Holidays to Chile
Chile is the longest and thinnest of Latin American countries but with such an amazing variety of scenery and history.
The original inhabitants were the Quechuan people in the north (Incas) and the Araucanians in the south. After the Spanish Conquest and until the 19 th century, the north remained part of Peru while the south remained under the control of the Araucanians. After independence from Spain , the first president had the unlikely name of Bernardo O’Higgins!
The capital city, Santiago , could compete with any in Europe for elegance and culture while in the rest of Chile the culture and traditions of the original inhabitants still prevail. In fact, your stay in Chile could be further enhanced by staying with one of many families who are pleased to welcome visitors into their homes and share their culture with them.
The Andes dominate the length of the country and divide it from Argentina . Try trekking along these majestic peaks and visit some of the dozens of volcanos along the way. If heights are not your inclination then descend into the spectacular region of the Atacama desert – the driest on our planet. Nestling between the Cordillera de los Andes and the Pacific Ocean , Atacama is a vast expanse of mystery which gave rise to pre-Columbian cultures. If you are there in July you could see the famous festival held in Iquique when nearly 80,000 people gather together in a feast of colour, costumes and dances.
Visit Valparaiso , rich in diverse cultures brought by the many European immigrants to this rich area of wines and star-gazing. Chile has the highest percentage of clear nights in the world.
If gastronomy is your delight then why not combine a tour of the diverse regions of this country with a cookery course to match, including the delicious and now famous, wines.
For stark contrast, travel to Finis Terrae – the End of the World – the last untamed corner of the American Continent. Visit gigantic ice flows – home to thousands of penguins. At Punta Arenas , the southernmost city in the world, gaze across the Magellan Straits, one of the world’s historic trade routes and imagine the clippers which used to sail through, carrying gold from California to Europe when this was the only route from West to East before the opening of the Panama canal.
