Chile Travel Guide

Cerro San Cristobal is among Santiago's highest hills, about 880 m, in the Metropolitan Park - a great viewpoint over Santiago. Ride the historic funicular or cable car up; the summit has a 14 m white Immaculate Conception statue overlooking the city. On clear, haze-free days the Andes snow peaks form a backdrop. The hill also has a botanical garden, pool and zoo. A must-see viewpoint.

Easter Island — Rapa Nui to its people — is one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth, a triangle of volcanic grassland some 3,700 km from mainland Chile. Scattered across it stand around 900 moai, monumental figures carved to represent deified ancestors who watch over the land of their clans. At the Rano Raraku quarry dozens of unfinished statues remain embedded in the crater slope, while the fifteen restored giants of Ahu Tongariki line up with their backs to the Pacific — the island's definitive sunrise. Reaching it takes roughly a 5.5-hour flight from Santiago; give yourself at least three full days.

Ahu Tongariki is the largest and most spectacular Moai group on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile. On the east coast, 15 giant Moai stand on a ~200 m Ahu altar facing inland, backs to the Pacific — for their scale, the solemn sunrise silhouettes, and the restoration by Chilean and Japanese teams, it is the most awe-inspiring archaeological site and sunrise spot on the island. The 15 Moai vary in size, the tallest ~14 m (with Pukao topknot), on a ~200 m Ahu facing inland (Moai always face away from the sea, watching over the village). The site was toppled and scattered by the 1960 tsunami — restored in the 1990s by Chilean university archaeologists and Japan's Tadano crane company, which lifted the fallen Moai back upright. Ahu Tongariki is the classic sunrise spot — the sun rising over the Pacific with 15 Moai silhouettes against the golden sky is the island's most iconic image. A Pukao quarry is nearby. Visiting to feel the grandeur and mystery of Rapa Nui civilization in 15 giant Moai and a Pacific sunrise is a must-do archaeological and sunrise experience.

Plaza de Armas is the heart and historical origin of Santiago, founded in 1541, for five centuries the city's political, religious and social center. Around it stand solemn colonial and Neoclassical buildings - the Metropolitan Cathedral, Central Post Office, National History Museum (old Royal Court) and Town Hall. The square is green with fountains and sculptures, centered by the equestrian statue of founder Valdivia. Lively with street performers, chess players, pigeons and people - vivid daily life. The core of Santiago's historic center.

Volcán Osorno is the iconic active volcano of Chile's Lakes District, its symmetrical cone mirrored between Lake Llanquihue and Lake Todos los Santos — a classic image of northern Patagonia. A ski centre and chairlift sit at the base; in summer you can hike to the snowline viewpoint above the cloud sea, gazing out to other volcanoes and fjords. The crater stays snow-capped year-round; the summit route demands fitness but rewards photographers and nature lovers.When clouds lift, the volcano mirrors into a perfectly symmetric painting.

Cerro Santa Lucia is a 69-metre hill in the heart of Santiago, where Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia founded the city in 1541. Remodelled in 1866 by architect Benjamin Vicuna Mackenna, the hill became a European-style park of neoclassical terraces, fountains, statues and old cannons. Winding stone paths climb about 30 minutes to the hilltop castle platform, opening 360-degree views over the Avenida O'Higgins corridor, red rooftops and the snowy wall of the Andes. At dusk the peaks glow gold and red — the city's favourite free viewpoint — while mornings belong to joggers and local dancers.