CHILE
Chile is oftentimes referred to as “The Spine of South America” given its length. In fact, it is the longest country in the world stretching over 4,200km (2,600 miles) from north to south. Since the land covers such a wide range of latitudes, the country has an immensely unique and diverse range of biodiversity. Pair this with the Andes Mountains, the beaches of Viña del Mar, the Lake District, and the Atacama Desert and you have yourself one of the most beautiful countries in the world! Most travelers would agree that the highlight of Chile is located in its Patagonia region - Torres del Paine National Park, two hours outside of Puerto Natales. The trekking here is arguably the best in the world. Long story short, get yourself to Chile as soon as possible!
Updated COVID-19 Travel Information:
Currency:
The official currency of Chile is the Chilean Peso (CLP)
$1 USD = 700 CLP
Pricing for Leisure Travelers:
Average Hotel Expenses = 52,500-63,000 CLP/Night ($75-$90 USD/Night)
Average Food/Drink Expenses = 17,500-28,000 CLP/Day ($25-$40 USD/Day)
Pricing for Backpackers:
Average Hostel Expenses = 8,000-14,500 CLP/Night ($11-$21 USD/Night)
Average Food/Drink Expenses = 8,000-14,500 CLP/Day ($11-$21 USD/Day)
Communication:
Spanish is the national language of Chile. Although most people can at least communicate a bit in English, I found that having an understanding of Spanish was very advantageous.
Transportation:
Bus: This is Chile’s easiest and most popular mode of transportation. Busing to and from Santiago, Valparaiso, Concepción, Pucón, etc. is very simple. Oftentimes, you can walk up to bus stations and buy tickets on the spot. The Chilean bus companies I recommend are Pullman, Condor, and Bus Sur.
Airplane: Given Chile’s length, there are some destinations that make more sense to fly to such as Puerto Natales, San Pedro de Atacama (via Calama), Castro (via Puerto Montt), and Easter Island. You can find deals and track prices on Skyscanner. Most domestic flights in Chile will be through LATAM, JetSmart, or Sky Airline. If you can avoid flying Sky, I recommend it (let’s just say you get what you pay for in terms of comfort).
Taxi/Uber: Taxis are easy to find in Chile and most cabbies don’t argue if you ask them to run their meter (taxímetro in Spanish). Uber is “illegal” in Chile but you can still access and use the app if need be.
Miscellaneous:
Chile is South America’s wealthiest country per capita.
Chilean Spanish is known for being spoken very fast. Be prepared!
