- Rafting or Horseback Riding in the Cajon de Maipo: Okay, it's not even close to rafting the Futaleufu, but the Maipo River whips up enough exciting rapids for a thrill and, best of all, it's just a 45-minute drive from Santiago. The Maipo River winds through the Cajon del Maipo, a hemmed-in alpine valley that is so fragrant and pleasant it seems worlds away from the smoggy metropolis. To get deep into the Andes, saddle up for a full- or half-day horseback ride. Beginners and kids are welcome, too.
- Skiing & Snowboarding the Andes: You'll feel like an oddball while schlepping your gear through the airport in July, but you'll be the smug one who's found out about the awesome skiing and snowboarding opportunities in Chile from June to October. The Andes offer awesome terrain, a laid-back ambience, and lots of nighttime parties, plus the chance to ski during the "summer." Portillo has been around for 54 years, and its steep chutes still raise fear in the hearts of those about to make the descent. Valle Nevado and Termas de Chillan have a full infrastructure that includes state-of-the-art spas. Heliskiing companies and Ski Arpa, a Snowcat-serviced resort, can get you to terrain where the only living thing you'll see is a condor sailing through the sky.
- Summiting a Volcano: There's something more thrilling about summiting a volcano than any old mountain, especially when the volcano threatens to blow at any given time. Chile is home to a large share of the world's volcanoes, some of which are perfectly conical and entirely feasible to climb, such as Volcan Villarrica in Pucon and Volcan Osorno near Puerto Varas. Active Villarrica is a relatively moderate climb to the gaseous crater, followed by a fun slide on your rear down a human toboggan chute. Osorno offers a more technical climb, roping up for a crampon-aided walk past glacier crevasses and caves. In the far north, perfect conical volcanoes include Parinacota east of Arica and Licancabur near San Pedro, both on the border with Bolivia. And in southern Aysen, ice fields around San Valentin beckon adventurous climbers.
- Rafting & Kayaking the Futaleufu River or Pacific Ocean: With churning river sections that are frightening enough to be dubbed "Hell" and "The Terminator," the Class V Futaleufu River, or the "Fu," as it's known, is solemnly revered by rafting and kayaking enthusiasts around the world as one of the most difficult to descend. A little too much excitement for your nerves? Rafting companies offer short-section rafting trips on the Futaleufu and down the tamer, crystalline waters of the neighboring Espolon River -- kayak schools use this stretch, too. The scenery here redefines mountain beauty. An alternative is sea kayaking along the Patagonian channels or around Isla Damas at the southern fringe of the Atacama Desert, renowned for their teeming wildlife; book with Kayak Australis (tel. 2/650-8264; www.kayakaustralis.com) or Yak Expediciones (tel. 9/299-6487; www.yakexpediciones.cl).
- Trekking in Torres del Paine: This backpacking mecca just keeps growing in popularity, and it's no wonder. Torres del Paine is one of the most spectacular national parks in the world, with hundreds of kilometers of trails through ever-changing landscapes of jagged peaks and one-of-a-kind granite spires; undulating meadows; milky, turquoise lakes and rivers; and mammoth glaciers. The park has a well-organized system of refugios and campgrounds, but there are also several hotels, and visitors can access the park's major highlights on a day hike.
- Casting a Line for Jumbo Trout: Chile has literally thousands of spots for fly-fishing, from the Lake District all the way down to the sub-Antarctic wilderness of Tierra del Fuego. Above all, the many lodges along the remote Carretera Austral draw fishing aficionados from around the world to rivers and lakes full of trout, weighing in from a pound to the hefty 8- to 10-pounders around Villa O'Higgins at the end of the road. Remember that the further south you go, the shorter the season gets.
Chile Travel Experiences
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Best of Chile Tour
Setting off at the crack of dawn from Cape Town, South Africa and travelling via Johannesburg this intrepid group of 17 travellers, spent... Continue reading »
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Country Hopping
Country Hopping I haven't written too much about the personalities of the countries I'm visiting, and what it feels like to be moving... Continue reading »
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1 week in CHILE
A week in Chile for a "look see" before heading off catamaran shopping.It was a last minute decision to stop off in Chile. Original desti... Continue reading »
