Chile travel tips - Popular Chilean attractions
Since the mid 1990s, tourism in Chile has become one of the main sources of revenue, especially in the most extreme zones of the country. In 2005, tourism grew by 13.6%, generating more than 1,500 million dollars, equivalent to 1.33% of the national GDP. According to the National Service of Tourism (Sernatur), 2 million people a year go to Chile, which is still significantly small compared with the number of tourists who arrive at other countries in the region, like Mexico or Brazil. Most of these visitors come from other countries in the American continent, mainly Argentina; nevertheless, in the last few years there has been significant growth in the number of visitors from Europe, mainly from Spain, Germany and France, with numbers already approaching four hundred thousand annually.
The main attractions for tourists are places of natural beauty situated in the extreme zones of the country: San Pedro de Atacama, in the north, is very popular with foreign tourists who arrive to admire the Incaic architecture and the altiplano lakes of the Valley of the Moon. In Putre, also in the North, there is the Chungará Lake, as well as the Parinacota and the Pomerape volcanoes, with altitudes of 6,348 m and 6,222 m, respectively. Throughout the central Andes there are many ski resorts of international repute, like Portillo and Valle Nevado. In the south, the main tourist sites are the Chiloé island, Patagonia, the San Rafael Lagoon, with its many glaciers, and the Towers of Paine national park. The central port city of Valparaíso, with its unique architecture, is also popular. Finally, Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is probably the main Chilean tourist destination.
For locals, tourism is concentrated mostly in the summer (December to March), and mainly in the coastal beach towns. Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena and Coquimbo are the main summer centres in the north, and Pucón on the shores of Lake Villarrica is the main one in the south. Due to its proximity to Santiago, the coast of the Valparaíso Region, with its many beach resorts, receives the largest amount of tourists. Viña del Mar, Valparaíso's northern affluent neighbor, is popular due to its beaches, casino, and its annual song festival, the most important musical event in Latin America.
In November 2005, the government launched a campaign under the brand "Chile: All Ways Surprising," intended to promote the country internationally for both business and tourism.
Cities
- Arica
- Iquique
- Antofagasta
- Calama
- La Serena
- Valparaíso
- Vina del Mar
- Santiago
- Rancagua
- Curico
- Talca
- Concepción
- Temuco
- Valdivia
- Puerto Varas
- Puerto Montt
- Ancud
- Quellón
- Punta Arenas
- Chaiten
- Maitencillo
- Reñaca
National Parks
- 1. Lauca
- 2. Volcán Isluga
- 3. Llullaillaco
- 4. Pan de Azúcar
- 5. Llanos de Challes
- 6. Nevado Tres Cruces
- 7. Bosque de Fray Jorge
- 8. La Campana
- 9. Archipiélago Juan Fernández
- 10. Rapa Nui
- 11. Palmas de Cocalán
- 12. Laguna del Laja
- 13. Huerquehue
- 14. Villarrica
- 15. Nahuelbuta
- 16. Tolhuaca
- 17. Conguillio
- 18. Puyehue
- 19. Vicente Pérez Rosales
- 20. Alerce Andino
- 21. Chiloe
- 22. Hornopirén
- 23. Corcovado
- 24. Isla Guamblin
- 25. Laguna San Rafael
- 26. Queulat
- 27. Isla Magdalena
- 28. Bernardo OHiggins
- 29. Torres del Paine National Park
- 30. Pali Aike
- 31. Alberto de Agostini
- 32. Cabo de Hornos
Other destinations
- Cochamó
- Patagonia - especially the Torres del Paine National Park
- Pucón
- San Pedro de Atacama
Skiing
- El Colorado
- Portillo
Islands
- Chiloe Island
- Easter Island (Isla de Pascua)
- Robinson Crusoe Island
- Isla Sala y Gómez