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We just got back from a 4 day ferry journey from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales on the Navimag ferry.

We chose the cheapest option which was a bunk bed in a 22 bed room and the weather for the 4 day trip was pretty much as bad as it could be, however, I would still totally recommend the trip and think the $400 fee was well worth the money.

Here are some of the best bits:

There were a number of questions that I had before I went or things I’ve learned on the trip that should help to decide if you’d like to take this trip as well:

What is the Food Like?

Well one thing for sure is that you won’t starve on this trip as portions are typically Chilean style large and you are given 3 big meals a day.

• Breakfast is served from 8-9:00 am and consists of toast, ham, jam, a selection of cereals, fruit, nescafe coffee and juices, which are served in a self serve buffet.
• Lunch is served at 12.30, which was pretty early for me and was usually made up of a soup, a main course and some kind of postre.
• Dinner was between 7 and 8 and was a three course meal as well.

My girlfriend is a vegetarian and they also cater for any kind of food allergies as long as you let them know when you get on the ferry

The food wasn’t the best in the world to be honest, but remember we’re not on a cruise ship and you’re definitely not going to go hungry!

The other nice thing is that you can help yourself to hot drinks, juices and water all day long.

How many People are on the Ferry?

I’m not sure but I think there was a capacity of 120 guests on the ferry, however, it never felt crowded at all. There was plenty of room on the decks, in the cafeteria and the lounge area and you never had to queue for showers/toilets.

The food queue was also really small and service was excellent all round.

Is Drinking Water Provided?

Yes, in the cafeteria area there are water coolers that are open 24 hours.

What are the Staff Like?

All the staff on board from the cleaners, food servers, guides and working staff were extremely nice, helpful and always smiled and said hello to you.

Are the Toilets / Showers Clean?

The toilets and showers were always clean and the good news was that there was plenty of hot water. The only annoying thing was the button you had to keep pressing to get more water from the shower, but otherwise I couldn’t fault it.

Will it be Cold on the Ship?

Whatever time of year it is you’re going to need a good waterproof coat and some warm fleeces underneath when you’re on deck as there is always going to be the biting Patagonian wind to contend with. Make sure you take a hat and gloves as well for extra protection and plenty of sun block.

Inside of the ship it’s warm and there were plenty of covers on my bed to keep me warm at night

Where do you Keep your Bags?

Next to your bed you will get a big locker which has a key and has enough room to fit a 65 litre rucksack. I actually had my rucksack, small guitar and a day pack which all managed to be stored in this locker.

What are the Dormitories Like?

The dorms are basic but actually fine for the price. We were in the 22 bed area, however, this is split down into sections of 4 beds.

Each bed has a curtain that you can block yourself off in, a reading light and a charging socket, so its actually pretty cosey.

Are the any Communal Areas?

There were 3 main communal areas on the ship that could be accessed 24 hours:

• The deck – Passengers have a large area on both the front of the ship, the back and on both sides of the ship where benches are provided
• The Cafeteria – Large area with tables and chairs, tea, coffee, water and the buffet for your meals
• The bar/lounge – This area is on the upper deck and has comfortable chairs, bean bags and the bar… which is not really a bar as it only provides soft drinks! This is where most of the entertainment is provided.

Entertainment

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During our trip there were talks each day, either about the route we were going to take, about the flora and fauna and even a talk about mate.

There were 2 yoga classes each day, which was a great way to unwind. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great on our trip so we had to take these classes in the lounge area, however, in good weather you’d do this on deck, which would be amazing.

Each evening they also put a Chilean film on in the lounge area and on the final night there was a bingo night as well.

The other activity is that you get to go up to the bridge, meet the Captain and some of the crew and look at how they operate the ship, which is quite interesting.

Can you drinkg Alcohol on Board?

I had some friends who went on this trip a few years ago, and told me that there was a bar and a party each night and that I should take some rum with me as well… However, it seems that an incident occured on board where there was a fire and this was linked with alcoholic activities, so alcohol is strictly forbidden on board.

You can’t buy it anywhere on board and you’re not allowed to drink your own supply either. That being said we still snuck a bottle of rum on board, which we descretely drank, and I think if you have your own cabin there’s no harm in bringing a few tipples on board!

Is Smoking Allowed?

Yes, you can smoke anywhere on deck, however, of course smoking is prohibited in enclosed areas.

Should you go if you get Sea Sick Easily?

Well, on the second night, you are likely to have a rough sea crossing as you head on out into the open waters around Anna Pink.

ust after your evening meal the crew will give you sea sickness pills if needed, although these are likely to make you quite drowsy.

The rough part of the trip is going to last about 8 hours through the night, so if you get sea sick easily it’s probably best to take these tablets.

My girlfriend is easily sea sick, however, managed to survive without problems, and I didn’t see too many people suffering even though the boat was moving around quite a lot.

I don’t get seasick but found it hard to sleep as I was rocking around in my bunk imagining huge waves outside and that we were going to sink any second… in the morning I had a look outside when the boat was still rocking around and the waves were actually quite small, so this was all in my head!!!

What are the Weather Conditions Like?

Well, you are travelling through Patagonia so it is going to be cold, very windy and rainy as well.

Unfortunately for our trip 90% of the crossing we were surrounded by mist and fog so we couldn’t see much at all. However, in the short time that the sun came out, the scenery was simply breathtaking.

Just come prepared for all weather conditions and have a mindset that the weather will be bad and cloudy because anything you see after that will be a bonus.

I spent a lot of the time thinking about how amazing it would be if the weather was great, so a different mindset is needed. To be honest though, the mist and fog made the trip really atmospheric and I still had a fantastic time slowly passing through the fyords without and of the distractions of the modern world around me.

Is Internet Available?

No, there’s no wifi on board and you won’t get a phone signal until you’re back in Port, apart from maybe a brief signal at Puerto Aden. In my view this is a good thing as it really gives you time to switch off.

Are Delays Likely?

Yes. When you book this trip make sure you give yourself at least a day’s buffer before doing any other activities on the other side.

There are a number of things that can hold up the passage…

The weather needs to be good, you need to be at certain places at a certain time in order to make the tides, and even docking in Puerto Natales can take hours as even with a slight wind it’s really difficult to dock in the Port.

We had to wait about 3 hours on arrival in order to get off the ship, so be prepared for delays.

What Wildlife will I See?

Of course, it’s a complete lottery to what you can see and hanging around on deck as long as possible is going to give you the biggest chance of spotting some wildlife.

The good news is that as there are a lot of people on board, if there is something to see, someone is likely to spot it and the news spreads quickly around the ship.

For example, I was upside down in a yoga class doing the downward dog, when people started leaving one by one to go out on deck. We ran and joined them to witness the spectacle of a Mother with her baby Orca Whale jumping out of the water…

There’s also a good chance that you’ll spot some hump back whales, or at least like we did you’ll see and hear them expressing air through their blow holes.

Seals and sea lions will accompany you for a large part of the trip and if you’re lucky you’ll pick up a squad of passing dolphins as well.

If you’re a twitcher as well then there’s a wide variety of birdlife that you can see from the ship, the most famous being the huge-winged Albatross.

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Every country has its nuances and annoyances and Chile, even though it has a lot of cultural similarities to what I know in the UK and the western world, there are a number of common themes that I’ve noticed in my time travelling here.

Eating like a Roman

I think it’s fair to say that Chilean people aren’t exactly the slimmest people on earth, and this can be put down to their passion for both sugar and large portions.

At every opportunity you will see people trying to add extra spoons of sugar to things that really don’t need it.

Unless you want to get immediate diabetes then I’d stay clear of the fruit juices in particular, where I’ve seen vendors adding 5 or more spoons of sugar to a single juice.

There’s really no need for this as the fruit is amazingly sweet and delicious anyway, and you’ll get a few strange looks if you ask for ‘sin azucar‘

This level of indulgence is also seen in most restaurants where portion sizes are super sized all around, and most of the food doesn’t appear to be too healthy.

Most popular seems to be meat (usually barbequed) accompanied with a massive portion of chips and usually an egg on top as well.

A lot of the time it’s common to share your food so on the menu you’ll often find portions for 2 people.

BE CAREFUL, however, as this isn’t always clearly marked and you can easily end up with a plate of 2 supersized portions for yourself.

No Beer in Public

As an Englishman who likes his beer served up at any time of day in all kinds of places, I’ve been struggling a few times over here to keep myself suitably oiled.

In particular the beach location seem to be missing a trick or too. Along the beachfronts you’ll find enless shacks and stands selling helados, churros (a kind of waffle-like stick) and chocolate, sweet popcorn and sickly sweet juices, but can you find anywhere selling a nice cold, refreshing beer on a sunny day? No, No and No!!!

Generally the attitude to alcohol in Chile is that it should be consumed in moderate portions (unlike the food) and public displays of drunkenness are frowned upon (the polar opposite of the UK!).

It’s not legal to drink in public spaces, although we’ve seen a few people taking sneaky sips of beer in the park, and I’m guessing that there’s a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol on the ‘costanera’ or sea front.

I was thinking of drafting a letter to the Governor of Chile, to let him know about the benefits of mass alcohol consumption in the sunshine… then I remembered the scenes of drunken yobs with burned red faces rolling around the beaches of the UK on a hot day and thought that maybe they’ve got the better idea!

Walking like a Roadblock

OK, I have to admit it, but coming from London, I’m used to walking fast and often suffer from pedestrian rage.

Most of the time in London, the streets are busy and people generally move out of the way if you’re in a hurry, unless they’re bimbling along zoning out in a zombified state on their iPhones.

However, Chile is a completely different ball game. Even in Santiago you’ll find that people will at a push saunter along, but generally will walk at a sub-snail’s pace.

In itself, this doesn’t bother me. I understand that it’s hot out and the pressure on time isn’t quite as intense. However, if you’re going to limp along the streets at a sloths pace, then don’t block the whole pavememt so that no one can get passed you.

And if you notice that someone is behind you, surely you’d make way for them and let them pass wouldn’t you???

No, No, No, not here. They’ll keep on slothassing their way along the street until the sun comes down. OK, I’m ranting, I know I should adapt and slow down, blah, blah, blah, but sometimes you just want to get somewhere in a bit of a hurry.

The Coolest, Cutest Dogs

In most countries that I’ve visited street dogs can be a pain in the ass. In the worst case they can be agressive, especially late at night when they like to gang up on you, and in the best case, just annoying as they beg for food at your table. In Chile, however, they seem to be completely chilled out, friendly and actually just enjoy being around humans.

I think actually, it’s because they’re super clever and have realised that ‘cold’ begging for food isn’t the best way to get results. They’ve notched it up a gear and have figured out that first of all they should befriend the humans to get their trust, chill out with them for a bit and sooner or later the humans will need to eat, and will generally want to give you some of their food!

There’s also a programme here in Chile where all street dogs have to be chipped, and the different ‘barrios’ or neighbourhood all have their own set of dogs that they look after.

On most streeets when it’s a hot day you’ll see bowls of water that have been left for the street dogs and generally, people are really nice to the dogs here.

They are fairly well groomed, and look in good health, which is probably why they’re so relaxed and happy.

Locks

Maybe I’ve just been unlucky with this one, but never have I been to a country before where I’ve had so many problems opening and locking doors.

Most guesthouses seem to have a completely different and unfathomable locking system on your door and most of them seem virtually impossible to do the one thing they were designed for… to lock the freakin’ door.

My top tip would be to ask the host at the guesthouse to show you exactly how they lock and unlock the door whilst they are there with you, and then give it a go yourself to save you hours of pain and embarrassment later on.

There is actually a reason behind this madness as well… because the night and day temperatures are so extreme the wood on the doors expands and contracts a lot causing the lock to become misaligned. Another big factor for this is the next topic …. earthquakes

Earthquakes

In Chile earthquakes are as common as colds and due to the overactive teutonic plates the country experiences almost daily earthquakes of different sizes.

In recent years there have been huge earthquakes across Chile including the strongest earthquake in history which was recorded at 9.5 on the Richter scale in Valdivia in 1960, which is why you’ll find a lot of houses made from wood across most of Chile as well as Tsunami evacuation routes flagged up in most coastal towns and cities.

A local guide told us that if you here a slight tremor then most Chileans won’t even react to this, if the tables start moving then they may slightly raise an eyebrow. The key is to watch for their reaction, so if they fling themselves to the floor and start praying, then you should probably follow suit.

Earthquakes are so much part of Chilean culture that they even named a cocktail after an earthquake, which was made out of the only things left on the shelf in a Santiago bar after a big earthquake. Try a few of these and your legs really will be shaking!

Street Art

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In most towns and cities in Chile you will find graffiti, murals and street art adorning a large percentage of the walls and open spaces. In fact in some Cities, especially Valparaiso, a clean unpainted wall is a much rarer beast and hardly ever seen.

Whilst street art may not be to everyone’s taste, in Chile it seems to be given space to breed and give local artists a voice.

I think partly this may be due to Chile’s repressive past where freedom of speech and expression were supressed during the Pinochet years.

1973

Deep in the collective consciousness of Chileans is the military coup that happened in 1973, which ended up with the death of Salvador Allende and the start of the Pinochet regime, where countless people ‘disappeared’ and a military dictatorship was in power for over 17 years.

Most of contempary films, literature and music seem to focus on this era and you’ll still see graffiti on the streets saying things like ‘Allende’s spirit lives on’.

Sin Quotas

If you need to pay for anything in Chile then you’ll likely to use your credit card and the first question you’ll be asked is whether you’d like to pay ‘sin’ or ‘con’ quotas.

I’m not 100% sure how this works but my understanding is that you have the choice to pay either the amount in full or in installments, which is a unique question to be asked if you’re only buying a loaf of bread.

Propinas

For any meal that you buy in Chile you’ll be asked whether you’d like to pay sin or con ‘propina’, which is a 10% tip that is added to every bill.

In one respect I really like this system as it means you don’t have to figure out how big a tip you’d like to give if the service was good, however, on the flip side if the service wasn’t particularly great, it’s hard not to give a tip when the waiter is staring at you asking if you’d like to give him a tip or not!

Animitas

All over Chile you will, and particularly on roadsides, you will see shrines that are dedicated to people who have died.

However, if you look closely you will see that some of these shrines are more decorated and full of offerings and thanks than others.

Usually these will be the shrines of people who have died in a particularly tragic way like Carmencita in the Santiago Cemeterio, or the particularly sad case of Julita y Luisita in Valparaiso. In this case a lady was pregnant and as her husband drove her to hospital in a mad rush, he crashed into a wall killing both mother and child, whilst he survived!

In these sad cases people will often come to the shrines and ask for blessings and good luck and you will find notes thanking the animita for helping them. For example in the Santiago cemetery there was a lovely sign from a mother thanking Carmencita for making her son become a surgeon!!!

Whether you believe in it or not these are powerful symbols that you’ll find all over Chile and are worth spending a few minutes to look over.

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Grab a Coffee and an Eyeful in the City Center’s Striptease Cafes

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Ok, so they’re not really striptease coffee bars, but to be honest they don’t feel a million miles away from the concept although there is no alcohol and no stripping involved.

In the center of town around Plaza de Armas, and sprinkled across other destinations in the capital are a number of coffee bars, where the concept seems to be to go and drink a nice cup of fresh Chilean coffee, and watch busty girls dressed in very tight tops and short skirts serve you your coffee.

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius, because how he can get away with this in a modern society is quite surprising, although from what I’ve read so far Chilean culture is quite machoistic, which probably explains why.

When my friend first told me about this idea I thought that he was exaggerating, so after persuading my girlfriend that this was genuinely worth checking out in the name of ‘research’, we headed off into town in search of ‘Café Caribe’ and ‘Café Haiti’.

I wasn’t quite brave enough to go into the first bar that we came across but we jumped into the next ‘Cafe Caribe‘ that we found.

The walls were all covered in mirrors, and the bar was raised off of the floor, so that you place your orders at, well… bust height!

We were served some fairly average coffee by a buxsome lass, who to be fair looked like she wouldn’t take and shit from anyone and was a little on the scary side.

Not surprisingly the clientele of the place was mainly middle aged businessmen in their suits, no doubt heading out for a bit of a lunchtime leer and a macchiato.

The whole experience felt a little ‘stripbarey’ uncomfortable to be honest, but its definitely a unique Chilean experience that’s worth checking out.

How To Get There:
Go to any of the stations around Plaza des Armas, walk a few blocks and you’ll come across one of these places.

Who’s it For?
If you’re a non-judgemental man or woman interested in the sociological side of Chile, then stop by and fill your cup.

See the Streets filled with Art at the Museo del Cielo Abierto

As far as museums go this has to be the top museum that I’ve ever visited, because it was free and outdoors so you didn’t have to suffer the stifled museum air, and was full of awesome works of street art.

The project is based in the San Miguel district of Santiago, which is about a 20 – 30 minute metro ride south of the City. This was a bit of a down-trodden area so the local community decided to do something about this and  let their houses be painted by street artists to improve their environment.

Think of a housing estate with about 10 rows of houses, all of which are 2 stories high. After every 10 houses, a street runs through providing a big empty wall on the ends of each terrace of housing. These empty walls were transformed into art canvasses for street artists who have created nearly a hundred unique works of art in this run down estate.

On they day that we visited there was a street market in operation as well, which gave the place even more atmosphere and meant you could snap photos of passers by and action in the market pretending to take snaps of the street art.

I read somewhere on the internet that you only need 45 minutes to visit this place, but if you want to take some pics as well, then allow yourself a good couple of hours as this place is a photographers paradise.

How To Get There
To get there head to Metro Station Departmental and walk about 10 mins until you see the first house on the block.

Who’s it For?
If you’re into street art and like slightly alternative things, then this is a must see attraction for you.

Walking with the Dead in the Cemeterio

We went on a ‘free’ walking tour of Santiago with the group toursfortips.com, which took in a lot of markets in the working class La Chimba neighbourhood and ended up in Santiago’s main cemetery, which is a few stops to the north of the City.

This place is interesting because of the amount of money Chileans are willing to pay to ensure that their loved ones have every chance of success and happiness in the afterlife.

In Chile there’s quite a wide divide between the rich and the poor, which can also be seen in the cemetery.

The ‘poorer’ side of the cemetery are buried in ‘niches’, which are basically slots in a wall that you place the bodies in, rather than being underneath the ground.

You can either rent these niches for $200 a year, or buy outright, which are labelled ‘en perpetuata’ , however considering that the average monthly salary in Chile is just ‘$800’ that’s quite a large amount to pay for your afterlife.

On the other side of the cemetery is where the rich and notaries are buried, including a number of Chilean presidents, and is also the resting place of Chile’s famous socialist President Salvador Allende.

Because Santiago is in an earthquake zone, the option to build really tall mausoleums is out of the question, but instead to show your wealth, the extravagance in decoration of your tomb showed your wealth. This meant you could see shrines with Egyptian themes, Incan temples and lavish carvings.

The other interesting thing in this cemetery is tombs that have been turned into shrines as people have started worshipping them. These ‘animates’, are usually small children or people who died tragically and the belief is that your wish will come true if you give an offering to the dead spirit.

One tomb that we saw was drapped in dolls and teddy bears for a 10 year old girl who had been murdered, but was though to bring good luck to those who asked for help.

How To Get There:
To get there take Linea 2 (the Yellow line) to Cementerios – The entrance to the cemetery is right outside the exit.

Who’s it for:
If you’re interested in politics, history or ghosthunting, then this is right up your street.

Escape the Smog of Santiago and Ride a Bike to a Vineyard

This option isn’t for the budget traveller as it comes with a price tag of $60 per person and you could go and see the wineries cheaper on your own steam if you liked.

However, we wanted to escape the heat of the city and the appeal of riding a bike in the countryside to have a bespoke wine tasting session really sounded appealing.

Getting there was a bit of a pain in the butt as we had to take the metro out of town to La Mercedes and then take an Uber for another 30 mins to
Las Majadas de Pirque but eventually we got to our location where our green bikes were waiting for us.

There were only 4 of us on the tour and we sauntered along the roads by the sides of wineries with the smell of fresh flowers in our nose, and the backdrop of the mountain range in sight.

Every few kilometres the guide would stop and give us a bit of information, and then we arrived at the winery ‘William Fevre’, where we could walk around the vineyards were then given a tour of the winery itself.

The tour culminated in a wine tasting session, under a canopy in a beautiful garden on the estate, where we got to sample a Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Carmere and Cabernet Sauvignon, all of which tasted freaking fantastic to me. I’m no wine expert but I could definitely tell it was wine, and I liked it!!!

At the end of the tour, we hopped on the wine bus which took us to the Concha y Toro winery just down the road where we tasted another 3 wines each, for about $10 per person and rounded off an awesome day trip.

How To Get There:
Check out the bicicleta verde website for all the info.

Who’s It For:
As their brochure says  this isn’t a tour for wine connoisseurs, cycling fanatics or thrifty people, however, if you’re looking to spend a lazy day getting rosey cheeks on some fantastic Chilean wines, then this is a great choice for you.

Drink and get Drunk with Locals in La Piajera

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They’ve been serving drinks in this establishment near the Mercado Central for over 200 years and it’s clientele have never been particularly ‘well heeled’. It’s name ‘The Fleapit’ comes from an ex President who was taken for drinks in this place and gave it the name that it’s never been able, nor wanted to get rid of.

This really is a spit and sawdust dive bar, full of ‘enthusiastic’ local characters. From the outside it just looks like a normal bar (although when we arrived there were 3 characters slouching around outside), and when you enter there’s chaos going on in all corners.

There’s about 3 rooms where you can eat and drink but we just headed for the bar and were soon chatting to a Brazilian family who were waxing lyrical about the place. Apparently the last time they were in here they expanded into a group of about 20 people, none of whom they knew before they walked through the hallowed doors.

One of the main reasons why people come here is to experience the legendary ‘Terramotto’ or ‘Earthquake’ cocktail. Legend has it that this was created after the major earthquake in Santiago and all that was left of the shelves was white wine, ice cream, pisco and grenadine, so why not throw it all together in a glass and then see what happens.

Well, they say that 1 is fine, 2 and you will be a bit wobbly, and after 3 the earth really will be shaking, and they’re right. I was very tempted by a third, but sense prevailed and sent me packing after my second, before the earth had a chance to tremor.

How to Get there:
Head to back streets of the Mercado Central
La Piojera, Aillavilú 1030, Santiago, Chile, +56 2 2698 1682

Who’s it for:
If you want to meet some locals, enjoy a good drink and have an open and embracing attitude then this place will be perfect for you.

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In an area south of Santiago lies the Chilean Lake District, which is peperred with volcanos and crystal clear lakes making it an ideal area for relaxation and outdoor activities alike.

In the article below we take a look at some of the highlights.

Lago Villarrica

The most famous lake in this district is Lago Villarica, which is home to the tourist hubs of Pucón and Villarrica itself.

Pucón

The main hub of the area is Pucón, which attracts hoards of international and domestic tourists especially during the summer months. The most striking thing about Pucón is the proximity to Volcano Villarrica, which looms over the town and is visible from most streets.

Pucón is a good place to stay for a few days if you’ve been out and about in the surrounding countryside as it boasts a plethora of good eating places and cervecerias, which will restore your legs from all of your aches and pains. Pucón is also a great option to use as base to explore the surrounding areas.

There are a number of Day Hikes around in the easily accessbile
Huerquehue National Park and next on the hit list would be to visit one of the numerous Hot Springs in the area.

We opted to go for Termas Los Pozones, which you can easily get to with the twice daily bus from Pucón and are the cheapest of all the springs at a cost of 8000 CLP.

For me, the nicest thing about these springs were that they were set in a beautiful outdoor location next to a river and exposed to all of the elements. There were 5 different pools that you can visit, each of which got slightly hotter in temperature than the next.

Of course, the main attraction in Pucón is the volcano itself and there are scores of tour companies offering you treks to summit the volcano. Usually the trip can be done in about 8 hours, and involves you using an ice axe in some places, a gas mask at the top (as you get to peer into the steaming pit of lava below) and a plastic seat, which you sit on to slide your way back down to the bottom of the volcano.

The main problem with this trip however is having suitable weather conditions as they never go when there is a chance of rain. We stayed in Pucón for 6 nights in summer and were really unlucky as the rains didn’t clear the whole time (until we got on the bus to leave of course!)

Pucón also boasts a long beach where you can swim in the chilly, but crystal clear waters, a harbour and many other outdoor activities such as white water rafting and mountain biking.

One final thing to look out for in Pucón is the ‘Pedalea Pucón‘, which is basically a free bike service provided by the local government and allows you to have a bike for free for a couple of hours to visit Pucón and some of the closer areas, such as the nearby waterfall or Mapuche centre.

Villarrica

On the same lake as Pucón you’ll find Villarrica, which has a completely different vibe to Pucón. Generally, it’s more of a resort for Chileans and in particular Chilean families.

There are less western-style eating options than in Pucón, and the restaurants are more likely to provide huge portions of Chilean food rather than the more bistro-like Pucón.

However, we stayed for 4 nights in Villarrica and had a great time. There’s a couple of beaches that you can visit, and I’d definitely recommend swimming in the Lake where you can get views of the volcano as a backdrop, which is pretty awesome.

You can still do excursions from here if you want to use Villarrica as a base, but it’s less geared up for international tourism.

Lago Calafquen

Lican Ray

The other benefit of Villarrica is you can easily take the bus to Lican Ray, which is another Chilean resort and the neighbouring lake. There’s a Mapuche area on top of a hill you can walk around and a couple of beaches to explore, which makes a nice day trip out of Villarrica.

Lago Llanquihue

The lake furthest south in the Chilean lake district is Lago Llanquihue where you’ll find the towns of Puerto Octay and the more famous Puerto Varas.

Puerto Octay

Well, there’s not exactly a lot going on in Puerto Octay, but it’s a wondeful place to spend a few days to recharge the batteries and enjoy the slow pace of a sleepy village by the Lake.

The best thing about this place is the amazing views that you’ll get of Volcano Osorno, which has to be the most spectacular that we saw in the whole of Chile.

There are a couple of walks that you can do around the town, such as heading to the Centinela Penisula or visiting the cemetery for a spectacular view of the volcano.

If cycling is your thing then get on a bike and explore some of the 81 kms of the Llanquihue Lake cycling circuit, which affords simply breathtaking views.

Frutillar

From Puerto Octay you can get to Frutillar for a day trip as it’s only about 45 mins away by bus.

It’s a nice enough town with a strictly German dominance in the architecture and a nice beach to stroll along, but the atmosphere in Puerto Octay seemed more laid back to us.

We never made it to Puerto Varas either, but from what I understand it’s a slightly bigger version of Frutillar with more tourists and more German museums, so if that’s your thang, then go for it!

Other Lakes

There’s at least another 4 – 5 big lakes to explore in this region and plenty of places to stay along the banks. The only thing we struggled with a bit, is we didn’t have a car and couldn’t get to some of the places a bit further afield.

However, even if you only get to visit one of these Lakes in this magnificent area, your journey will have been worth it and you’ll be rewarded with a fresh water lake to swim in with the backdrop of a snow capped volcano… not bad really!!!

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I’ve just spent a couple of months in Chile, and it sure is an amazing country with spectacular natural beauty, wonderful people and great food and drink, but there are a few things that I’d wish I’d known before my trip…

ATM Withdrawals

Not only is Chile quite expensive, but in order to actually get your money out of an ATM you have to pay crazy charges.

On top of whatever your bank charges you, every ATM will charge you between 4,500 to 6,000 CHP ($7 – $9) every time you withdraw.

The maximum that you can withdraw is only 200,000 CHP, so this is quite a chunk of your spending money going to the ATM vendors.

The good news, however, is that credit cards are widely accepted in Chile and in pretty much every shop, restaurant, bus station or hostel you should be able to pay by credit card, which means you need to carry less cash with you.

They operate either a contactless payment method or a chip and pin method and when you enter your card you’ll be asked to choose ‘sin quotas’ or ‘con quotas’. Basically this means whether you want to pay in installments or not so always choose ‘sin quotas’

Temperature Changes

I don’t think I’ve ever been in a country where the temperature range between day and night can swing so much.

There was a bit of a heatwave going on when we were in Santiago which meant that it got up to 39 in the day, but by the time the evening came this had fallen to just above double figures so fleece and long trousers were needed.

If you’re in Chile for a while then you’ll also need to pack for a full range of seasons. The south gets a lot colder, so you’ll need to pack a warm jacket, fleece, long trousers and be prepared for rain at any point, whereas the further north you get, generally the warmer and dryer it gets as well so you’ll need your flip flops and light Tshirts.

The other thing to note is that the sun is particularly strong in this part of the world and the Ozone layer isn’t in the best of conditions.

Slip on a hat and slap on the sun creme even on cloudly days to avoid the beetroot gringo look. The good news is that sun creme is widely available in Chile and is pretty cheap.

A final thing to mention about Chilean weather is the wind that whips through the country. Particularly in the South and Patagonia there is a fiendishly cold wind that’s going to bite you at some point.

There are a number of days when I’ve been both hot and cold at the same time due to the penetrating sun and the impish wind gnawing away at me, so make sure you’ve got a decent wind proof jacket to hand!

Taxes

In Chile there is a lovely thing called IVA Tax, which is an extra 19% tax that can (and often will) be applied to your accomodation bill.

Theoretically this should only apply to tourists who stay over 59 days in the country but the hotel/guest house must be registered with the Chilean tax authority in order to offer this.

To get this exemption you will also need to pay in cash dollars, but it’s always wise to check at the place you want to stay beforehand to see the situation.

Tips

In most places that you eat or drink you’ll be paying by credit / debit card and will be asked whether you want to pay a tip ‘Con propina‘ or not.

Every bill will have an extra 10% added, which is ‘optional‘ and the waiter/waitress will always ask you if you want to add this or not.

If you don’t usually give tips in your culture then you need to get used to this pretty quickly, or be brave enough to decline the opportunity each time, which is pretty hard to do when the waiter is holding the credit card machine in front of you.

Cost of Travelling

All I can say is Chile is NOT CHEAP. In fact it’s one of the only countries I’ve been to recently where it’s often more expensive than London.

Accommodation

I think the biggest bug bear for me has been the accommodation prices, compared with what you actually get.

Admitedly we’d been travelling in peak season and didn’t book far enough in advance, however, typically a budget double room has been costing around $50 – 60 a night and a lot of the places we’ve stayed at didn’t feel particularly homely!

Food

An evening meal for two people, with a glass or wine / beer is going to cost you 20 – 30,000 CHP or $30 – 40 although the portions are going to be enough to fill you up for the whole day.

If you’re on more of a budget then look out for the set meals of the day that are served in a lot of the local restaurants. These will usually include a starter, main and dessert and you can get these for as cheap as 3,500 CHP each.

Most places that we’ve stayed in give you access to the kitchen facilities, so if you’re staying for a longer time and money is a bit tight, it’s best to cook your evening meals and take snacks with you on your day trips.

Travel

On the positive side bus travel is fairly reasonably priced, of good quality and fairly regular.

I’ve found that the cost averages at about $2 per every hour that you travel on the bus, which is a relief given the crazy distances you’re likely to travel.

The other option is to fly, and again internal flights in Chile are really competitively priced and often cheaper than long distance bus rides.

Check out LATAM and Sky for low cost airlines in the country, but you’ll find flights for around $15 for every hour that you are in the air, which is great value.

Chilean Spanish

OK, so you know a bit of Spanish do you? Pretty sure you can order some food and ask for directions? Well think again…

My Spanish isn’t great but I managed to travel through the rest of South America and generally have an idea of what was going on, but Chile is another ballgame completely.

Firstly, they speak incredibly fast, and if you ask them to slow down, they’ll repeat the first word slowly then the rest of the sentence at normal speed!

Secondly, the pronounciation is quite unique here with words being shortened and letters being swallowed like there was some kind of famine!!!

Thirdly, Chileans have a distinct vocabulary that you won’t find in other parts of South America for example:

• Caña – hangover
• Al lote – disorderly, without rules
• Al tiro – immediately, right now
• Luca – 1000 pesos

If you don’t believe me, check out this video below where native Spanish speakers are trying to figure out what they’re talking about in Chile!

You Need A Car

Public transport in Chile is good. Within the City and between cities, you’ll find plenty of options to get you around and about.

However, alot of the attraction to Chile lies in its natural beauty and unfortunately, if you want to go and see this, then you’ll either need to jump on a pricey tour (if available) or drive a car to get there.

Most of the national parks are obviously going to be in remoter places away from roads and traffic. In some places you might find a road that goes near to the entrace of the park, but if you want to go trekking then a lot of the trailheads start kilometres within the park itself.

This can be a major pain in the butt as it will add on hours of walking not in the idealic scenery or make it impossible to do the treks.

One option is to try your luck with hitchhiking and particularly within the park most people would give you a lift to the entrance. However, there is always the risk that you spend all day hiking and then can’t get a lift back to public transport and could be stranded in the park… not a particularly appealing prospect given how temperatures can plummit.

For this reason, most people either hire a car, or take a tent with them and stay within the park for a few days.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a driving license so this wasn’t an option for me, and I felt this really limited my options to go and see some of the natural wonders of this country.

Distances

Chile is the second longest country in the world, and don’t forget it!!!

It’s second only by 95 KM to Brazil, which spans nearly the entire continent of South America, so you need to make sure you allow yourself enough time in your itenary to get from A to B or focus on one specific region of the country.

It seems that there are more attractions and diverse natural wonders in the south of the country, but flights are reasonably priced so you could hop around from North to South quite easily.

However, if you’re driving or going overland by bus, then make sure you plan in days of travel. Buses are pretty good and the sceneary is pretty amazing, so just make this part of your journey, stick some music on, sit back and relax!!!

What Must You Do Before you Go to Chile?

• Bring lots of dollars in cash
• Pack wisely (Lightweight multi season clothing that is wind proof and a good hat)
• Prepare for going camping
• Try and learn some Chilean phrases and vocabulary
• Make sure you have a valid driving license

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