• Regions
• Cities
• National Parks
• Drink
• Currency
• Sleep
• Learn
• Work
• Stay safe
• Stay healthy
• Respect

Chile [1] narrowly stretches along the southern half of the west coast of South America. The bordering countries are Bolivia, and Peru in the north and over the Andes, to the east, lies Argentina. Chile has over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) of coast on the South Pacific Ocean. It also has a claim to a portion of Antarctica.

[edit] Regions

• North
• Central
• South
• Extreme South

note: Argentina and Chile's claims to Antarctica overlap. However, under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, no country's territorial claims are exercised.

[edit] Cities

Map of Chile

• Arica
• Iquique
• Antofagasta
• Calama
• La Serena
• Valparaíso
• Vina del Mar
• Santiago
• Rancagua
• Curico
• Talca
• Concepción
• Temuco
• Valdivia
• Puerto Varas
• Puerto Montt
• Ancud
• Quellón
• Chaiten
• Coyhaique
• Punta Arenas
• Chonchi

[edit] National Parks

• Lauca
• Volcán Isluga
• Llullaillaco
• Pan de Azúcar
• Llanos de Challes
• Nevado Tres Cruces
• Bosque de Fray Jorge
• La Campana
• Archipiélago Juan Fernández
• Rapa Nui
• Palmas de Cocalán
• Laguna del Laja
• Huerquehue
• Villarrica
• Nahuelbuta
• Tolhuaca
• Conguillio
• Puyehue
• Vicente Pérez Rosales
• Alerce Andino
• Chiloe
• Hornopirén
• Corcovado (Chile)
• Isla Guamblin
• Laguna San Rafael
• Queulat
• Isla Magdalena
• Bernardo OHiggins
• Torres del Paine National Park
• Pali Aike
• Alberto de Agostini
• Cabo de Hornos

[edit] Other destinations

Template:Infobox

[edit] General

• Cochamó
• Patagonia - especially the Torres del Paine National Park
• Pucón
• San Pedro de Atacama

[edit] Skiing

• El Colorado
• Portillo

[edit] Islands

• Chiloe Island
• Easter Island (Isla de Pascua)
• Robinson Crusoe Island
• Isla Sala y Gómez

[edit] Get in

Please be aware that although American citizens need a valid passport to enter the country, no visa is necessary.

Citizens of four countries must pay a "reciprocity fee" of varying amounts. The fee is USD 131 for American citizens, USD 132 for Canadian citizens, USD 56 for Australian citizens, and USD 15 for Mexican citizens. This fee is equivalent to the amount that country requires for entry visas from Chilean citizens. The fee is only for tourists entering by plane, and the one-time charge is good for the life of your passport. US citizens should have crisp $20 bills or a credit card to pay the $131 fee. Citizens of other countries, such as the UK, do not have to pay a fee.

When entering Chile (by cruise, vehicle or plane), at customs, travelers will need to fill out a tourist card that allows them to stay for up to 90 days. Travelers will have to present the tourist card to Customs officials when leaving the country. Be aware that hotels waive Chile's 19% room tax when the guest shows this card and pays with U.S. dollars. On flights leaving Chile, there is an airport tax of US$18, or the equivalent in Chilean pesos. On domestic flights, airport tax is included in the price of the ticket. For tourism information of Chile, please visit: www.visitchile.org. For consulate information, please visit the Embassy web site: www.chile-usa.org. More info at Embassy of Chile, UK: www.echileuk.demon.co.uk/consulatevisas.htm.

From the Chile Tourism office at the Embassy of Chile in Washington DC (ofitur@embassyofchile.org)

Agriculture is very important to Chile, and it is illegal to import perishable goods.

Remember that Chile is a unitary country, so the laws are the same everywhere.

[edit] By plane

The most common entry point for overseas visitors is the international airport [2] of the capital Santiago. There are airports in major towns, but Santiago offers the best connections. LAN Airlines is Chile's flagship airline.

[edit] By bus

If you are already in South America, a cheaper and reliable way is to go by bus to Chile. Chile borders Argentina (daily bus from Mendoza), Peru (bus from Arequipa) and Bolivia. Buses also originate from Brazil (bus from São Paulo, on Mondays and Thursdays). Be aware that crossing into Chile may take place at high altitude--up to 4000 m (13,000 ft). Also, the roads from Peru and Bolivia are a bit poor in quality, so be patient. During the winter season, which begins in June and ends in August, it is not uncommon for the passage from Mendoza to close for days at a time.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By plane

Chile has a very good airport infrastructure. The main hub for flights in Chile is the Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in Santiago from where several airlines serve even the remotest corners of the country. These airlines are LAN, Sky Airline and Aerolineas del Sur. When travelling within Chile, please consider reserving your tickets before entering the country: flight coupons are recommended and can be bought at LAN when you also purchase your flight to Chile with them; these can also be processed online. Unfortunately, the other two airlines do not have internet service available yet and you should consider comparing fares by asking your local travel agency or by calling around. Sky Airline now has a website where one may purchase tickets, but it's in Spanish only.
Because of the shape of the country, many routes are subject to several time-consuming layovers. You might take this into account as you can have up to 4 stops en route to your destination! (e.g. for a flight from Punta Arenas to Arica: Punta Arenas (PUQ)-Puerto Montt(PMC)-Santiago(SCL)-Antofagasta(ANF)-Iquique(IQQ)-Arica(ARI)) Domestic routes are served by Airbus 319, Airbus 320 and Boeing 737-200's when flying with LAN express and Boeing 737-200's when flying Sky Airline and Aerolineas del Sur. (The Boeing 737-200s are remarkably older and noisier!)

[edit] By bus

The bus system is pretty sophisticated and provides a great way to get from town to town. Bear in mind that, for the most part, going from one city to the next will take longer than expected because they stop at many bus stations along the way. Companies that cover the entire country include Turbus and Pullman (websites in Spanish only). In Santiago, you can find both terminals and more companies on Universidad de Santiago subway station.

[edit] La Micro

Micro = transit/local buses. The word is the contraction of Microbus. Larger cities have cross-town bus routes at very affordable prices. There are no maps with all the routes, so a little bit of Spanish and the audacity to ask around can get you places effectively. Recently changed to a new more modern system in Santiago only; see http://www.transantiago.cl for the finer details. To travel by "micro" in Santiago you will need to buy before a travel-card called "BIP" and charge it with money. You can do so in any subway station and in some stores. This card also allows you to travel by subway in Santiago. Be careful! You won't be able to travel by bus if you don't have money in your bip card. The ticket costs almost 1 US dollar.

[edit] Colectivo

A mix between a micro and a taxi. These small cars have routes and get around quicker and more comfortably. Fares are similar to those on the Micro, and depend on the hour.

[edit] Metro

A metropolitan railway system operating in Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepcion. A reliable way to move around in the city. You must pay the fee only once (when you enter the system) and you can ride as much as you want. There are now more stations in Santiago because of the recent construction of two new lines. Visit http://www.metrosantiago.cl for more information.

[edit] By Thumb

Hitchhiking in Chile is not difficult, given enough time and patience. It is seen as a common form of travel for tourists or young, adventurous Chileans. On large highways such as the Panamerican Highway, hitching becomes nearly impossible. Smaller, more scenic roads such as the Carretera Austral in the south, can leave you waiting for half a dozen hours in the more remote sections but the rides will generally get you a long way and are worth waiting for. If you are a tourist be sure to show it with your backpack, flags attached to your backpack, etc. The locals love chatting with foreign travelers.

[edit] Eat

• Pastel de choclo: corn casserole filled with ground beef, onions, chicken, raisins, hardboiled egg, olives, and topped with sugar and butter.
• Empanada de pino: a baked pie filled with ground beef, onion, raisins, a piece of boiled egg and a black olive. Watch for the pit.
• Empanada de queso: a deep-fried patty filled with cheese. Found everywhere, including McDonald's.
• Cazuela de vacuno: beef soup with a potato, rice, a piece of corn and a piece of squash.
• Cazuela de ave (or de pollo): same as above, but with a piece of chicken.
• Cazuela de pavo: same as above, but with turkey.
• Porotos granados: stew made with fresh beans, squash, corn, onion and basil.
  • con choclo: with grains of corn.
  • con pilco or pirco: with corn thinly chopped.
  • con mazamorra: with ground corn.
  • con riendas: with thin sliced noodles.
• Curanto: lots of seafood, beef, chicken and pork, potatoes, cheese, and potato "burguers," prepared in a hole in the ground ("en hoyo") or in a pot ("en olla"); a dish from Chiloé.
• Southern sopaipillas: a fried pastry cut as 10-cm (4-in) circles, with no pumpkin in its dough (see Northern sopaipillas in the desserts section). They replace bread. They are known South of Linares.
• Lomo a lo pobre: a beefsteak, fried potatoes, a fried egg (expect two in restaurants) and fried onions.

Besides typical foods, you should expect food normally found in any Western country. The normal diet includes rice, potatoes, meat and bread. Vegetables are abundant in central Chile. If you are concerned about the portions, consider that the size of the dish increases the farther south you travel.

With such an enormous coastline, you can expect fish and seafood almost everywhere. Locals used to eat bundles of raw shellfish, but visitors should be cautious of raw shellfish because of frequent outbreaks of red tides. Chile is the world's second largest producer of salmón, as well as a number of other farmed sea products, which include oysters, scallops, mussels, trout and turbot. Local fish include corvina (sea bass), congrio(conger eel), lenguado (flounder), albacora (swordfish), and yellow fin tuna.

[edit] Sandwiches

• Hotdog or completo. Not similar to the American version. This one includes mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, tomato, mashed avocado (palta), sauerkraut (chucrut) and chili (ají). These ingredients make a full sandwich, called un completo. With mayonnaise, tomato and avocado it's un italiano with the colors of the Italian flag.
• Lomito. Cooked pork steaks served with anything that can go in a hotdog. Italiano is the preferred form but German purists prefer it with sauerkraut (chucrut).
• Chacarero: a thin beefsteak (churrasco) with tomato, green beans, mayonnaise and green chili (ají verde).
• Barros Luco: Named after President Ramón Barros Luco. Thinly-sliced beefsteak with cheese.
• Choripán: Bread with "chorizo", a highly-seasoned pork sausage. Named that way because the contraction of "Pan con Chorizo" or "Chorizo con Pan".

A common combination is meat with avocado and/or mayonnaise, e.g. Ave palta mayo (chicken with avocado and mayonnaise) or Churrasco palta (thinly-sliced beefsteak with avocado). The strong presence for avocado is a Chilean standard for sandwiches that influences the fast food franchises to include it in their menus.

[edit] Desserts

• Northern sopaipillas: a fried pastry cut as 10-cm (4-in) circles, which includes pumpkin in its dough, and normally is eaten with chancaca, a black treacle or molasses. It's customary to make them when it rains and it's cold outside. Sopaipillas as a dessert are only known north of San Javier. From Linares to the South, they are not dessert and pumpkin is left out, so, when it rains, Chilean Southerners must cook picarones. In Santiago, Sopaipillas can be served covered with a sweet syrup as a dessert, or with spicy yellow mustard.
• Kuchen (or cújen, pronounced KOO-hen) is German for pie. In the South ask for kuchen de quesillo, a kind of cheesecake.
• Strudel (pronounced ess-TROO-dayl). A kind of apple pie.
• Berlín. When they translate John Kennedy's famous quote (often mistakenly thought of as a gaffe) they say it's a “jelly doughnut”. The Chilean version is a ball of dough (no hole) filled with dulce de membrillo, crema pastelera or manjar. Powder sugar is added just in case you have a sweet tooth.
• Cuchuflí. Barquillo (tube of something crunchy like a cookie) filled with manjar. The name originally comes from cuchufleta wich means deceipt or trickery, as they used to be filled only at the tips of the barquillos, leaving the middle part empty.

Central Chile is a major fruit producer, and you can easily get fruit for dessert, including apples, oranges, peaches, grapes, watermelons, strawberries, raspberries, chirimoyas, and several other varieties.

[edit] Drink

• Wine: Chile produces some excellent wines, competing with California, Australia and New Zealand for world markets. Notable are the Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere in red, along with whites from the Casablanca valley.
• Mote con Huesillo: A delicous summertime drink made of wheat seeds (mote) and dried peaches (huesillos) boiled, sweetened, and served cold. Typically sold on sidewalk or park stands.[3]
• Chilean Pisco: Brandy made from Muscat grapes. Popular brands are Capel, Alto del Carmen and Valle Elqui.
• Pisco Sour: One of Chile's most popular mixed drinks, this consists of Pisco mixed with lemon juice and sugar. It has a delicious tart sweetness.
• Mango Sour: Pisco mixed with mango juice.
• Piscola: Pisco mixed with Coke.
• Borgoña: Red wine and strawberries.
• Terremoto: ("Earthquake"): a typical Chilean drink that consists in a mix of pineapple ice cream with pipeño (like white wine).
• Schop: Beer on tap.
• Fan-Schop: Beer mixed with orange Fanta soda. A refreshing alternative on a hot summer day.
• Beers: Cristal and Escudo are the most popular (light lagers). Royal Guard and Kunstmann are a fair bit tastier.

Unlike other latin-american countries, in Chile it's illegal to drink in unlicensed, public areas (streets, parks, etc.) The laws also restrict vendor hours depending on the weekday (in no case after 3 AM or before 9 AM).

[edit] Currency

Chile's currency is the Chilean peso. Other currencies are not widely accepted, but most cities have exchange bureus with resonable rates on euros and US dollars. It's not advisable to exchange currency in the hotel or the airport as the rates are awful. Just be patient.

Never exchange money on the streets, even if a "helper" indicates you to follow them. The automatic teller machine (ATM) network in Chile is respectable in coverage--they're all connected to the same service and enable standard transactions.

In Jan. 2008: 1 USD = 465 CLP

              1 EURO = 688 CLP

[edit] Sleep

Chile has many types of hotels in the cities: some of the most prevalent chains are Sheraton, Kempinsky, Ritz, Marriott, Hyatt, and Holiday Inn. Several hostels and little hotels of varying quality wait to be discovered. On the backpacker trail, a local hostel version can be found in every small city residencial. There is also a variety of accommodations in the mountain ski centers, such as the world-class resort Portillo, 80 km (49 mi) north of Santiago; "Valle Nevado" in the mountains approximately 35 km (22 mi) away from Santiago, and the "Termas de Chillan" ski resort and hot springs, which lies about 450 km (280 mi) south of Santiago.

[edit] Learn

Along with Mexico and Argentina, Chile continues to grow as a preferred destination for studies abroad. It is not uncommon to find groups of European or North American students taking interdisciplinary studies in Spanish in one of its many reputed universities.

• Universidad de Chile [4]
• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile [5]
• Universidad de Concepcion [6]
• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso [7]
• Universidad de Santiago de Chile [8]
• Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María [9]
• Universidad de Viña del Mar - International Office [10]

[edit] Work

Foreigners need to apply for a work visa before arriving (it can be done after, but it is a lot harder to get one). Temporary permits are issued to spouses and people with a contract. Under-the-table jobs are normally not well paid, lack the mandatory health insurance and retirement plans, and are a reason to get deported.

[edit] Stay safe

As most big cities, Santiago suffers from a high rate of pickpocketing and muggings. It's advisable not to travel in the downtown area wearing expensive-looking jewelry or watches, even during the day. Stay alert and be especially careful in all crowded areas in Santiago.

For tourists or other "beginners" lacking experience in over-the-counter transactions with hard Chilean currency, you can reduce the chance of your wallet getting stolen by following some advice:

• Separate coins and bills. Coins are frequently used when paying the (micro) bus and colectivo. Store them in a small handbag so that your bills will remain concealed.

• 1000-, 2000- and 5000-peso notes should be easily accessible. Bills with higher value should be stored in another, more secure place in your wallet so you don't accidently pay 10000 pesos instead of 1000, for example.

• Do not reach for your wallet until the vendor tells you the price.

• If a souvenir costs, for example, 1300 pesos, pay with a 2000-peso bill or two 1000-peso bills. Don't pay with, say, a 1000-peso bill and 300 pesos in loose change.

Chilean Carabineros (National Police) are very trustworthy--call 133 if you need assistance. If you have a GSM mobile phone, call 112. Some municipalities (such as Santiago or Las Condes) have private guards; however, they usually don't speak English. Do not try to bribe a carabinero--it will get you into serious trouble! Unlike other south american police corps, Chilean carabineros are very proud and honest, and bribery would be a serious offense against their creed.

Regarding driving conditions: Chilean drivers tend to be not as erratic and volatile as those in neighboring countries.

Since Chile is almost racially homogeneous, Chileans get curious and may stare at foreigners. If you are blonde, black or asian, be prepared. There have been reports of racist attacks, but they are infrequent, and the police (carabineros) have become better at handling such situations. If you are from the Middle East, it will be easier to blend in and will not get the same level of attention as a black or asian would, for instance.

Be careful if you are dressed like an emo. They are called "pokemons" because the haircuts reminds of the japanese animated series. Chileans may disapprove of the hairstyle and clothing. There have been an increase on attacks against them by skinheads and few chileans have sympathies for them. You will experience less problems if you embody some other genre like rock or hip-hop, for example.

Diplomatic representation from the US 

embassy: Avenida Andrés Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710.

[edit] Stay healthy

Having relatively good standards in medicine throughout the country, it is not difficult to stay healthy. However, one will usually find more refined resources at a private medical facility. In case of emergency , call 131, but don't expect an operator fluent in English. No vaccinations are necessary.

Don't drink tap water. Always drink bottled water to avoid water-borne illnesses and help keep your visit to Chile problem-free.

[edit] Respect

• Although modern in many ways Chile remains basically traditional. You will fare better if you do not openly denigrate or flout those traditions. Ladies wear drsses or skirts of modest design, and men wear long pants, at least in the cities. People speak in conversational tones.
• Unlike other countries in Latin America, the Chilean police force is admired for its honesty and competence. Report any complaints to the police the moment you receive them, including criminal activity. Bribing is not acceptable in Chile, in comparison with the rest of the Latin America, and you'll likely get arrested for it.
• Do not assume that your hosts in Chile will have the opinion that Pinochet is bad. He still has many supporters, so be careful when raising the issue. Even if you want to talk other political subjects than Pinochet, people can get very aggresive when it comes to politics. Depending on your opinions, they can either call you "communist" or "facist."
• Chileans are very friendly people. Use your common sense to avoid danger.
• Be careful: many people can speak and understand English, even the lower class...be polite.
• Chileans hate arrogance. Be arrogant and you will have problems; be kind and everyone will try to help you.
• Chileans will know that you are a foreigner no matter how good your Spanish is. Don't get upset if they call you "gringo"-- all foreigners are called that.

[edit] Contact

[edit] Phone

Chile has an extensive communication network. Mobile telephony (mostly GSM networks) is ubiquitous in major cities and central and southern Chile. If you stay for a considerable amount of time, you could even buy a prepaid cellular phone. Prepaid cards for mobile phones and landline networks are sold at most newspaper kiosks. A prepaid SIM card from ENTEL costs 5000 pesos. You don't need to show an ID card. It comes without credit though, which you need to buy as well to be able to call. The phone system is not as ridiculously complicated as in Argentina.

[edit] Internet

There are cybercafes in every major and midsize city and at all tourist destinations. Some libraries are in a program called Biblioredes, with free computers and Internet (they may be very sensitive if you plug in your camera or something like that). In some remote locations, public libraries have internet satellite connections. Also notice if there's a Wi-Fi hotspot around. They're usually in metro stations, airports, malls, and public buildings. (Check for the ones that say "gratis"--for free.)