If you want to know the most visited places in Chile, then you should go to the south western side of South America, and start enjoying its beautiful capital Santiago, as well as the city of Valparaíso, where the headquarters of the National Congress of that country are located. According to the World Tourism Organization, Chile was the third tourist destination in South America, the fourth in Latin America and the sixth in America in 2017.
It is important to note that in Chile the climate is very cold in the winter, and very hot in the summer, season when you can enjoy spectacular spas in the coastal area of the north of this country, specifically in the cities of Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena and Coquimbo, as well as in the south area, where Pucón and Puerto Varas are, that offers dream landscapes. However, there are many places with great attractions, which we will describe below:
Santiago de Chile: This beautiful city is very striking for tourists who love culture, art, museums and ancient architecture. There you can enjoy, among other places, the Routes of Wine and modern centers of ski, as well as a seaboard of about 100 kilometers of distance, where at the same time you can access to snowed mountains, being able to enjoy two different scenes only in a city.
Valparaíso, center of Chile: Known as the jewel of the Pacific, it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Its colorful architectures and steep stairs in hills with spectacular landscapes stand out. It is considered the tourist capital and the culture of Chile, since it has thirteen beaches, with various entertainment centers, among which its casinos stand out, besides that there are numerous shows, festivals and carnivals throughout the year, where dance, theater, music and painting stand out.
Isla de Pascua, Center of Chile: This island is known worldwide for its spectacular and mysterious stone sculptures known as Moáis, which have represented the Rapanui ancestral culture. It is one of the most recognized tourist destinations in Chile that was declared World Heritage.
San Pedro de Atacama in the north of Chile: It is at 2,400 meters above sea level, in the Atacama Desert; and this place highlights its architecture and its narrow streets, from where you can enjoy fascinating landscapes. There you will enjoy places like the Tatio Geysers and the Valleys of the Moon and Death, with natural outlooks and ancient archaeological sites of Atacameña culture, with about twelve thousand years of human occupation.
National Park Lauca in the north of Chile: It is a natural heritage located at 165 kilometers from Arica, where altiplanic landscapes with spectacular snow-capped mountains and small villages of the Aymará culture stand out, which have a wonderful and unique ecosystem of that region, since it is located at 4,500 meters above sea level.
Iquique in the north of Chile: It is a spa town, which stands out for its beaches with white sands and gentle waves. In addition, it has archaeological museums about the “Chinchorro” culture, which inhabited the area about 5,000 years ago, and has nitrate deposits such as Humberstone and Santa Laura, which were declared as World Heritage Sites.
Chiloé in the south of Chile: An archipelago of islands and small islets, rich in culture, legends and traditions, with dreamy rural landscapes, fishermen and colorful palafitos that are part of the landscapes. In addition, there you can see the churches that have been declared as World Heritage Site by Unesco and are part of a pilgrimage route.
Austral road in the south of Chile: It is a 1240 km route that crosses the Chilean Patagonia, which begins in Puerto Montt and ends in Villa O’Higgins, gateway to the Southern Ice Fields. It is considered a natural scenario of the most beautiful in Chile, with magical places such as the millenary alerces of Hornopirén and the fjords of Pumalín Park.
Laguna San Rafael in the south of Chile: It is among the Northern Ice Fields, within an area declared as a “World Biosphere Reserve by Unesco”, where you can see the “San Rafael Glacier”, which is born in San Valentín snowcapped mountain and covers fifteen kilometers of distance.
Only accessible by means of special boats, it bewitches by its ice towers that are seventy meters high.
Torres del Paine National Park in the south of Chile: It has been recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO for having an ecosystem with a rich wildlife, with infinity of diverse landscapes where glaciers, mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes stand out. It is one of the most striking tourist destinations, where you can see the famous Torres del Paine, three huge granite towers that formed twelve million years ago.
That’s how some of the most visited places in Chile have received several awards, such as of the New York Times, which in 2011 cataloged Santiago de Chile as one of the 41 best tourist destinations, and in 2012 it included the Chilean Patagonia and the Island of Chiloé among the 45 best tourist destinations in the world.
Already in 2013 the magazine National Geographic added the city of Valparaíso to the 20 best tourist destinations of that year, and in turn in its special edition that same year, it included the Torres del Paine in the fifth place in its list of the hundred places most beautiful in the world.
For its part, the magazine “Condé Nast Traveler” made a list in 2016 of the 50 most beautiful places in South America, including the following places in Chile: Torres del Paine, Valparaíso, Chiloé islands, San Pedro de Atacama, the Valley of the Moon, Rano Raraku crater, the Marble Cathedral, El Tatio geysers and Navarino Island.
ALFA