Things to do in Chile

Santiago, the capital, sits in a broad valley beneath the snowy Andes, with hilltop parks, colonial landmarks and café-filled neighbourhoods such as Bellavista and Lastarria. Wine valleys such as Maipo and Casablanca and the colourful port of Valparaíso are easy trips.

Up north, the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, offers salt flats, geysers, flamingo lagoons and exceptionally clear night skies. The Lake District has volcanoes, forests and hot springs, and in Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park is famed for its granite towers, glaciers and trekking. Far out in the Pacific, Easter Island is home to the giant moai statues.

Seafood is superb along the long coast, and empanadas, pastel de choclo, fine red wines and the pisco sour complete the table. Summer, from December to February, is the season for Patagonia, the wine valleys celebrate the harvest with festivals in early autumn, and winter brings skiing in the Andes near Santiago.