Introducing Chile
It just doesn't cut it to call Chile a land of contrasts - this is a land of extremes. It's a pre- posterously skinny tendril of a country creeping 4300km around the foot of South America, its tip basking in tropical heat while its icy tail shivers just short of Antarctica. Nowhere else can you stand in the world's driest desert, gaze at snowcapped peaks then turn your head to see cool Pacific rollers creaming inland. Follow Chile's jagged Andean backbone of towering mountains south and you'll pass through ancient forests, rich vineyards and fertile valleys, past shimmering lakes and immense plains, to stumble upon the exquisite labyrinth of fjords, islands and milky-blue glaciers that graze the end of the Americas.
Opportunities for outdoor fun abound. Fancy climbing an active volcano? There are 50 to choose from. Prefer running white-water rapids or paddling through ice-carved fjords? You'll be spoilt for choice. Come looking for adventure and you could hike, bike, ski, surf, swim, horseback ride and even paraglide your way from desert to ice fields. But you don't need to sweat it to enjoy the best of Chile. You can soak in hot springs until your skin wrinkles, ogle at glaciers crumbling into the sea or penguins huddled against the cold, stargaze alongside top international observatories or play castaway on isolated islands, ponder the ancient mysteries of Easter Island or simply sip one of the country's famous reds as the sun sets.
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Pelicans at sunset on Pilicura Beach.
- Paul Kennedy
- Lonely Planet photographer
