINERARIES É ATLANTIC OCEAN Villa O'Higgins •# É

El Chaltén Parque Nacional •# Los Glaciares & Perito Moreno Glacier ÷#

É •# El Calafate Parque Nacional Torres #÷ del Paine É •# Puerto Natales

Four Weeks Pioneer 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. 27

PERU

Putre Parque •# Nacional Lauca TRIP YOUR PLAN É #÷ BOLIVIA Arica •# Reserva Nacional #÷

Las Vicuñas É Monumental #÷ Natural Salar de Surire PACIFIC OCEAN Parque É ITINERARIES

É Nacional P #÷ a Volcán Isluga name Pisagua •#

r ic CHILE

a É n

a

•# Humberstone •# Iquique É •#SantaLaura

Seven to 10 days Desert 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. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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