Chile’s Incredible Landscapes

Land with various climate types

From Desert to Glaciers, Chile is one of those countries that makes you realize just how much variety can fit within a single border.

Within its borders there are at least seven major climatic subtypes, ranging from dry desert, to glaciers, tropical rainforest an mediterranean climate in central Chile. (Source Wikipedia)

Stretching for thousands of miles along the western edge of South America, Chile has an extraordinary range of landscapes. In the north you’ll find the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Farther south, the landscape changes dramatically, eventually reaching the forests, mountains, glaciers, and fjords of Patagonia.

Destination: Chile

I experienced only a small part of Chile during my visit to Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar. But a couple of years later, my manager decided to experience a very different side of the country when she went on a trekking tour in Patagonia for vacation.

Patagonia is famous for its spectacular mountains and wild landscapes, but it is not exactly a gentle hiking destination. Traveling with a sherpa (guide), the group hiked up the mountain and my manager, the only woman in the group, even had to share a tent with one of the guys. The weather can change quickly, and conditions can be cold and challenging. In fact, she came back from her trek with frostbite!

Needless to say, her adventure gave me a whole new appreciation for the phrase “adventure travel.” I’ll enjoy a vineyard dinner and sightseeing along the coast any time of the day, but trekking under harsh weather conditions, through one of the most rugged regions of South America is not for me!

And that’s part of what makes Chile so fascinating.

You can explore the Atacama Desert in the north, where the landscape can look almost otherworldly, and then travel south toward Patagonia, where snow-capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, and forests dominate the scenery.

Chile is also famous for its exceptionally clear skies, particularly in the north, making it one of the world’s important locations for astronomical observatories.

From desert to mountains, vineyards to coastline, forests to glaciers, Chile offers an incredible variety of landscapes.

My own trip gave me just a tiny glimpse of this diversity. But hearing about my manager’s Patagonia adventure made me realize how much more there was to discover beyond the places I had visited.

Maybe that’s one of the best things about travel: you don’t have to see everything on one trip. Sometimes one experience simply gives you a reason to dream about going back.

Sign up below to stay tuned for the next adventure!