Country Information

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the snow-capped Andes, Chile encompasses some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes in a country 4,300 km long and never more than 180 km wide. To the north are the lunar lands of the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world, where stunning relics from the pre-Colombian civilisations have been perfectly preserved. Blue-sky days and cool nights make this a year-round destination.

The central regions around Santiago bask in a Mediterranean climate, ideal for growing wine and best visited in the Austral summer from October to April. As Chile heads south the land rears up into a dramatic world of lakes and the snow-capped cones of volcanoes, best visited in the blazing summer months from November to March, but still attracting skiers from around the globe at other times of the year.

In the far south, Patagonia rarely gets very warm, but the surrounding oceans counter the extremes of cold. It is best visited in Europe’s winter, when days are long, and the rugged glacial landscapes compensate for the cool temperatures.