The 16 of the most beautiful places to visit in Chile

Go to the discovery of the longest country in the world, we have selected for you 16 the most beautiful places to visit in Chile!

With its 4,300 km long, Chile is ready for a long road trip, which takes you from the desert areas of Atacama to the icebergs of Cape Horn. Visiting Chile is crossing landscapes with multiple facets and discovering new civilizations, still unknown to Europeans four hundred years ago. We invite you to discover the most beautiful places of this thin strip of land, nestled between the Andes Cordillera and the Pacific Ocean. For your trips, we recommend buses – very comfortable – indoor flights and, on occasion, car rental.

It is very difficult to establish a ranking among such spectacular sites as each other, so we will simply take the route from north to south.

1. Lauca National Park

At the extreme northeast of Chile, this natural park, located in the Arina and Parinacota administrative region , was declared "Biosphere Reserve" in 1981.

So you will find nature in the crude state and kill high peaks, volcanoes, altitude lakes and meet a wide variety of wildlife. To appreciate it, it is better to get used to the altitude gradually, as you will evolve at more than 3,200 m. For example, you can rent a car in Arica and reach Putre quietly to climb gradually.

2. Iquique – Humberstone

Beach and surf fans? Join the largest fishing port in Chile: Iquique . The return of fishing of the colored boats offers a beautiful show, in addition to the ballet of the sea lions, pelicans and seals, which eagerly await the remains of fish that the fishermen throw them. Here you will find many beaches, among the most beautiful in the country. They are suitable for surfing, just like the high dunes that dominate the city, for sandboard this time.

About 50 kilometers away, don't miss the ghost village Humberstone . This former village, created in 1872 to house the workers who came to extract nitrate, was abandoned in 1960, but its infrastructure was preserved. Find the houses, the school, the swimming pool, the theatre... that testify to life in the early last century.

3. San Pedro de Atacama

Impossible to visit Chile without going to San Pedro de Atacama !

This former agricultural village, located in an oasis in the Atacama Desert, at 2,438 m above sea level, has become a must-see for travellers who want to explore its surroundings. Geysers of El Tatio, Atacama Salary, Cejar lagoons and Ojos del Salar lagoons, red stones, baths, as many sites that will marvel at you. However, the highlight of the show is undoubtedly the Valley of the Moon ( Valle de la Luna ). If you’re dreaming of going on the moon, start coming here, you’ll really have the feeling of being on another planet. Nearby, and not less interesting, is the Valley of Mars ( Valle de Marte ) often falsely translated into French Death Valley.

4. Cerro Paranal

If you missed the observation of the sky in San Pedro de Atacama, or if this one put the water to your mouth, go south of Antofagasta, Cerro Paranal . This mountain, in the heart of the desert, was chosen by the European Organisation for Astronomical Research (ESO) for its exceptional qualities for the observation of the stars. This is where you will have the most beautiful views of the star universe, thanks to the VLT (Very Large Telescope).

5. Elqui Valley and La Serena

A great leap to the south and you continue your visit to Chile in the Elqui valley . Green is becoming more and more present, it is here that the route of Chilean wines begins. Step by step La Serena Very beautiful colonial town. The centre is easily walking. From the Plaza de Armas you will have the choice between twenty-nine churches, a cathedral, not to mention the Recova artisanal market and the archaeological museum. In the valley, visit a vineyard or a pisquera, and taste the famous pisco – with moderation! The valley is also a very good spot to observe the stars.

6. Valparaiso

If you land Santiago , make a quick visit to the capital and then go to Valparaiso , about an hour and a half. The second city of Chile, and its largest port, owes its charm to its street art.

Walk through its colorful streets and admire the work of street artists. Take the stairs or one of the funiculars for a breathtaking view from the hills on which it is built. A little break? Extend your discovery of cultural life to Viña del Mar and enjoy without moderation its beautiful white sand beaches.

7. The park of 7 cups (radal siete tazas)

The landscape, so far rather desertic, begins to color in green at the edge of Curico. At two hours drive from this city, by a ripio path (gravier) you will reach the Radal park Siete Tazas The park with seven cups. These are stunts, which spill each other. Before you reach them, you can admire an impressive fall: the veil of the bride. The cups were somewhat mistreated by the 2010 earthquake, but four or five remain perfectly visible. The park is located in the woods, pink or orange flowers turn the way to a last fall: the Leona saltos, where you can dip.

8. Lake region

With the lake area, the Patagonia begins. The Andes merge and let their most emblematic volcanoes see: Calbuco , Osorno and Villarrica , of which you can ascend, when they are not rash!

A whole chain of lakes spreads the region, to Puerto Montt. You can take residence in Pucon or Villarica, by the lake of the same name, unless you prefer the edges of the Lake Calafquen more confidential and authentic. To Frutillar, near Lake Llanquihue , you’ll feel like you’re in a German village hut. Go along the lake, go through Puerto Varas and go to the lake Petrohué Falls , you will be seized by their intense blue/green color.

9. Chiloe

The Great Island Chiloe is renowned for its wooden churches. Second largest island in South America after the Earth of Fire, it offers a lush nature, charming fishing villages, as well as houses and churches of all colors.

Take a bike or kayak to discover the mysteries, or take a boat to explore one of the many small islands in the archipelago. Go up to What's going on? where the famous Pan-American road ends, which leaves Alaska. Everything, in Chiloé, invites you to the walk.

10. Chaitén and Pumalin Park

The national road No. 7, or the southern road, connects Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins in about two hundred kilometers. Soon asphalted, sometimes simple dirt road, it crosses enchanting landscapes, which will not leave you indifferent. You are in the fjord area, you will sometimes have to take the ferry to join the next village.

If you have passed by Chiloé, you can reach this road directly to Chaitén , gate of Pumalin Park. Dense forests, snowy summits, volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, a very rich fauna and flora, we are not far from paradise!

11. Lake General Carrera and marble chapels

Still on Carretera Australe, another very beautiful place in Chile: the Lac General Carrera and its marble chapels (marmol capillas). This lake, shared between Argentina (where it takes the name of Lake Buenos Aires) and Chile, is difficult to reach, but deserves to travel widely. The natural formations of calcium carbonate, in blue to black colours, draw caves, which were supposed to be made of marble. We reach the cathedral and the chapel by boat trips or canoe-kayak.

12. Parc Bernardo O’Higgins

The Patagonia has not finished amazing you. Located around the fiftieth parallel, the Parc National Bernardo O’Higgins covers the Chilean part of the Champ de Glace Sud Patagonie (Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur), the third ice cap in the world. A boat trip from Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas or Puerro Montt is an opportunity to admire the fjords and some of the most beautiful glaciers: Balmaceda, Serrano, Pio XI and the O’Higgins. Plan a stage in this park, to enjoy nature in the raw state, away from the noises of civilization.

13. Torres del Paine National Park

Visit Chile without sneaking around Parc Torres del Paine is inconceivable. If you are a good hiker, you will try the famous treks O or W, but the park is not limited to that. Even poor walker, you won't be insensitive to her beauty.

Rent a car Puerto Natales , enter the south door and go to the Lago Grey, where you will see the glacier of the same name. Continue your route (or rather track), stop in front of beautiful lagoons, make short walks to admire the cut peaks of Los Cuernos (the horns) and the famous Torres. Of course, it’s a little expensive, but don’t hesitate to break your dish to stay in the park and admire the sunrise on these unforgettable tours.

14. Punta Arenas and Magdalena Island

Punta Arenas , established on the edge of the Strait of Magellan, is the largest port in the region, starting point of southern excursions to Ushuaia and Cape Horn. The city is very wide, but you must not miss its downtown and its superb Plaza de Armas. One kilometre from there is the cemetery, a wonderful invitation to the walk, among the most extravagant cypresses and funerary monuments. Make a stop at the tomb of the Unknown Indian (Indiecito), always abundantly flowery.

From Punta Arenas, we reach island Magdalena , a true sanctuary for a colony of Magellan's casks, which has more than a hundred thousand members.

15. Puerto Williams and Navarino Island

The most austral village in the world, Puerto Williams gradually opens to travellers. Located on Navarino Island, it is accessible from Ushuaïa, Zodiac (very random) or from Punta Arenas, by plane or by cruise ship. On site you will discover this charming village and its welcoming inhabitants. Plan to stay there for several days, to explore the island thoroughly and in particular its circuit “ Dientes de Navarino and its famous Dents, including Pico Navarino, the highest point of the island.

16. Easter Island

Lost in the middle of the Pacific, equipped with French Polynesia and Santiago de Chile, Easter Island is no less a Chilean possession. It goes for its Moaïs (large statues), of course, but also for its landscapes: volcanoes, beaches, hiking trails... and the charming village of Hanga Roa.