Contrasts of Chile
The Atacama Desert, Lakes District and Patagonia
On this 16 day trip we will visit the highlights of Chile and experience the diversity and contrasts in nature, climate, geography, and culture that this long and narrow country has to offer. Starting in the capital, Santiago de Chile, we will fly to the far north, and then visit the Atacama Desert, the Lake District, and end the trip in the far South of Patagonia.
The Atacama Desert
Descending from the Altiplano to the Atacama Desert - the driest desert on earth stretching along the Chilean coast to the south - one encounters contradictory and unusual manifestations of water. Among these, the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama is an absolute "must" to visit; it was the center of a Paleolithic culture that built impressive rock fortresses on the steep mountains encircling the green valley. It contrasts with the eerily silent landscape of the nearby Valley of the Moon with its tiny but beautiful salt ponds and the backdrop of snow-capped volcanoes. At the huge Atacama Salt Lake, a former inland sea formed millions of years ago; it is a unique experience to view the vast plain of salt crusts with its octagonal-shaped crystals and to admire the lagoons reflecting the towering volcanoes. The El Tatio Geysers are another highlight; they are a geothermal field of fumaroles, small geysers, multicolored craters and nearby hot springs inviting you to a comforting bath. What a variety of forms and states water can take in the world's driest desert! Another rewarding.
The Lakes District
Famous for its spectacular panorama of bright emerald and turquoise lakes whose surfaces mirror snow-capped volcanoes and sprawling forests, Chile's Lake District is picture perfect. Rolling hills scattered with hundreds of lakes and lagoons give the district its name. It is one of the most popular travel destinations in Chile; numerous visitors are not only attracted by the beauty but also by the varied outdoor activities available, its well-structured tourism infrastructure, and the countless national parks and nature reserves. The Lake District covers two regions of Chile, the Ninth Region - more commonly known as La Araucanía - and the Tenth Region - Los Lagos. It is home to the indigenous Mapuche who defended their land against the Spanish conquistadores for 300 years. German settlers came and cleared the land, felling timber for their typical shingled houses. Both ethnic groups have left their mark on the region in architecture, art, and food.
Patagonia
The most famous region of Chile, Chilean Patagonia offers all the dramatic landscape one would expect from the world's ultimate land's end. Here the South American continent falls away in a dazzling explosion of islands, glaciers, icebergs and mountains. It is one of Mother Nature's grand finales. Chilean Patagonia consists of sub regions: the northern Aisen Region and, to its south, the Magallanes Region. Aisen is home to Laguna San Rafael National Park and the Austral Road (Carretera Austral). The Carretera Austral has become one of the most important attractions in Patagonia because it allows you to enter into a territory that still is open to discoveries: Northern Patagonia with its large extensions of cold forests, national parks, glaciers, gigantic ice fields, lagoons, fiords, rivers, and lakes. It is an ideal territory for adventure tourism, fishing, trekking, hiking, kayaking, rafting, and observing flora and fauna in its most natural state. Southern Patagonia hosts the incomparable Torres del Paine National Park.
