Travel guide Chile

The backbone of the country, it is nothing less than the largest mountain range in the world. As mystical as it is impenetrable, it dominates lakes, valleys, forests, volcanoes and fjords. You will be able to see its peaks and discover the myriad of atmospheres it offers before dying in the waters of Tierra del Fuego.

Beyond its gustatory delights, this mythical preparation of mutton is a know-how, an art of living, a reason to get together and share good times with the locals who have never failed in this tradition. Raised in the open air and cooked for hours, theasado, a kind of barbecue, is the culinary specialty of the country.

With its metallic feathers, the king of the Andes is the ultimate incarnation of freedom! Its majestic flight, spinning and soaring towards the sky, is particularly moving and its silhouette easily identifiable: with a wingspan that can reach up to 3.50 m, the condor is one of the largest birds in the world.

Arid desert, flowery desert, starry desert... The Atacama Desert fascinates as much as it questions: reputed to be the driest place on the planet, its annual rainfall does not exceed 0.1 millimeter! These conditions are so exceptional that NASA has chosen to test its equipment for the Mars missions here.

Marked by the coup d'état and the dictatorship of Pinochet (1973-1990), Chile remains traumatized by this dark page of its history which still leaves many traces. Today a new page seems to be written at last with the dawn of a new constitution breaking the hold of the dictator Augusto Pinochet on the Chilean society.

Like his cousin the cowboy of the Wild West, the huaso travels the miles on horseback, proud and unsubdued. An emblematic figure of Chilean folklore, he is descended from the first Andalusian settlers and the region's indigenous peoples. Left to his own devices, he has long embodied a free spirit close to nature and the bearer of a unique culture.

This warrior people resisted both the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors. Guardians of an ancestral culture, this community is very present in Araucania. Fighting to preserve their traditional way of life and protect their lands, they are in constant conflict with the Chilean authorities and represent 85% of the country's indigenous population.

Guardians of Easter Island, these 900 monumental statues have been classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. They all come from the quarry of the Rano Raraku volcano and the mystery of their construction still makes travellers dream... Let yourself be carried away by the magic of this island and its enigmatic guardians!

Located somewhere between the 40th and 55th parallel south, Patagonia is the southernmost part of the American continent. Often referred to as the "Deep South", it is a vast region with boundaries that are still unclear and debated. A playground of breathtaking landscapes, it will awaken the most adventurous minds in search of the end of the world!

Born and essentially produced in the Elqui Valley, the famous Pisco is a brandy made from wine (like Cognac). National drink of the country, the pisco has even its national holiday, celebrated on May 15th! Disputed between Peru and Chile, this strong alcohol (40 degrees) can be tasted pure or in cocktail under the name of Pisco Sour.

This archipelago located in the extreme south of America is composed of one main island and several thousand others. Windy, mystical and isolated, it owes its name to the first tribes who populated it before the arrival of the colonists: to overcome the cold, the nomadic peoples lit large fires and maintained large fireplaces to keep warm.

Chile is a seismic country and the kingdom of fire-breathing volcanoes. They sublimate the horizon and dominate the immense steppes with their silhouettes that are as perfect as they are threatening. Some of them have awakened in recent decades. In addition to contemplating them, you can also climb their high peaks.