:Tourism in Chile

Occupying the southwest part of South America, Chile is normally divided into three geographic areas:

• Continental Chile comprises a long and narrow strip of land on the west coast of the Southern Cone that extends between the parallels 17°29'57"S and Diego Ramírez Islands at 56°32'12"S, mostly from the southeastern shore of the Pacific Ocean to the Andes, across 4270 km{{cite book |title = Chile: A Country Study |access-date = April 23, 2011 |year=1994 |author=Hudson, Rex A. | publisher=GPO for The Library of Congress |location=Washington DC |chapter=Geography |chapter-url=http://countrystudies.us/chile/36.htm }}
• Insular Chile corresponds to a set of islands volcanic origin in the South Pacific Ocean: the Juan Fernández archipelago and Desventuradas Islands, belonging to South America, the Salas y Gómez Island and Easter Island, geographically located in the Polynesia.
• The Chilean Antarctic Territory,{{cite web |url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=1017683&idVersion=1955-06-21 |title=Decree 1747, 1955 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |access-date = March 20, 2011 |author=Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date = June 21, 1955|author-link=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile }} is an area of Antarctica of 1,250,257.6 km² between meridians 53°W and 90°W on which Chile claims sovereignty, extending its southern boundary to the South Pole. Because of its presence in the Americas, Oceania and Antarctica, Chile describes itself as a tricontinental country.{{cite web |url =http://www.gobiernodechile.cl/canal_regionalgeo_nacional_det.asp?id_geo=1 |title = National Geography: Location, size and extension (in Spanish)|access-date = November 29, 2007 |format = ASP |author = Presidency of the Republic, Ministry General Secretariat of Government (MSGG) |date = 2007 |publisher =www.gobiernodechile.cl}}{{cite web |url=http://www.icarito.cl/medio/articulo/0%2C0%2C38035857_152308993_152512596_1%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613235801/http://www.icarito.cl/medio/articulo/0,0,38035857_152308993_152512596_1,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 13, 2008 | title = Chile: A tri-continental country (in Spanish)|access-date = March 29, 2008 |author = Icarito | publisher =www.icarito.cl}}

The latitudinal width of the country, which spans over 39° (over 72° if the Chilean Antarctic Territory is included) its elevation and influence of the Pacific Ocean are the main factors behind the climatic variety and landscape of Chile,{{cite web |url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/publicaciones/compendio_estadistico/pdf/2006/compendio2006.pdf |title=Statistical Compendium 2006 (in Spanish) |access-date = November 29, 2007 |author = National Statistics Institute (Chile) (INE) |date=October 2006 |publisher=www.ine.cl}} which determines the development of the formation of different ecosystems in the country.

The main Chilean attractions are the 6,435 km long coast,{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html#ci |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004524/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html#ci |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 13, 2007 |title = Coastline |access-date = April 30, 2011 |author = Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |date = 2011 |publisher = www .cia.gov }} the Andean Ski resorts, the mountains and volcanoes, and the islands and archipelagos, including Easter Island.

The country has 14 natural monuments, 36 National Parks, 10 biosphere reserves, 52 natural reserves, 39 sanctuaries of Nature, and 12 Ramsar wetlands, mainly in the extreme parts of the country.{{cite web |url = http://www.lonelyplanet.com/chile |title = Destinations – South America – Chile: Overview |access-date = June 16, 2012 |author = Lonely Planet |date = April 2, 2012 |publisher = www.lonelyplanet.com |author-link = Lonely Planet }}{{See also|Protected areas of Chile}}

Souvenirs one can buy in Chile include wines, copper etches, wood carvings, and textiles.{{cite book |title=Almanaque Mundial 1988 |language=es |year = 1987 |last = Iglesias |first=Rafael | publisher = Editorial América S.A. |location = Panama |chapter = Chile – If you plan to visit Chile – Best Buys |pages = 252}}

{{See also|Norte Grande, Chile}}

File:Morroarica2011.JPG|Arica

File:Iquique.JPG|Iquique

File:Antofagasta playa el carboncillo.jpg|Antofagasta

File:The Giant of Atacama.jpg|The Atacama Giant

File:MomiaChinchorro.jpg|Chinchorro mummies

The Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world{{cite web |url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2250165,00.html | title = A plenty of sun, good is the water |access-date=July 22, 2011 |author=Bolívar Manaut, Luna |date = November 27, 2006 |publisher =www.dw-world.de}} was picked in October 2014 by Lonely Planet to be among the 10 top travel regions of 2015.{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/regions/09-atacama-desert|title=Best in Travel 2015: Top 10 regions – 9. Atacama Desert |access-date=January 13, 2015 |author=Lonely Planet |date=n.d. |publisher=www.lonelyplanet.com}} The desert, which has been inhabited for several thousand years, makes up the main portion of the Norte Grande. A myriad of geoglyphs, petroglyphs and pictographs attest the presence of ancient cultures in the area. Among the most remarkable are those of Azapa Valley, Lluta Valley, the Atacama Giant and Pintados Geoglyphs, these latter are protected within the Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve. R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum and the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa are home to the most important collections of artifacts and mummies in Chile, including the famous Chinchorro mummies, the oldest mummies in the world,{{cite news |author=Bittman, B., y J. Munizaga |year = 1976 |title=The Earliest Artificial Mummification in the World? A Study of the Chinchorro Complex in Northern Chile |publisher=Folk |number = 18 |pages = 61–92 }} of the Chinchorro culture buried between 5000 and 1700. C. The extreme aridity of the Atacama has been a key factor in the preservation of such archaeological remains.

The Chuquicamata copper deposit boasts the largest open pit mine in the world{{cite web |url=http://www.codelco.com/prontus_codelco/site/edic/base/port/chuquicamata.html | title=Operations – Chuquicamata |access-date=November 22, 2011 |author=Codelco |date=n.d. |publisher=www.codelco.com| author-link=Codelco }} and the remains of extractions made from 12,000 and 10,000 years ago in an iron oxide mine, the oldest mine in the continent.{{cite news |url=http://papeldigital.info/lt/?2011052001# |title=Study confirms oldest mine in America was in Taltal (in Spanish) |access-date=May 21, 2011 |author=Rodríguez, F. |date=May 20, 2011 |newspaper=La Tercera |pages=52 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524051305/http://papeldigital.info/lt/?2011052001 |archive-date=May 24, 2011 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sciencenewsline.com/archaeology/2011052013000004.html |title = Archaeologists uncover oldest mine in the Americas |access-date=May 21, 2011 |author=University of Chicago Press Journals |date = May 20, 2011 |publisher = ScienceNewsline}}

Arica is a coastal city with beaches and is also a starting point for travelers heading east to Putre for enjoying the majestic Puna landscape of Lauca National Park. Southward from Lauca, Volcán Isluga National Park includes ceremonial sites for the Aymara people.

Inland from Iquique, the desolate pampas are home to a few scattered towns and villages. Among those, the most interesting is the ghost town of Humberstone, declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2005. In this area the tamarugo forests of the Pampa del Tamarugal break the barren monotony of the landscape.

The altiplano of Norte Grande has a wide variety of natural scenery including salt flats, volcanoes, lakes and geysers. San Pedro de Atacama and surrounding area offer one of the most spectacular combinations of archeology and awe-inspiring natural sights. San Pedro was the cradle of the Atacameño Culture. Villages with interesting cultural past are Caspana, Toconao, Socaire and Chiu Chiu. Notable are also the pre-Hispanic fortresses of Quitor, Lasana and Turi.

Antofagasta is the largest city in Norte Grande. La Portada, a stunning natural arch, is located a short drive from Antofagasta.

Pan de Azúcar National Park is a park where sea and desert meet.

Also, there more than a dozen of astronomical facilities, including optical observatories and radio observatories. Among others, the most important are: Paranal (VLT), at an altitude of 2635 meters above sea level, is the world's most advanced and powerful astronomical observatory.{{cite web|title=Yepun and the Milky Way|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1525a/|access-date=22 June 2015}} the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array), to date the largest astronomical project in the world;{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.cl/alma.php |title=ALMA (in Spanish)|access-date=December 4, 2011 |format = PHP |author = European Southern Observatory (ESO) |date=n.d. |publisher=www.eso.cl}}{{cite web |url=http://www.almaobservatory.org/es/inicio |title=Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |access-date=December 4, 2011 |author = ALMA |date=n.d. |publisher=www.almaobservatory.org}} and La Silla,{{cite web |url=http://www.eso.cl/lasilla.php |title=La Silla Observatory (in Spanish) |access-date=December 4, 2011 |format = PHP |author=European Southern Observatory (ESO) |date=n.d. |publisher=www.eso.cl}} all dependent of ESO (European Southern Observatory).

In this area can be seen the flowering desert, a phenomenon that occurs between September and November with normal range rainfall in the desert.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasegunda.com/Noticias/Nacional/2011/11/695014/El-desierto-de-Atacama-florece-como-nunca-en-los-ultimos-20-anos |title=The Atacama desert flourishes as never in the past 20 years (in Spanish) |access-date = June 22, 2013 |author=Agence France-Presse |date=November 7, 2011 |publisher=www.lasegunda.com|author-link=Agence France-Presse }} In the end of the Norte Grande, near Putre, is the Lake Chungará, one of the highest lakes in the world at 4500 m above sea level,{{cite web |url=http://www.highestlake.com/highest-lake-world.html |title=The Highest Lake in the World |access-date = June 11, 2012 |author=Drews, Carl |date = August 20, 2010 |publisher=www.highestlake.com}} and Parinacota volcano. San Pedro de Atacama is frequently visited by foreign tourists who go to appreciate the architecture of the town, the highland lakes, and the Moon Valley, so named because its landscape resembles the moon.

The coastal resorts of the Norte Grande, like Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, see an increase in national tourism during the summer months.

File:Parinacota volcano 1995.jpg|Lake Chungará and Parinacota volcano

File:AtacamValley.jpg|Valle de Atacama

File:SanPedroAtacama-001.jpg|San Pedro de Atacama

File:Salar de Atacama.jpg|Salar de Atacama in the Atacama Desert

File:Moonset over ESO's Very Large Telescope.jpg|Very Large Telescope (VLT), Paranal Observatory

{{See also|Norte Chico, Chile}}

The Andes of Norte Chico are home to many of the highest volcanoes in the world, the highlight being the Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world at 6,891.3 meters tall and the highest peak in Chile. It is also the second highest peak in the Southern and Western hemispheres.{{cite web |url=http://desnivel.com/deportes/alpinismo/object.php?o=15835 |title=Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world (in Spanish) |access-date=July 20, 2008 |format=PHP |author1=Turrel, Marc |author2=Jorge Velasco |date=May 18, 2007 |publisher=desnivel.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015190444/http://desnivel.com/deportes/alpinismo/object.php?o=15835 |archive-date=October 15, 2007 }} Apart from Ojos del Salado and other volcanoes, attractions in this portion of the Andes include Nevado Tres Cruces National Park and Laguna Verde.

Norte Chico boasts some of the best beaches and exclusive coastal resorts in the country, such as Bahía Inglesa and those of La Serena, and Coquimbo. These also see an increase in national tourism during the summer months.

The clear skies of Norte Chico and its world-renowned infrastructure have made it ideal for astronomical tourism{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}.

Elqui Valley is a very popular destination. In January 2015, the travel section of The New York Times said the Elqui Valley as the 5th of the 52 places it had to visit in 2015.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/01/11/travel/52-places-to-go-in-2015.html |title=52 Places to Go in 2015 – 5. Elqui Valley, Chile |access-date = January 13, 2015 |author=The New York Times |date = January 9, 2015 |newspaper=www.nytimes.com|author-link=The New York Times }} Here, the dazzling green of the valley floor contrasts nicely with the barren brown slopes of the mountains that flank it.

Also found within Norte Chico is El Tatio Geyser Field, the largest geyser fields in the Southern Hemisphere and the third largest in the world.{{cite web |url=http://www.alanglennon.com/travel/tatio.htm |title=The extraordinary thermal activity of El Tatio Geyser Field, Antofagasta Region, Chile |access-date=November 27, 2013 |author=Glennon, J. A., y R. M. Pfaff |publisher=www.alanglennon.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111112501/http://www.alanglennon.com/travel/tatio.htm |archive-date=November 11, 2014 }}

The syncretism between Aymara tradition and Catholicism has produced festivals and religious traditions, such as those dedicated to Virgen del Carmen in La Tirana and to Virgin of Andacollo, and carnivals. The Baile chino, one of the manifestations of religious fervor, was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00988 |title=Intangible Cultural Heritage – Chile: Baile Chino |access-date = June 1, 2015 |format = PHP |author = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |date = 2014 |publisher = www.unesco.org }}

File:La Serena-Coquimbo-02.jpg|La Serena

File:Copiapó, atardecer de Otoño.jpg|Copiapó

File:Ojos del Salado 2004a.jpg|Ojos del Salado volcano

File:Valle del Elqui, La Serena-Chile.JPG|Elqui Valley, wine and pisco region

File:Chile-Tatio-Geyser.jpg|El Tatio geyser fields

{{See also|Zona Central, Chile}}

File:Casona Artillería Nº 156.JPG|Valparaíso

File:Sanhattan.png|Santiago

File:Plaza de Los Héroes.JPG|Rancagua

File:Esquinaplaza.JPEG|Talca

This area is home to the main ski resorts in Chile, which attract a significant number of tourists from the northern hemisphere because the reversed alpine skiing season. They are Chapa Verde, Portillo, Valle Nevado and Termas de Chillán. Furthermore, Wine tourism is common in Zona Central, and the Wine Routes of the Casablanca, Cachapoal and Colchagua valleys are some of the finest in Chile.

Apart from the national capital itself and its many attractions, the metropolitan region surrounding Santiago includes several attractions such as the Cajón del Maipo, Pomaire, and some of the oldest vineyards in the country, as well as various archaeological sites.{{cite web|title=Arqueologia.cl|url=http://www.arqueologia.cl|publisher=Arqueologia.cl|access-date=2 November 2012}}

Due to its proximity to the capital, the coast of the Valparaiso Region has the largest number of tourists during the summer months, primarily on the central coast and in Viña del Mar. The latter city is considered the tourist capital of Chile{{cite web |url=http://www.visitevinadelmar.cl/web/ |title=Inicio – Our city Viña del Mar |access-date=May 7, 2012 |date=n.d. |publisher=www.visitevinadelmar.cl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412143529/http://www.visitevinadelmar.cl/web/ |archive-date=April 12, 2012 }} thanks to its thirteen beaches, its various entertainment centers, one of major casinos in the country,{{cite web |url=http://www.chile.com/secciones/ver_seccion.php?id=96759 |title=Crossing Chile – Meet the Viña del Mar Casino (in Spanish) |access-date=May 7, 2012 |format=PHP |author=Pizarro R., Karen |date=n.d. |publisher=www.chile.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520181848/http://chile.com/secciones/ver_seccion.php?id=96759 |archive-date=May 20, 2012 }} and the International Song Festival of Viña del Mar, the largest and best-known festival of Latin America.{{cite magazine |author= Fortuño, Sergio |date=January 26, 2002 |title=Latin – Stage Is Set For Viña Del Mar |magazine=Billboard |pages = 41 |quote=[...] the best-known music festival in Latin America}}{{cite web |url=http://www.esctoday.com/45797/iceland-hera-bjork-in-the-final-of-vina-del-mar-international-song-contest-2013/ |title=Iceland: Hera Björk in the final of Viña del Mar International Song Contest 2013 |access-date=March 7, 2013 |author=Floras, Stella |date =February 18, 2013 |publisher=www.esctoday.com |quote=[T]he Viña del Mar International Song Contest [is] the oldest and biggest music festival in Latin America}}{{cite web |url=http://mexico.cnn.com/entretenimiento/2010/02/23/paul-anka-cerro-con-gran-exito-la-primera-jornada-de-vina-del-mar |title=Paul Anka ended with great success, the first day of Viña del Mar (in Spanish) |access-date=May 27, 2013 |date=February 23, 2010 |publisher=mexico.cnn.com |quote=The International Song Festival of Viña del Mar is the most important musical event of the continent |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129171131/http://mexico.cnn.com/entretenimiento/2010/02/23/paul-anka-cerro-con-gran-exito-la-primera-jornada-de-vina-del-mar |archive-date=January 29, 2012 }}

Valparaíso is a wonderful, amphitheater-shaped city, whose historic quarter has been recognized as a World Heritage Site.

Santiago, the capital and main urban center of Chile, home to many historic sites and heritage. Within the Greater Santiago, there are 174 heritage sites under the custody of National Monuments Council (CMN),National Monuments Council ( CMN). Search of monuments in the provinces of [http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=51&comuna_id=0&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=24&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=11 Santiago] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331202114/http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=51&comuna_id=0&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=24&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=11 |date=2008-03-31 }} and [http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=47&comuna_id=0&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=37&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=16 Cordillera] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331202104/http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=47&comuna_id=0&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=37&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=16 |date=2008-03-31 }} and the commune of [http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=48&comuna_id=290&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=56&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=18 San Bernardo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331202601/http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=48&comuna_id=290&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=56&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=18 |date=2008-03-31 }}. URL accessed on December 23, 2007 among which are archaeological, architectural and historical monuments, in addition to typical or picturesque areas. Of these, 93 are located within the commune of Santiago, considered the historic center of the city{{cite web |url = http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=51&comuna_id=303&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=52&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=4 |title = Monuments of the commune of Santiago |access-date = December 23, 2007 |author = National Monuments Council (CMN) |date = n.d. |publisher = www.monumentos.cl |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080331201521/http://www.monumentos.cl/resultado_busqueda.php?seccion=Monumentos&avanzada=S¶metro=®ion_id=13&provincia_id=51&comuna_id=303&categoria_id=0&tipo_id=0&bot_buscar_avanzada.x=52&bot_buscar_avanzada.y=4 |archive-date = March 31, 2008 }} Although no Santiagan monument was even declared World Heritage by UNESCO, three have already been proposed by the Chilean government: the Incan sanctuary cerro El Plomo, the church and convent of San Francisco and Palace of La Moneda{{cite web | url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=cl |title=Tentative Lists: Chile |access-date = December 23, 2007 |author = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |date=February 23, 2004 |publisher=whc.unesco.org}} Meanwhile, in June 2012, the magazine National Geographic listed the Central Market of Santiago as fifth out of the ten best in the world.{{cite web |url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/food-markets/#page=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925121011/http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/food-markets/#page=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |title=Top 10 Food Markets |access-date=June 11, 2012 |author=National Geographic |date = n.d. |publisher=travel.nationalgeographic.com}} In January 2011, the travel section of The New York Times listed the city of Santiago as the first of the 41 places it had to visit that year,{{cite web |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/travel/09where-to-go.html?ref=travel |title=The 41 Places to Go in 2011 – 1. Santiago, Chile |access-date=June 10, 2012 |author=The New York Times |date=January 7, 2011 |publisher = travel.nytimes.com}} while TripAdvisor considered it the sixth best destination of South America in 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations-cTop-g13 |title=Top 25 Destinations in South America |access-date=June 13, 2012 |date = 2012 |publisher=www.tripadvisor.com}}

The O'Higgins Region, south of Santiago, is known as "Huaso country" for its rural criollo culture.{{cite web|title=About Chile & Its People|url=http://www.ohigginstours.com/information|publisher=O'Higgins Tours|access-date=2 November 2012}} Pichilemu, in the O'Higgins Region, is reputed to have the best beaches for Surfing in Chile, if not the world.{{cite web|title=Pichilemu|url=http://www.turismolibertador.cl/en/site/where-go-region-ohiggins/zone-COAST/district-Pichilemu/|publisher=TurismoLibertador|access-date=2 November 2012}} Other tourist sites in the O'Higgins region include the historically significant city of Rancagua, and the Rio de los Cipreses nature reserve.

Furthermore, in this area of the country are El Teniente, the most underground mine of copper in the world,{{cite web |url=http://www.codelco.com/prontus_codelco/site/edic/base/port/el_teniente.html |title=Operations – El Teniente (in Spanish)|access-date=November 22, 2011 |author=Codelco |date=n.d. |publisher=www.codelco.com|author-link=Codelco}} and the mining town of Sewell, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2006.

Further south in the Maule and Bio Bio regions are the Radal Siete Tazas National Reserve and Laguna del Laja National Park.

File:Muelle Vergara.jpg|Viña del Mar

File:Cerrosantalucia.jpg|Cerro Santa Lucía

File:Museo Colchagua Santa Cruz.jpg|Colchagua Museum

File:Viñedo Puente Alto.jpg|Vineyard near the Andes

File:Salto del Laja 1.jpg|Laja Falls

{{See also|Zona Sur}}

Araucanía Region is the heartland of the Mapuche people. This area exhibits an incipient development of Indigenous tourism, in different sectors. in the coastal area of Araucania Ethnological tourism is developed on the banks Mapuche Budi Lake.

The Chilean Patagonia, the circuit of the Seven Lakes and various national parks like Conguillío, Vicente Pérez Rosales, the oldest in Chile and most visited of the country in 2011;{{cite web |url=http://papeldigital.info/lt/2012/02/04/01/paginas/032.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113201422/http://papeldigital.info/lt/2012/02/04/01/paginas/032.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 November 2012 |title=Park Vicente Perez Rosales becomes the most visited in Chile (in Spanish) |access-date=February 10, 2012 |author=Poblete, J. |date=4 February 2012 |publisher=The Third }} Puyehue National Park between others.

The Andean sector of Araucania, highlight the great national parks, such as Conguillio National Park the forest of araucarias, Villarrica National Park, huerquehue National Park, Tolhuaca National Park besides the national reserves as Alto Biobio National Reserve, Malalcahuello National Reserve, Nalcas National Reserve, Malleco National Reserve, China Muerta National Reserve.

The capital of Araucania is Temuco, city of different service, hotels, tourist circuits, airport, markets, and the symbolic and historic sectors, the Cerro Ñielol Natural Monument is an icon of this city, and the most important tourist point.

Valdivia is one of Chile's most beautiful cities,{{Opinion|date=April 2024}} recognition received mainly because of its lush natural surrounding. South from the city lies the colonial Valdivian Fort System.

Also in this area of the country are the Lake O'Higgins, the deepest lake of the Americas and fifth in the world with 836 meters;{{cite web |url=http://www.cecs.cl/website/index.php/es/component/content/article/4-archivo-de-prensa/74-determinan-que-lago-ohiggins-es-el-quinto-mas-profundo-del-mundo |title = Determine that O'Higgins lake is the deepest fifth of the world |access-date=May 23, 2012 |format=PHP |author=Center for Scientific Studies (CECS) |date = 2010 |publisher=www .cecs.cl}} On the other hand, several studies have located the oldest archaeological remains of the current Chilean continental territory in Monte Verde,{{cite news |author=Dillehay, Tom, C. Ramírez, M. Pino, M. B. Collins, J. Rossen, and J. D. Pino Navarro |date=May 9, 2008 |title=Seaweed, Food, Medicine, and the Peopling of South America |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1156533 |work=Science |volume = 320 |number=5877 |pages=784–786 |doi=10.1126/science.1156533 |access-date=April 2, 2011}} Los Lagos Region, about 14,800 B.C.,{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1873 |title=Monte Verde Archaeological Site |access-date=April 2, 2011 |author=Organization United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |date = 2004 |publisher=whc.unesco.org |quote=The site shows the existence of a group of people that lived there [...] about 14.800 years ago according to the calibrated dates of carbon 14}} at the end of Upper Paleolithic, making it the first known human settlement in the Americas.{{cite web |url=http://newswise.com/articles/view/540470/ |title=New Evidence About Earliest Americans Supports Coastal Migration Theory |access-date=April 2, 2011 |author=Salisbury, David F. |date = 2008 |publisher=Vanderbilt University |quote=New evidence from the Monte Verde archaeological site [...] confirms its status as the earliest known human settlement in the Americas}}

The Lake District is characterized by piedmont lakes crowned by snowcapped volcanoes, whose lower flanks are covered with lush forests of native trees. Lovely lake-resort towns and villages dot the lakesides, chiefly Pucón, Villarrica, Frutillar and Puerto Varas. Puerto Montt is the tourist hub of the region; two of them, were considered among the best destinations in South America in 2012 by the specialized tourism site TripAdvisor.

The almost perfect cone of Osorno Volcano is an iconic landmark in the region, as is Villarrica Volcano, which is one of the few volcanoes in the world that has an active Lava lake.

As an added bonus, this zone includes the granite domes of the Cochamó Valley.

File:Volcán Villarrica Chile.jpg|Volcán Villarrica

File:Puerto Varas, Chile (10986508514).jpg|Puerto Varas

File:View of Valdivia from Pedro de Valdivia bridge.jpg|Valdivia

File:Puerto Montt 2009.jpg|Puerto Montt

File:Looking out over Lago Conguillio.jpg|Conguillío National Park

{{See also|Zona Austral}}

File:Coyhaique10.jpg|Coyhaique

File:Punta Arenas-View1.jpg|Punta Arenas

File:Chiloe4.jpg|Palafitos in the archipelago of Chiloé

File:Cuernos del Paine from Lake Pehoé.jpg|Torres del Paine National Park

File:Futa Terminator.jpg|A kayaker runs a rapid on the Futaleufú River

Zona Austral is a premier destination for Ecotourism and Adventure travel. It features countless islands and islets, a maze of steep-sided fjords and channels, large glaciers and icefields and exuberant unspoilt temperate rainforests. Turbulent rivers descend from the Andes, chief of those being the Futaleufú River, which is widely considered one of the world's most challenging rivers for whitewater kayaking and rafting. Other opportunities for outdoor recreation, include hiking, cycling, sea kayaking and flyfishing.

Chiloé is characterized by having a rolling green countryside, but is better known for its peculiar wooden architecture and for its culture, which is full of myths and traditions. Also is remarkable its temperate rainforests.

The scenic Carretera Austral crosses or is nearby to many of the most popular destinations in this portion of Chile. Those include Pumalín Park, Yelcho Lake, Queulat National Park, Cerro Castillo National Reserve, General Carrera Lake and Caleta Tortel.

Laguna San Rafael National Park is the only park where visitors can contemplate at the same time the huge glaciers of Patagonia and the rich diversity of plants of the Valdivian Ecoregion.

Torres del Paine was selected as the eighth wonder of the world in 2013;,{{cite web |url=http://www.virtualtourist.com/8thwonder |title=8th Wonder of the World |access-date=November 1, 2013 |date=2013 |publisher=www.virtualtourist.com}}{{cite web |url=http://www.advfn.com/news_Chiles-Torres-del-Paine-National-Park-Selected-as_59836588.html |title=Chile's Torres del Paine National Park Selected as 8th Wonder of the World by VirtualTourist Voters |access-date = November 1, 2013 |date = November 1, 2013 |publisher=www.advfn.com }} one of the most beautiful national parks in the world.

In the ice fields, the Glacier Pío XI (or Brüggen), the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside the Antarctic,{{cite web |url=http://www.glaciologia.cl/spi.html |title=Glacier inventory – Table 1 |access-date=May 21, 2012 |author=Laboratory of Glaciology |date=n.d. |publisher=www.glaciologia.cl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324014026/http://www.glaciologia.cl/spi.html |archive-date=March 24, 2012 }} and one of the few advancing glaciers in the world; and Puerto Williams, the southernmost city in the world{{cite book|title=Almanaque Mundial 1988 |year = 1987 |author = Iglesias, Rafael |publisher=Editorial América S.A |location=Panama |chapter=Hispanic World – Wonders Tourist: Tierra del Fuego (Arg./Chi.) |pages = 92}}Puerto Williams, located in {{coord|54|55|59|S|67|37|0|W|type:landmark}} It is the administrative settlement southernmost of the world – it hosts a governor and provincial capital; however, excluding the military bases and Antarctica, Puerto Toro, located in {{coord|55|04|56|S|67|04|27|W|type:landmark}}, is the southernmost permanent human settlement in the world.

The sprawling glaciers of the Cordillera Darwin, which is contained within Alberto de Agostini National Park, are reachable only by boat. Other typical destinations are Puerto Williams and Cape Horn.

File:Puerto Williams1.JPG|Puerto Williams

File:Caverna de M%C3%A1rmol.jpg|Catedral de Mármol

File:Glaciar Colgante Queulat.JPG|Queulat National Park

File:Laguna San Rafael.jpg|San Rafael Lake

File:Pio XI glacier zoom Cihli-2009.JPG|Pío XI or Brüggen Glacier

{{See also|Easter Island}}

File:Easter Island cave.jpg

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, is world-renowned for its unique cultural and natural heritage. Traditionally called Rapa Nui and previously known as Te pito o te henua ("The navel of the world") and Mata ki te rangi ('eyes looking at the sky'), it is one of the main tourist destinations in Chile because of its natural landscapes and mysterious ancient culture of Rapa Nui people that since time immemorial, developed completely isolated for centuries until it almost became extinct in the mid-19th century.{{cite web |url=http://www.dieoff.org/page145.htm |title=Easter's End |access-date = March 22, 2012 |author=Diamond, Jared |date=August 1, 1995 |publisher = www.dieoff.org |author-link=Jared Diamond }}{{cite news |url=http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/02/17/index.php?section=opinion&article=020a2pol |title=Collapse: Easter Island (in Spanish)|access-date=22 March 2012 |format = PHP |author=Calderón A., Enrique |date = February 17, 2007 |newspaper =La Jornada}} Its most notable feature is the over 1,000{{cite web |url=http://www.eisp.org/ |title=Easter Island Statue Project – Easter Island heads have great bodies! |access-date = June 19, 2012 |author1=Van Tilburg |author2=Jo Anne |date = May 22, 2012 }} enormous and mysterious statues known as moai, which have been shrouded in mystery since their discovery. To preserve these characteristics, the government has designated, through the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the island as Rapa Nui National Park, while UNESCO declared this park as a World Heritage Site in 1995. It is named Easter Island because it was discovered on Easter Sunday in 1722.

Among the activities that can be carried out in Rapa Nui are different excursions and tours, visiting the craft market, the Padre Sebastián Englert Anthropological Museum, the ceremonial center Tahai, the quarries of Puna Pau and Rano Raraku, visiting the different ahus on the beaches of Anakena and Ovahe, seeing the archaeological site of Orongo,{{cite book |title=Turistel-Tourist Guide Chile – Center (in Spanish) |edition=14th |year=1999 |agency=Turismo y Comunicaciones S.A. |publisher=Cochrane S.A. |location=Santiago, Chile |isbn=978-956-7264-45-2 |chapter=Zone 8 Sporadic Islands – Easter Island Sector |pages= 230–232}} witnessing shows with music and island dances, and the annual festival Tapati Rapa Nui, the main artistic and cultural activity of the island, where a series of ceremonies and traditions are performed.{{cite web |url = http://www.hinarirunui.cl/Hinarirunui/Datos.html |title = Data – Tapati Rapa Nui |access-date = June 19, 2012 |author = Cottages Hinariru Nui |date = 2011 |publisher = www.hinarirunui.cl |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111231133542/http://hinarirunui.cl/Hinarirunui/Datos.html |archive-date = December 31, 2011 }}

The Juan Fernández archipelago is also well known for its jungles and endemic flora, formed by the islands Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara and Alexander Selkirk. The geological origin of these islands is volcanic and their subtropical weather is rainy. The activities that can be performed are varied, among them hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, spearfishing, fishing, and observation of flora and fauna, which is mostly endemic. The Juan Fernández Islands are also known for being inhabited by Alexander Selkirk, the man who inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe. The islands were previously named Island Mas Afuera, and Island Mas a Tierra, but in 1966 the Chilean government renamed the Island Más Afuera to Alejandro Selkirk Island and Island Más a Tierra to Robinson Crusoe Island, in order to promote tourism. Incidentally, Selkirk never set foot on Alejandro Selkirk Island, only on Robinson Crusoe Island. The islands can be accessed by air and sea routes.

File:Isla Juan Fernandez (vista hacia Robinson Crusoe desde Montaña).jpg|Cumberland Bay, Robinson Crusoe Island

File:Anakena.JPG|Anakena Beach

File:Ranoraraku2.jpg|Moais on the slope of Rano Raraku

{{Main|Chilean Antarctic Territory|Antarctica}}

According to information gathered by the National Tourism Service (Sernatur), 35,000 tourists visited the Antarctic{{cite web |url=http://buscon.rae.es/dpd/?key=ant%C3%A1rtida&origen=REDPD |title=Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of doubts – Antarctica |language=es |access-date=February 15, 2013 |author=RAE |date=2005 |publisher=buscon.rae.es |quote=The etymological form Antártica [...] is most widely used in Chile [...] the way Antártida [...] is the only one used in Spain and the favorite in most of America|author-link=Real Academia Española }} in the 2012–2013 season, 32% more than in the 2011–2012 season, when it was visited by 26,500 people. 34% of those visitors were Europeans (34%).{{cite web |url=http://www.latercera.com/noticia/nacional/2013/03/680-514619-9-turistas-que-visitaron-la-antartica-subieron-en-un-32.shtml |title=Tourists visiting Antarctica rose by 32% (in Spanish) |access-date=March 25, 2013 |format=SHTML |author=Bertín, Ximena |date=March 20, 2013 |publisher=www.latercera.com}} Of the total percentage of visitors, 5% were from Chile.

File:Anta0068 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg|Antarctic Peninsula

File:Lemaire Channel Antarctica.jpg|Lemaire channel

File:Villa-Las-Estrellas-Antarctica.JPG|Villa Las Estrellas

In Chile from June to September it is possible to practice winter sports, especially skiing and snowboarding{{cite web |url=http://www.vallenevado.com/en/ski-snowboard-andes-chile/ |title=Ski and Snowboard in Andes Mountain in Chile |access-date=June 13, 2012 |author=Valle Nevado |date=n.d. |publisher=www.vallenevado.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531142739/http://www.vallenevado.com/en/ski-snowboard-andes-chile/ |archive-date=May 31, 2012 |author-link=Valle Nevado }} During the Andes, between the regions of Valparaíso and Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, there are eighteen ski resorts of international quality,{{cite web |url=http://www.nevasport.com/classic/estaciones-esqui/andes-chilenos/8 |title=Ski resorts in Chilean Andes |access-date=April 8, 2011 |author=nevasport.com |date = 2011 |publisher=www.nevasport.com}} as Portillo, the oldest ski resort in South America and home to the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966,{{cite news |author=Adriasola C., Lucía |title=From the food that fell from the sky to the gun of Fidel Castro, the 65 years of Portillo |work=El Mercurio | page=C 18 |date=26 July 2014 }} and Valle Nevado,{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/24/travel/underrated-ski-resorts/index.html |title=Slope time: 7 underrated ski resorts – Valle Nevado, Chile |access-date=March 5, 2012 |author=Loftus, Margaret |date=24 February 2012 |publisher=edition.cnn.com}} which has one of the largest ski areas in South America{{cite web |url=http://www.vallenevado.com/en/skiable-domain/ |title=The Mountain: Skiable Domain |access-date=June 6, 2012 |author=Valle Nevado |date=n.d. |publisher=www.vallenevado.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604093231/http://www.vallenevado.com/en/skiable-domain/ |archive-date=June 4, 2012 }}

File:Laguna del Inca.JPG|Laguna del Inca, Portillo

File:Vista de Valle Nevado.jpg|Valle Nevado

File:DonPedro Antillanca.jpg|Antillanca

File:Magellanic Penguins (4312414929).jpg|Magellanic Penguins in Magdalena.

As part of the cultural heritage of Chile, there are buildings, objects and sites of archaeological, nature, architecture, handicraft, artistic, ethnographic, folk, historical, religious or technological scattered throughout the Chilean territory. Among them are those assets declared World Heritage by UNESCO, in accordance with the provisions of the convention the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, of 1972, ratified by Chile in 1980.{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ |title=States Parties: Ratification Status |access-date=March 11, 2013 |author=United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |date=n.d. |publisher=whc.unesco.org}} These cultural sites are:{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cl/ |title=World Heritage Convention – Chile |access-date=April 16, 2011 |author=United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |date = 2011 |publisher=whc.unesco.org}}

File:Ahu Tongariki.jpg|Rapa Nui National Park

File:Iglesia de Nercón.JPG|Churches of Chiloé

File:Cerro Concepcion.jpg|Valparaíso

File:Humberstone.jpg|Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works

File:Sewell flickr.jpg|Sewell Mining Town

Chile was included in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 lists of "The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations" complied by the magazine Ethical Traveler. These lists were compiled based on metrics such as environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights.{{cite web|url=http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/destinations/2011/report|title=The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations|publisher=Ethical Traveler|author1=Jane Esberg, Jeff Greenwald |author2=Natalie Lefevre |name-list-style=amp |access-date=2010-12-11}}{{cite web|url=http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/the_developing_worldrsquos_10_best_ethical_destinations_2012 |title=The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations: 2012 |publisher=Ethical Traveler|date=2012-01-05|access-date=2012-01-26}}

Within Bicentennial projects, the National Tourism Service (Sernatur), a dependent entity of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, launched in 2011 the first circuit of the touristic project "Rutas Chile", which aims to bring "more distinctive elements [...] in geographical matters, cultural, heritage and tourism [integrating] fundamental elements of national identity, the presence of featured tourist products [...] and the existence of road structure."{{cite web |url=http://www.sernatur.cl/noticias/gobierno-lanza-%E2%80%9Cruta-capital%E2%80%9D-para-potenciar-santiago-como-destino-turistico |title=Government launches "capital route" to promote Santiago as a tourist destination (in Spanish) |access-date=June 19, 2012 |author=National Tourism Service (Sernatur) |date=August 12, 2011 |publisher=www.sernatur.cl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825003245/http://www.sernatur.cl/noticias/gobierno-lanza-%e2%80%9cruta-capital%e2%80%9d-para-potenciar-santiago-como-destino-turistico |archive-date=August 25, 2011 }} These tourist routes cover the fifteen regions of Chile and are formed according to a main theme, which is determined by the contents available along the route.{{cite news |author=Sottorff, Sebastián |date=June 18, 2012 |title=Thematic routes encourage tourism by regions of the country (in Spanish) |work=El Mercurio |pages=C 11 }}

In the table below are named the eleven tourist circuits and the corresponding regions of Chile, in ISO code,.{{cite book|author=International Standardization Organization (ISO) |chapter-url=http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_3166-2_newsletter_ii-2_2010-06-30.pdf |title=ISO 3166-2 Newsletter II-2 |access-date=November 22, 2012 |language=en, fr |date=June 30, 2010 |chapter=CL Chile / Chili |pages=17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928064550/http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_3166-2_newsletter_ii-2_2010-06-30.pdf |archive-date=September 28, 2012 }}

The availability of hotel beds reaches over 22,500 in Santiago.{{cite news |author=Obregón, Pablo |title=Santiago is also touristic capital: foreigners leave more than US $ 919 millions.. annual |work=El Mercurio |page=B7 |date=February 17, 2013 }} According to Sernatur, and according to services they offer and the requirements with which they comply, there are ten five star hotels in Chile.{{cite web|url=http://www.emol.com/noticias/economia/2013/02/14/584156/sepa-cuales-son-los-requisitos-que-tiene-que-tener-un-hotel-para-ser-cinco-estrellas.html |access-date=January 5, 2013 |author=Cáceres, Cristina |date=February 17, 2013 |title=Know what requirements must have a five star hotel (in Spanish) |publisher=www.emol.com}} Ordered from north to south, those hotels are:

• Hotel Gavina in Iquique.
• Hotel Desierto in Antofagasta.
• Hotel del Mar in Viña del Mar.
• Hotel Kennedy in Santiago.
• Hotel Plaza San Francisco in Santiago.
• Hotel Regal Pacific in Santiago.
• Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza in Santa Cruz.
• Hotel Termas de Puyehue Wellness & Spa in Puyehue.
• Hotel Cumbres Patagónicas in Puerto Varas.
• Hotel Patagónico in Puerto Varas.

• Hiking in Chile
• Visa policy of Chile
• The Chilean Inca Trail

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Tourism in Chile}}

{{Wikivoyage|Chile}}

• [http://www.sernatur.cl/ National Tourism Service]
• [http://www.ibtimes.com/contents/20090511/chilealps.htm Travel: Chile] by Rich Grant, International Business Times, May 11, 2009

{{Tourism in South America}}

{{World Heritage Sites in Chile}}

{{Chile topics}}

Chile

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