Chile

…Towering volcanoes, beautiful lakes, rejuvenating natural hot springs, expansive and colorful desert, delicious food and wine…

Chile is another one of our favorite travel destinations.  We’ve been twice in the past 4 years and we’re already planning to visit next year to explore another area of this long, narrow country.  

Similar to Japan, it offers great hiking, stunning scenery, natural hotsprings, and excellent food.  Spanning 4,300km north to south, it has a great diversity of scenery from the desert (up north) to vast glaciers (down south).  Our first trip focused on the Sur Chico area, which is famous for its volcanoes and lakes. Our second trip was to the Atacama Desert up north to enjoy it’s mystical rock formations, large geyser field, impressive salt flats, and spectacular stargazing.  

Here are highlights (DINK Trip Tips) from our trips...for more details or to help plan your own visit, contact us!

Santiago

• Snacking on a Completo hotdog with a smorgasboard of toppings (chopped tomatoes, avocados, mayonnaise, sauerkraut, a variation of the sauce américaine, Chilean chili, green sauce and cheese)
  
• Fine dining (e.g., Astrid y Gastón, Divertimento Chileno, Boragó)
  

Cajon del Maipo (~2 hours Southeast of Santiago)

• Hiking up to the lagoon in El Morado National Park with spectacular views of San Francisco glacier
  
• Strolling around the lake at Valle del Yeso
  
• Enjoying the sound of the rushing river in front of an open fire on the balcony of our bungalow at Haiku Cabanas Panoramicas
  

Pucón

• Relaxing at the romantic Hotel Antumalal on the shores of Lake Villarrica
  
• Enjoying fantastic views of Volcan Villarica, which was smoldering during our visit
  
• Hiking at Laguna Escondido
  

Parque Nacional Huerquehue

• 2 days of fabulous hiking, including a hike up Cerro Quinchol for excellent views of Lago Caburgua and the 5 volcanoes and the ‘Sendero Los Lagos’ hike through dense forest to the beautiful Chico, Toro, and Verde lakes.  Lots of Araucaria (Monkey Puzzle) trees and Magellanic woodpeckers
  
• Rejeuvanating post-hike soaks in creekside termas (natural hot springs) on the banks of the Rio Liucura at Termas Peumayen
  

Lago Calafquen

• Relaxing day at Termas Geometricas, which had 17 hot springs of varying temperatures accessed by an asian-inspired maze of wooden planks over a rushing stream
  
• Delightful stay at Ruka Rayon cabin with terrace overlooking the lake
  

Lago Ranco

• Beautiful lake with views of the Andes
  
• Lovely spa baths at Spa Termas Llifen
  

Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales

• Explore Saltos de Petrohué, impressive waterfalls formed by an extremely hard layer of lava that has been eroded into small channels by the churning water
  
• Hike along the long black sand beach of Lago Todos Los Santos (Emerald Lake) with its deep green, stunningly clear water
  
• Charming stay at Petrohué Lodge, which is on the edge of the western shore of Lago Todos Los Santos, in a beautiful room with a lake view and fireplace
  

Rio Cochamo Valley

• Beautiful trek to La Junta from Rio Cochamo via a 12 km trail that goes thru the deep Valdivian rainforest and along the Rio Cochamo
  
• Peaceful stay in a remote mountain lodge (Campo Aventura Mountain Lodge) accessible by crossing the river via a rudimentary but effective pulley system
  
• Fabulous day hikes in La Junta, an impressive valley with massive granite domes jutting from the top of the surrounding mountains and lots of waterfalls
  

Atacama Desert

• Leisurely canyon stream hike from Guatin for amazing views and several species of cactus
  
• Invigorating hike through a stunning range of scenery along the Route of the Shephards from Rio Grande to Machuca
  
• Mesmerising salt formations resembling snow and ice at Kari Gorge in the Cordillera de la Sal
  
• Sunrise visit to the Tatio Geysers to witness the gushing water and the clouds of steam
  
• Stunning sunset at the Atacama Salt Flats with a spectacular range of changing colors on the Andes Mountains in the background and the flamingos in the lagoon​