6 Chilean Cities You Need To Visit

With easy access to beautiful landscapes and fascinating urban attractions, there are numerous cities across Chile that are well worth a visit. The following six Chilean cities, in particular, combine the very best of the country’s diverse natural beauty and metropolitan appeal.

Santiago

Almost half of Chileans call Santiago and its surrounding area home. It’s easily Chile’s most metropolitan city, highly developed and home to Latin America’s tallest skyscraper, Costanera Center. Santiago presents diverse tourism opportunities, thanks to its many hills and parks, artisan fairs, unique neighborhoods, emerging foodie scene and vibrant nightlife. It’s also conveniently located next to the Andes mountains, Chilean wine country, with the coast just an 90-minute drive away.

Valparaíso

http://instagram.com/p/BQvJIRtDc_I/?tagged=valparaiso

Pucón

A nine-hour drive south from Santiago, Pucón is the ideal city for adventure tourism. Located on the Villarica Lake with the active Villarrica volcano nearby, Pucón has numerous trekking and watersports opportunities for tourists. Miles of hike and bike paths surround the hilly terrain around the lake, ripe for exploration. In the city, you can easily rent bikes, kayaks or other equipment, or arrange activities like zipline rides and skydiving. In the area, there are also waterfalls, hot springs and caves accessible through local buses or tourism companies.

http://instagram.com/p/BQtnvL7Df1w/?taken-at=214713391

Castro

The capital of Chile’s Chiloe Island, which is famous for its unique Chilote culture, Castro is a must-visit city in Chile. Its unique houses called palafitos are lifted up on stilts over the water, giving the city a distinct character. Meanwhile, the city’s many wooden churches, which exist throughout the island, boast a unique architectural heritage. Castro is one of the few places to find curanto, a special Chilote dish made with potatoes, shellfish and meat in a hole in the ground. Just make sure to bring a rain jacket and warm clothes, because even during the hottest part of summer, downpours are frequent, and the weather remains chilly.

San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama is the most important city for tourism in northern Chile. Though there are places to see within San Pedro de Atacama, there are a number of Atacama Desert tours that begin and end in San Pedro. Inside the city, the adobe church of San Pedro and the local archaeological museum attract regular visitors. Meanwhile, tours to the nearby El Tatio Geyser, the Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Valle de la Luna and the Salar de Atacama can all be arranged in San Pedro de Atacama.

Pichilemu

This up-and-coming Chilean surf destination attracts beach bums from all over the world. Check out the city’s extensive open-air fruit and vegetable market to grab a snack, before heading out for a day at the beach. This sleepy city really picks up the pace in the summertime, when international surf competitions are held and local musicians come to play open-air concerts. Stay in one of Pichilemu’s many hostels close to the beach, where you can meet people from all over the world, arrange some yoga on the beach and take a surf lesson.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.