Things to do in Chile

25 things to do in Chile

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Hike the base of the Towers on the W Trek in Torres del Paine

  Follow the legendary W Trek to the base of the three granite towers, crossing glacial rivers and windswept pampas for an iconic Patagonian sunrise.

  Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes

• Stargaze under the clearest skies at the ALMA Observatory

  Visit the Operations Support Facility of the world’s most powerful radio telescope at 2,900m in the Atacama Desert, where the air is so dry the Milky Way casts a shadow.

  San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region

• Taste Carménère and Cabernet Sauvignon in Colchagua Valley

  Cycle between rolling vineyards and colonial haciendas to sample Chile’s signature reds, often directly from the barrel in family-run bodegas.

  Santa Cruz, Colchagua Valley

• Lose yourself in the street-art alleys of Cerro Alegre in Valparaíso

  Wander steep, mosaic-tiled stairways and past houses painted in every colour, where every wall is a canvas for the city’s celebrated murals and graffiti.

  Valparaíso

• Ski down an active volcano at Nevados de Chillán

  Carve turns on the slopes of the still-steaming Volcán Chillán, then soothe tired muscles in natural hot springs at the base of the ski resort.

  Nevados de Chillán, Ñuble Region

• Kayak into the marble caves of Capilla de Mármol

  Paddle across the turquoise waters of General Carrera Lake to slip inside wave-carved caverns of swirling blue-grey marble, a surreal geological wonder.

  Puerto Río Tranquilo, Aysén Region

• Dance till dawn in Bellavista, Santiago’s vibrant nightlife quarter

  Bar-hop along Pío Nono and side streets filled with bohemian bars, live-music venues and crumbling mansions turned clubs, keeping the beat until morning.

  Bellavista, Santiago

• Tour the Gabriela Mistral Museum in her birthplace of Vicuña

  Explore the poet’s personal belongings, Nobel medal and letters in a whitewashed adobe house, then gaze at the Elqui Valley hills that inspired her verses.

  Vicuña, Coquimbo Region

• Watch the sunset dye the Atacama Desert from Mirador de Kari

  Climb the rocky outcrop known as Piedra del Coyote at dusk, when the volcanic peaks of the Cordillera de la Sal burn orange and purple over the salt flats.

  San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region

• Feast on fresh conger eel and sea urchins at Mercado Central

  Pull up a stool at a marble counter inside the wrought-iron market hall, where fishmongers serve ceviche and steaming paila marina just steps from the morning’s catch.

  Santiago

• Trek across the eerie blue expanse of Glacier Grey

  Strap on crampons for a guided ice hike over crevasses and meltwater pools on the frozen tongue of Grey Glacier, with the vast Southern Patagonian Ice Field beyond.

  Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes

• Uncover pre-Columbian petroglyphs at Altos de Lircay reserve

  Hike through ancient araucaria forests to the enigmatic stone platform of the Enladrillado, where indigenous rock art stares out over the Maule Valley.

  Vilches, Maule Region

• Soak in the Puritama Hot Springs high in the Atacama Desert

  Bathe in a chain of eight stone pools filled by thermal water rippling down a cactus-lined gorge, steam rising into the thin desert air.

  Guatín, Antofagasta Region

• Ride Valparaíso’s century-old funicular elevators

  Hop aboard wooden carriages like Ascensor Concepción, rattling up vertiginous hillsides for postcard views of the bay and the city’s corrugated roofs.

  Valparaíso

• Kayak among icebergs to the face of San Rafael Glacier

  Paddle through the icy channels of Laguna San Rafael National Park, dodging floating bergs until the towering blue wall of the glacier groans and calves into the water.

  Laguna San Rafael National Park, Aysén

• Visit poet Pablo Neruda’s house La Sebastiana in Valparaíso

  Tour the whimsical five-storey home filled with shipwright’s portholes, nautical curios and the Nobel laureate’s desk, with a panorama of the port from the top-floor bar.

  Valparaíso

• Track pumas on horseback in Estancia Cerro Guido

  Ride across the vast estancia bordering Torres del Paine, following expert trackers who read the Patagonian steppe for signs of the elusive mountain lion.

  Cerro Guido, Magallanes

• Pedal through the cool-climate vineyards of Casablanca Valley

  Cycle between rows of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes on a half-day bike tour, stopping at sleek wineries for crisp tastings with coastal breezes.

  Casablanca Valley, Valparaíso Region

• See the world’s oldest mummies at San Miguel de Azapa Museum

  Examine the hauntingly preserved Chinchorro mummies, predating Egypt’s by millennia, alongside intricate llama-wool textiles in this desert-side museum near Arica.

  Arica, Arica y Parinacota Region

• Stand among a king penguin colony at Parque Pingüino Rey

  Observe the only king penguin colony outside the subantarctic islands from a quiet boardwalk, as the stately birds guard their chicks against the windswept plain.

  Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego

• Sip a pisco sour at a distillery in the Elqui Valley

  Tour a small-batch pisco distillery where muscat grapes are fermented and distilled, then taste Chile’s national cocktail under the clear valley sky.

  Pisco Elqui, Coquimbo Region

• Attend a concert on the lake at Teatro del Lago in Frutillar

  Visit the striking glass-walled theatre built on stilts over Llanquihue Lake, with the Osorno Volcano perfectly framed behind the stage during intermission.

  Frutillar, Los Lagos Region

• Raft the Class V rapids of the Futaleufú River

  Plunge through turquoise chutes and towering standing waves on one of the world’s top whitewater runs, set against Patagonian peaks and lenga forests.

  Futaleufú, Los Lagos Region

• Walk the ghost towns of Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works

  Wander through abandoned theatres, swimming pools and processing plants of a 19th-century nitrate boom town, a haunting UNESCO World Heritage site in the pampa.

  Humberstone, Tarapacá Region

• Sandboard down the giant dunes of Valle de la Muerte

  Hurtle face-first down a 120m sand dune in Death Valley, Atacama, on a rented board as the sun toasts the surrounding lunar landscape.

  San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region