Resting in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range, Chile’s vibrant, cosmopolitan, the capital city of Santiago is famous for its beautiful parks, a wealth of historical attractions, and exciting arts and music scenes. The Cerro San Cristobal Park, the largest green space in the city, lies on a hill and is reached by a funicular ride. It offers visitors stunning sweeping views of the city, as well as a picturesque botanical garden and two huge swimming pools. The colonial Plaza de Armas, in the old town centre, is a delight to explore with its numerous Neoclassical buildings and museums, most notably the home-turned-museum of renowned poet Pablo Neruda. Visitors can also look forward to wonderful live shows, concerts and exhibitions.
Hugging the northwest coast of Chile’s Easter Island, between the extinct volcanoes of Terevaka and Rano Kau, Hanga Roa is an alluring harbour town surrounded by a remarkable number of incredible sites and attractions. Of the many sites, the most notable are Ahu Tahai, with its striking ceremonial platform and large anthropomorphic statues, and Ahu Tautira, overlooking the Caleta Hanga Roa fishing port. The two ports here are attractions in themselves, surrounded by wonderful sun-kissed restaurants and photogenic with their colourful bobbing boats and enormous single ancient statues standing guard at each. Beach lovers will delight in Playa Pea, which offers good surfing waves, while another on the town’s northern edge is ideal for swimming and snorkelling, and features a sea pool. Other highlights include the many historic religious buildings and the beautiful hiking trails through the island’s green hills.
This remote Chilean island - some 3200 kilometres from the South American mainland in the Pacific Ocean – is one of the most isolated populated places on earth, endowed with a rich and enigmatic heritage. Historians believe the first inhabitants were Polynesians from neighbouring islands who travelled for days on open seas in crude catamarans and canoes to settle on what locals call Rapa Nui, known to the Western world as Easter Island. The destination is best known for the hundreds of huge, ancient statues that surround its coastline, believed to have been carved by the island people to represent ancestral deities. Apart from its outstanding archaeological offerings, Easter Island has a unique natural habitat that lends itself to fantastic trekking and scuba diving.
As previously described
