Ultimate Chile

Chile is diverse and dramatic, 2,500 miles long but barely as wide as England. It encompasses some truly astonishing landscapes, from the Atacama Desert in the north, through the central wine valleys and Chilean Lake District, to Torres del Paine in the south. Join Louisa Thompson to discover this remarkable country with delicious food, exceptional wines, good company and in great comfort with stays at the luxury Explora lodges in Torres del Paine and Atacama.

We begin in Santiago, backed by snowy Andean Mountains. Chile’s modern capital offers an eclectic mix of historic buildings, sparkling skyscrapers and scenic viewpoints. From here we venture into the surrounding winelands, a scenic region of lush, fertile valleys and wine estates where we will taste some of the country’s most renowned wines. Our next stop is Torres del Paine, arguably the jewel in the Patagonian crown and home to glacial lakes, startling blue rivers and verdant forests and with its towering granite massifs that overlook this spectacular national park.

We travel on to Puerto Varas, one of Chile’s most charming towns, on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, set against the backdrop of the Osorno Volcano, where one can still feel the strong influences of the former German settlements of the mid-19th century. It is known as the gateway to the Lake District with its mesmerising natural scenery of impossibly blue mountain lakes and snowy volcanic peaks which we experience on a day trip to the world-renowned Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. Our final stop is the Atacama Desert, a land of superlatives, being the driest desert on the planet, home to some of the world’s highest geysers and Chile’s largest salt flat. This stark yet beautiful region is totally unique with fantastic carved rock structures, geothermal fields, volcanic geysers and sparkling lagoons.