Chile Best of Chile (1 Month)

So you want big cities, rugged wilderness, burning deserts, towering glaciers, and gorgeous beaches? Sounds like you want all of Chile—or at least as much as you can cram into a month of travels. Your first stop (and likely entry point) is the bustling metropolis of Santiago. Gape at the soaring skyscrapers of Santiago Centro and get your groove on in the hip Barrio Bellavista. Then jump to the far north, landing in Arica, gateway to Peru and Bolivia, as well as to some of the north’s most fascinating sights, including PN Lauca, home to llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos, as well as the blindingly white salt plains of the Salar de Surire. From alpine plains and snow-capped mountains to the barren desert, San Pedro de Atacama is your next stop. Try catching the sunset at Valle de la Luna and the sunrise over El Tatio Geysers. When you’re ready to head back to civilization, continue to Antofagasta, the region’s largest city. This is a great place to rest up before attacking the highest volcano in the world, Ojos del Salado, in PN Nevado Tres Cruces. Back on the Pacific coast, Valparaíso is a great place to take in a little culture and see Pablo Neruda’s old haunts. Or swing over to Valpo’s sister city, Viña del Mar, one of the hottest, wildest beach resorts in South America. If you haven’t had enough of beaches and waves, head on to Chile’s premier surf town, Pichilemu, a growing mecca for surfers and young travelers alike. However, if sand isn’t your favorite thing, head on to Curicó, from where you can feel free to hop around on the Ruta del Vino Valle de Curicó and sample some of Chile’s finest. Don’t drink too much, because soon, it’s off to beautiful Pucón, near the shores of Lago Villarrica. From here, you can take a tour out to the imposing Volcán Villarrica or enjoy the increasingly popular town, before heading on to Puerto Varas. With a laid-back atmosphere and incredible views of the Andes, beautiful Puerto Varas is slowly becoming one of the more popular cities in Chile’s Región Los Lagos. Next, catch a ferry from Puerto Montt to Castro on the isle of Chiloé. Be sure to spend time wandering through some of the quaint fishing villages that dot the coast and drop by the picturesque PN Chiloé. After that, head down to Punta Arenas, where you can spend time with penguins and prep yourself for a trek through PN Torres del Paine, one of the most well-known parks in South America. When you’ve had enough of alpine fields, blue-green lakes, and craggy peaks, move on to Ushuaia, Argentina. Although it claims to be “el fin del mundo” (the end of the world), no pan-Chilean adventure would be complete without a trip to the actual southernmost human settlement in the world, Puerto Williams, on Isla Navarino. Finally, head on back to Santiago and kick back with a pisco sour. You’ve earned it.