The Magnificent Andes in Chile
When flying south into Santiago Chile you
cannot miss the Andes mountains towering in the distance and you get
a feel for the desolate and unpopulated areas that cover most of
Chile.
Many areas of Chile are dry and are totally uninhabited,
especially the area around Arica, one of the driest places on earth.
Further to the south you enter the area of Chilean Patagonia, a breathtaking
area of spectacular mountain peaks and panoramic vistas.
The Andes range extends in a ribbon, but they are not just a narrow strip.
In some areas the Andes stretch inland for almost a hundred miles.
Chile is a long, thin country with a massive coastline and there are a wealth
of tour operators who can help you to safely explore the wonders of the Andes
and Patagonia. Always choose a tour that is specifically recommended by a
trusted source, such as your cruise line or hotel.
Chile factoids:
- Chile has about 16 million residents, with nearly one-third
living near Santiago.
- Chile is a Catholic country with over 80% calling themselves
Catholic.
- Almost 20% of Chileans live below the poverty line with a
minimum wage of about $160 per month (about a dollar an hour).
- The currency is the Chilean peso, which converts to US
dollars at about 500 pesos per dollar. The easy conversion
in peso's is to double the price and divide by 1,000 to
approximate the US dollar cost. For example, 8,000 peso's
is about 16 dollars.
Safety in Chile
Chile is a relatively safe country, far safer than their poorer
northern neighbors. In general, the people of Chile are
very friendly and tourist-oriented, and they greatly enjoy talking
to Americans, who they see as a great novelty and they thoroughly
enjoy practicing their English language skills.
Like any other city, you should take basic precautions in
Santiago, leaving your jewelry and big cash in your hotel safe.
It's also a good idea to hire an English-speaking driver, who can be
had for as little as $10 per hour.
Let's start by looking at Santiago, by far the most popular
tourist destination in Chile.
Santiago, Chile
The capital of Chile, Santiago has over 5 million people and was
founded 1541. A majestic city, Santiago sits at the foot of
the spectacular Andes Mountains. Santiago has hot and dry
summers (During the US winter, November to March) with hot temperatures
approaching 100 degrees.
Hotels in Santiago Chile
Santiago is a huge city with cheap prices where you can live like
a king on a modest budget. You can get a
luxury suite with a butler (try the Sheraton Towers) for under $200 per night.
We also recommend the Marriott, centrally-located for shopping
and very comfortable.
The ice cold water of the Mapocho river winds through Santiago,
rushing at a fast pace towards the Pacific ocean. The areas
immediately to the south of the Mapocho river contain marvelous
restaurants and shopping areas.
The city of Santiago is spread out over an amazing distance, as
far as the eye can see, with the snow-capped Andes on the horizon.
The city is modern and clean, and you can stroll alone in the main
downtown areas at night without fear. This is the breathtaking
panoramic view of Santiago from the Sheraton Towers, a marvelous
hotel with world-class amenities, all for under $200 per night.
Let's take a look at some of the most popular Santiago tourist
activities.
Touring in Santiago Chile
For
touring, we highly recommend engaging a dedicated English speaking
driver, which only costs $10-$20 per hour, a real bargain. We
hired
Mauricio Mora, an outstanding English-speaking guide that we
highly recommend if you want to get the insider secrets of Santiago
and the surrounding areas.
Mauricio Mora, Outstanding
Chilean tour guide
Don't leave Santiago without dedicating some time to go for a
drive into the foothills of the Andes. There are many things to do in Santiago,
something for every taste:
-
Shopping - The low prices make
Santiago a shopping wonderland. Your US dollars go a long
way and it's like an all-day every-day half-price sale at
Macy's,
-
Day Trip to the Andes - The Valle
Nevado Ski Area is a great half-day trip to the Andes.
Also, "Cajon del Maipo" is the entrance to the
majestic Cordillera de los Andes. Only one hour away from the city,
you can start hire horseback rides.
-
The Central Market - Not for
everyone, you can witness the bustling people buying and
selling, a plethora of Chilean culture and La Vega Grande.
-
San Cristobal Hill - You can take the gondola for a
great view of the city and the Andes mountains.
-
Dining - Native Chilean foods are
abundant and the beef in Chile is great ,with hearty
charcoal-frilled Churrasco steaks and fresh sausages. We also
see Empanadas (fried turnovers filled with meat), and Pastel de
Choclo (a corn-mash pie with meat and olives). Oh, and don’t
forget the Chilean wines which are considered the best in the
Americas.
The markets of Santiago
No trip to Santiago is complete without a trip to the main city
market, a great place for street music, fresh seafood and
happy people.
A worker enjoying a morning drink among the garbage at the
Santiago market
The Santiago market is bustling and very busy, so always make sure they you stay with
your driver or tour guide, as pickpockets have been known to work the market
area. It's much more than fruits, meat and vegetables. You can see
vendors selling everything imaginable, and it's a fantastic way to
sample the Chilean food and culture.
You can buy almost anything in the Santiago markets
The local Santiago central market has kiosk restaurants where the locals eat,
a great way to try authentic everyday Chilean foods, largely beef and pork
sandwiches.
A typical kiosk restaurant in the Santiago
market
Shopping in Santiago
Some of the most sought-after handcrafted items
include alpaca clothes and copper goods. If you like antiques,
beware that the prices can be quite high and shipping to the USA is
very expensive. For local handicrafts in Santiago, check out
the goodies from Chile’s indigenous Aymara
and Mapuche Indians, who make handcrafted musical instruments like the
pan flute and 10-string guitars.
- Chile’s largest flea market is located
along Bio-Bio street in Santiago, and this weekend-only flea
market sells everything imaginable, including antiques.
- If you like antiques, check-out the
Sunday-only market on Paseo Estado street, between Alameda and
Plaza de Armas in Santiago.
- Los Dominico's market that is known for
local handcrafted products, jewelry and furniture.
- There are shopping malls in Santiago,
including Alto Las Condes, Parque Arauco and Mall del Centro.
- Santa Lucia Handicraft market, located on
Alameda road.
- Pio Nono in Bellavista, for handcrafted
paintings and handcrafts.
The downtown Santiago area has many wonderful sidewalk cafe's with great food,
friendly people
and super-cheap wines.
Tapas and a great wine, all for under $20 in a
Santiago sidewalk cafe
Visiting the Santiago foothills
It's hard to be in such a beautiful city such as Santiago without the
breathtaking Andes mountains beckoning you for a day trip.
The Andes are rugged and formidable, and the dirt roads are a bit scary, so we
recommend using a English-speaking driver (like
Mauricio Mora) to get a full tour
and inside stories.
Some areas of the Andes foothills look very much like the American southwest,
complete with high Saguaro-like cacti and red rocks reminiscent of New Mexico and
Arizona.
The foothills are working cattle areas and it's not hard to find a real
Chilean cowboy working their herds. Note the rope bridle, the
leggings to protect them from the prickly cactus and the huge circular spurs,
typical of the working South American gaucho.
A working Chilean gaucho
Horses run wild in the Andes and you can see them foraging and
relaxing in the morning sunshine.
Horses sunning themselves in the Andes
The ski area communities are open year-round and they offer peace
and quiet during the Chilean winters (our summer) when the snow has
melted.
The Valle Nevado Ski Area, Chile
Nestled at 10,000 feet above sea level just a one hour drive outside of
Santiago, the Valle Nevado ski area is a great place for beginner to
intermediate skiers. Located above the timberline, Valle Nevado is wide
open, with 4 lifts and lots of fresh powder.
Valle Nevado has several nice resorts, the Valle Nevado Hotel, the Puerta del
Sol Hotel, La Parva and El Colorado.
Port of Valparaiso, Chile
Many visitors to Chile arrive by cruise ship at the port of the port of
Valparaiso, a two hour drive from Santiago. Valparaiso is a booming
shipping port about a 1.5 hour drive ($150 by taxi) from Santiago.
The Valparaiso dock at night
When the cruise shops disgorge their passengers they prepare for
a second cruise through the Tierra Del Fuego, into the Antarctic,
and up the easy coast toward Buenos Aires.
The Valparaiso cruise ship dock
The city of Valparaiso has some very poor and dangerous areas and
it is highly recommended that you use a tour guide that is
recommended by your hotel. You can get a two hour tour of
Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar from an English speaking guide for only
$50.
Valparaiso slums
Traveling from Santiago to Buenos Aires
If you are not interested in the two week
cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, it's only a 90 minute
airplane ride from the Santiago airport. Some of the more
adventurous explorers will rent a car and drive from Santiago to
Buenos Aires. The best way to travel on land between Santiago
and Buenos Aires is by bus. Driving is a problem because of the
busy reads and the requirement for special Argentinean permit which
must be acquired 10 days in advance. You can buy a bus ticket on
Andesmar or TurBus to Mendoza and then continue to Buenos Aires with
Andesmar busses.
Note that many claim that
Mendoza sucks, and many don’t recommend going to Mendoza. The
best way to travel between Santiago and Buenos Aires is by air, a 90
minute ride with tickets as low as $150 one-way on Aerolineas
Argentinas.
Valparaiso has numerous tourist sites and you can get your photo taken with a
Llama for only a dollar.
Valparaiso llama photo op
Valparaiso is also the home of the Chilean Navy and they have
monuments to their Naval heroes all over the city.
Valparaiso Naval hero monument
The Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile) was founded by Chilean Naval
hero Bernardo O'Higgins (a half-Irish Admiral) is a force of about
25,000 sailors with almost 70 ships, most purchased from Great
Britain. Because of the massive amount of coastline and their
history of quarrels with their neighbors, Chile sees their navy as
strategically important to their national defense. Great
Britain was very grateful to Chile for assisting them in fighting
against Argentina to re-claim the Falkland Islands.
The Chilean Navy Headquarters in Valparaiso, Chile
Right across the bay from Valparaiso we have the resort community
of Vina Del Mar, an enclave for the rich and famous Chileans.
Vina Del Mar, Chile
Vina Del Mar is a wonderful resort town adjacent to Valparaiso,
but a world-away from Valparaiso in terms of beauty and cleanliness.
Condos dot the coastline of Vina Del Mar in
Chile
The community stretches along the coastline for many miles,
dotted with sandy beaches and towering condominiums.
A resort beach in Vina Del Mar
 The
coastline at Vina Del Mar Chile
Vina Del Mar has many activities for the tourist including horse carriage
ride a full casino, fine restaurants and many water sports activities.
A horse carriage ride in Vina Del Mar Chile
Right in-between Vina Del Mar and Santiago you will pass through
some of the famous Chilean wine country.
Casablanca Valley, Chile
On a car ride between Vina Del Mar and Santiago you will pass
through the Casablanca valley, a major wine producing region.
With fertile soil, dry heat and irrigation, the Casablanca valley is
producing some of the finest varietal wines in Chile.
The Casablanca (white house) area is known for
great Chilean wine
In sum, Santiago is one of the best tourist
areas in all of South America. It's safe, cheap and clean,
with friendly people and outstanding dining.
 |
This is an excerpt from the book
South America Insider Adventures by Rampant TechPress.
This is the definitive guide for the U.S. American
traveler who seeks to safely explore South America.
You can order it directly from the publisher and save over
30% at
this link. |
Extra pics:
Casablanca Valley wine region
of Chile
At the Vina Del Mar beach
Sea Lions (sea wolves, lobo
del mare) on the rocks in Vina Del Mar
The Chilean Andes from the
air
|
