| Home | Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay |

Chile Experiences, Stories & Photos from a Backpacker

Political Map of Chile
 Chile

Experiences & Stories:
A very easy country to travel in, Chile maintains a lifestyle similar to Europe! It has something for everyone including the icey southern regions to the lagoons and desert in the north! If you enjoy fine cuisine and wine, trekking, outdoor activities, the inspiring views of lakes, salt flats, amazing forests and beautiful mountains, Chile is an inspirational country to travel!

I have spent a short time in Chile on a couple of occasions, most of my time has been spent up in the north of the country. Here are my experiences and story.

Argentinian Border, Paso de Jama to Calama:
I travelled from Salta in Argentina to Calama in Chile on a bus for 10hrs, I crossed the border at Paso de Jama, it took over an hour for the Argentinian immigration to process us, there is about 160kms of travel before the Chile border control. There is some nice scenery along this route which is highway 27, mountains, salt flats, lagoons and wide open space. More

Calama:
Calama is not the most exciting or most beautiful city I have been to, I stayed here for 2 nights as a break from bus travel. Around town there were some buskers, a rock fountain, a church, plaza, another rock fountain with a few animals on top, a man selling colorful dust brushes who posed for a photo and another fountain with a statue of a man drilling rock. More

Iquique:
I arrived in Iquique in the mid-evening, and walked for 10 minutes to the central Plaza Prat, the clock tower Torre Reloj is lit up with lights, there is a fountain bridge leading towards the Teatro Municipal which has a sequence of colored lights lighting it up so it is changing color. More

Iquique to Arica to Peru Border:
From Iquique to Arica is about a 5hr journey through a rocky and mountainous wilderness, the long and winding road weaves its way through the bleak and barren no man's land, the huge faces of rock are hard to comprehend. About 3hrs into the journey the bus stopped at a little sandwich and helados (icecream) stand called Donde Pepe, some locals came aboard with food at one point too. More

Santiago:
My experience in Santiago is limited, although I have stayed here for 1 night on my first trip, I have only really been to the airport a few times and haven't done any sightseeing, however I did take some nice photos of the snow-capped mountains that surround the city as I flew in from Lima on my 3rd trip. More

Photos:
All Chile Photos
Submarine sits in the water on the Iquique coast. A quiet street in Iquique. Grand statue near beachfront in Iquique. Weird shapes on a hill, about 30 minutes south of Arica.
A pelican flying on the beachfront in Iquique. Salar Aguas Calientes, ruta 27, picture 4. The green building is a gymnasium in Iquique. Iglesia San Francisco in Santiago.
Salar Aguas Calientes, ruta 27, picture 5. Sandwich and icecream stand called Donde Pepe about 90 monutes south of Arica. A group of pelicans on the rocks in Iquique. Horizons of rocky hills south of Arica.
Beautiful fountain walkway looking towards the clock tower Torre Reloj in Plaza Prat, Iquique.
The pacific coast and hills of Iquique.
Exit Iquique up this amazing road cut through the rock mountains.
The Iquique coastline.
Weird shapes on a hill, about 30 minutes south of Arica.
View more photos from Chile

Recommended Things To Do:
  • Outdoor activities including skiing, rafting and hiking at The Lake District.
  • The waterfalls, mountains and lakes of Torres del Paine National Park.
  • The Atacama Desert with its salt flats, geysers, sand and rock in the north of Chile.
  • Santiago's culture, food, wine, nightlife and beautiful surrounding snowy peaks.
  • Paragliding and adventure sport in Iquique on the north coast.
  • See the huge moai sculptures on Easter Island.
  • A wine tour in Pirque, home of famous vineyards, near Santiago.

    • Visa Requirements:
    Links:
    Chile - Wikipedia
    Chile Contact
    Lonely Planet
    Weather for Chilean Cities
    Art Prints and Posters
    Infoplease
    Travel Blogs
    Newspapers
    Backpacking South America
    Blog: Inside South America
    Find Accommodation:

    Videos:
    Peruvian Traders at the Arica Bus Terminal Video
    Peruvian Traders at the Arica Bus Terminal    		 Walking Around the Streets of Calama Video
    Walking Around the Streets of Calama

    See more videos from Chile & South America

    My Hostel & Hotel Reviews:
    Casa de Huespedes, Calama, Chile (May 2009 - 2 nights) - Pretty cheap for Chile, very basic room, the beds were not good and the walls are far too thin for a great nights sleep, as thin as paper, I complained about 3 times about the noise, its central. photo
    Hostal Cuneo, Iquique, Chile (May 2009 - 1 night) - Not bad, nice and central on Baquedano and not too expensive, basic room with shared bathroom, run by some nice old people, was not the most lively place I have been to though. photo

    Maps:
    Satellite View

    View Larger Map
    		 Standard View
    Chile Map

    Festivals and Holidays in Chile during September:
    Month Date When Festival / Holiday Where / Location
    September18Independence DayNational
    September19Dia de las Glorias del Ejercito (Armed Forces Day)Santiago, National

    Yearlong Festivals and Holidays of Chile

    Recommended Reading:


    Weather:
    Weather Stations: Antofagasta  Arica  Isla De Pascua  La Serena  Puerto Montt  Santiago  Temuco 
    Current conditions in Arica
    Click for Arica, Chile Forecast

    | Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay |

    Home