Find places in Chile

Must-Haves

• Cerro San Cristóbal (Parque Metropolitano) (Bellavista)
  Funicular and cable car rides to the city's classic viewpoint over the Andes.

Fun for Everyone

• Sky Costanera (Providencia)
  Panoramic views from the top of South America's tallest building.
• Viña Concha y Toro (Pirque)
  The country's best known winery, with tours and the cellar of the devil legend.

Off the Beaten Path

• Viña Cousiño Macul (Peñalolén)
  A historic family winery reachable from the city, with old cellars.

Must-Haves

• Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Barrio Yungay)
  A moving, carefully told history of the 1973 to 1990 dictatorship.
• Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Centro)
  One of the finest collections of pre Columbian art in the Americas.
• La Chascona (Bellavista)
  Pablo Neruda's quirky hillside house, full of his collections.
• Palacio de La Moneda (Centro)
  The presidential palace, with a changing of the guard and a cultural centre beneath the square.

Fun for Everyone

• Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Parque Forestal)
  A grand beaux arts building with Chilean art and a lively park outside.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado Central (Centro)
  Seafood stews and ceviche under a nineteenth century iron roof.
• Fuente Alemana (Plaza Italia)
  A classic counter for giant lomito and churrasco sandwiches.
• Dominó (Centro)
  A local chain for a quick completo, the loaded Chilean hot dog.

Great for Date Night

• Boragó (Vitacura)
  Chef Rodolfo Guzmán's tasting menus built on native Chilean ingredients.

Off the Beaten Path

• Peumayén Ancestral Food (Bellavista)
  Tasting plates inspired by Mapuche, Aymara and Rapa Nui cooking.

Low Cost and Authentic

• La Vega Central (Recoleta)
  A huge, noisy produce market with cheap local lunches at the cocinerías.

Off the Beaten Path

• Persa Biobío (Franklin)
  A sprawling weekend flea market of antiques, vintage and curiosities.

Fun for Everyone

• Pueblito Los Dominicos (Las Condes)
  A craft village of workshops selling lapis lazuli, copper and woollens.

Great for Date Night

• Barrio Italia (Providencia)
  Design shops, galleries and cafés in old one storey houses.

Fun for Everyone

• Cerro Santa Lucía (Centro)
  The small fortified hill where Santiago was founded, with terraces and fountains.
• Parque Quinta Normal (Quinta Normal)
  A big park with museums, boating and picnicking families on weekends.
• Parque Bicentenario (Vitacura)
  Lawns, lagoons with flamingos and black necked swans, and Andes views.

Must-Haves

• Cajón del Maipo (San José de Maipo)
  An Andean canyon for hiking, rafting and hot springs near the capital.

Off the Beaten Path

• Embalse El Yeso (Cajón del Maipo)
  A turquoise reservoir high in the mountains, best on a guided day trip.

Low Cost and Authentic

• La Piojera (Centro)
  The rowdy old bar that claims to have invented the terremoto.

Great for Date Night

• Bocanáriz (Lastarria)
  A wine bar with a huge list of Chilean wines by the glass and tasting flights.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Café Haití (Centro)
  A slice of old Santiago: stand up espresso at a classic café.

Fun for Everyone

• Emporio La Rosa (Lastarria)
  Ice cream in unusual flavours and pastries on a leafy corner.

Must-Haves

• Fiestas Patrias fondas at Parque O'Higgins (Parque O'Higgins)
  The biggest independence fair in the capital, with cueca, empanadas and games.

Fun for Everyone

• Santiago a Mil (Citywide)
  A January theatre festival with free street shows across the city.
• Lollapalooza Chile (Parque Cerrillos)
  A major music festival held each March.

Great for Date Night

• The Singular Santiago (Lastarria)
  A stylish boutique hotel with a rooftop bar looking over Parque Forestal.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Magnolia (Centro)
  A boutique hotel in a restored mansion with rooftop views.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel Cumbres Lastarria (Lastarria)
  A comfortable base in the cafés and theatres of Lastarria.

Must-Haves

• La Sebastiana (Cerro Bellavista)
  Neruda's house on the hill, with a breathtaking view across the bay.
• Museo a Cielo Abierto (Cerro Bellavista)
  An open air museum of murals along winding streets.
• Casa de Isla Negra (Isla Negra)
  Neruda's favourite house on the shore, packed with ship figureheads.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cementerio de Disidentes (Cerro Panteón)
  Where the city's foreign Protestant merchants and sailors were buried.

Fun for Everyone

• Palacio Baburizza (Cerro Alegre)
  The fine arts museum in an art nouveau mansion.

Must-Haves

• Ascensor Reina Victoria (Cerro Alegre)
  One of the restored funiculars that carry you up the hills.

Great for Date Night

• Paseo Gervasoni (Cerro Concepción)
  A lookout terrace with views over the port and bay.
• Viña Casas del Bosque (Casablanca Valley)
  A cool climate winery between Santiago and the coast.

Fun for Everyone

• Paseo 21 de Mayo (Cerro Artillería)
  A viewpoint over the cranes, ships and the whole harbour.
• Muelle Prat harbour boats (El Plan)
  Short boat rides past navy ships and sea lions.

Low Cost and Authentic

• J. Cruz Malbrán (El Plan)
  A quirky old dining room said to have invented the chorrillana.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bar Cinzano (Plaza Aníbal Pinto)
  A traditional bar with live tango and boleros on weekends.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado Cardonal (Almendral)
  A busy local market for produce and seafood.

Off the Beaten Path

• Feria de antigüedades of Avenida Argentina (Avenida Argentina)
  A weekend flea market of antiques and odds and ends.

Must-Haves

• Año Nuevo en el Mar (Bay of Valparaíso)
  One of South America's biggest New Year fireworks displays.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Brighton (Cerro Concepción)
  A colourful old house hotel with a balcony bar over the bay.

Great for Date Night

• Palacio Astoreca (Cerro Alegre)
  A restored Victorian mansion hotel on the hill.
• Casa Higueras (Cerro Alegre)
  A boutique hotel with a pool and terraces facing the bay.

Must-Haves

• Valle de la Luna (Los Flamencos National Reserve)
  Salt ridges and dunes that glow red at sunset.
• Geysers del Tatio (Altiplano)
  A huge geyser field steaming at sunrise high in the Andes.
• Lagunas Miscanti y Miñiques (Altiplano)
  Deep blue lagoons ringed by volcanoes.

Fun for Everyone

• Laguna Cejar (Salar de Atacama)
  A salt lagoon where you float effortlessly.
• Laguna Chaxa (Salar de Atacama)
  Flamingos feeding in the shallow salt flat lagoon.

Fun for Everyone

• Pukará de Quitor (Quitor)
  A pre Inca hill fort with views over the oasis.

Must-Haves

• Iglesia de San Pedro (Plaza de Armas)
  The whitewashed adobe church with a cactus wood ceiling.

Off the Beaten Path

• ALMA Observatory visits (Altiplano)
  Free weekend visits to one of the world's great radio telescopes.

Fun for Everyone

• Astronomy tours with telescopes (Around town)
  Night sky sessions with telescopes, away from the lights of town.

Great for Date Night

• Adobe (Caracoles)
  Open fire dining in the heart of the town.
• Ckunna (Tocopilla)
  Andean and Mediterranean dishes in an adobe house with a fire pit.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Las Delicias de Carmen (Calama street)
  Simple home cooking and empanadas at a local favourite.

Fun for Everyone

• Feria Artesanal de San Pedro (Plaza)
  Alpaca knitwear and Andean crafts by the church.

Great for Date Night

• Tierra Atacama (Edge of town)
  An all inclusive lodge with a spa and volcano views.
• Awasi Atacama (Tocopilla)
  Small adobe lodge with private guides and vehicles.

Must-Haves

• explora Atacama (Edge of town)
  A lodge with guided excursions, pools and its own observatory.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel Altiplánico (Domingo Atienza)
  Adobe rooms around a garden near the town centre.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fiesta de San Pedro y San Pablo (Plaza de Armas)
  Andean dances and processions for the town's patron saints in June.

Must-Haves

• Torres del Paine National Park (Magallanes)
  The granite towers, glaciers and lakes of Chile's most famous park.
• Base Torres hike (Torres del Paine)
  A long, steep day hike to the lake beneath the towers.

Fun for Everyone

• Salto Grande (Torres del Paine)
  A short walk to a powerful waterfall facing the Cuernos.

Must-Haves

• Grey Glacier boat (Lago Grey)
  A boat ride to the face of the glacier among icebergs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers boat (Última Esperanza fjord)
  A day on the fjord to two glaciers and an estancia lunch.

Fun for Everyone

• Cueva del Milodón (Near Puerto Natales)
  A huge cave where remains of a giant ground sloth were found.

Great for Date Night

• Afrigonia (Centro)
  A fusion of African and Patagonian flavours in a cosy room.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mesita Grande (Costanera)
  Pizzas and pasta at long shared tables.

Fun for Everyone

• Cervecería Baguales (Plaza de Armas)
  A local brewpub on the main square.

Off the Beaten Path

• Last Hope Distillery (Centro)
  Small batch gin and whisky from the far south.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Patagonia Dulce (Centro)
  Hot chocolate and handmade chocolates after a windy day.

Must-Haves

• The Singular Patagonia (Puerto Bories)
  A converted cold storage plant on the fjord, now a design hotel.
• Hotel Las Torres (Torres del Paine)
  A lodge at the start of the Base Torres trail.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Remota (Ruta 9)
  A design hotel with fjord views on the edge of town.
• Tierra Patagonia (Lago Sarmiento)
  A low wooden lodge looking straight at the Paine massif.

Fun for Everyone

• EcoCamp Patagonia (Torres del Paine)
  Geodesic domes inside the park, close to the towers trail.

Must-Haves

• Volcán Osorno (Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park)
  The perfect volcano cone, with viewpoints, trails and winter skiing.
• Saltos del Petrohué (Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park)
  Turquoise rapids over black volcanic rock.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cochamó Valley (Cochamó)
  Granite walls and forest trails in the Yosemite of Chile.

Fun for Everyone

• Lago Todos los Santos boat (Petrohué)
  A boat trip on an emerald lake beneath the volcanoes.

Fun for Everyone

• Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón (Centro)
  A red wooden church modelled on one in the Black Forest.
• Museo Colonial Alemán (Frutillar)
  Houses and mills of the German settlers in a garden setting.

Great for Date Night

• Teatro del Lago (Frutillar)
  A striking concert hall built out over the lake.

Great for Date Night

• Casavaldés (Costanera)
  Seafood with views of the lake and Osorno.

Fun for Everyone

• Dane's Café (Centro)
  Kuchen, empanadas and coffee at a local institution.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado de Angelmó (Puerto Montt)
  Seafood stalls and woollen crafts by the harbour.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel Cumbres Puerto Varas (Costanera)
  A lakefront hotel facing the volcanoes.

Great for Date Night

• Semanas Musicales de Frutillar (Frutillar)
  A classical music festival each summer by the lake.

Fun for Everyone

• Mesa Tropera (Costanera)
  A lakeside brewpub with pizzas and craft beer.

Must-Haves

• Volcán Villarrica (Villarrica National Park)
  A guided climb to the crater of an active volcano, when conditions allow.

Fun for Everyone

• Parque Nacional Huerquehue (Huerquehue)
  Lakes and araucaria forests on a classic day hike.
• Ojos del Caburgua (Caburgua)
  Turquoise pools and waterfalls in the forest.

Great for Date Night

• Termas Geométricas (Coñaripe)
  Hot spring pools linked by red walkways in a gorge.

Fun for Everyone

• Rafting on the Trancura (Río Trancura)
  Fun white water trips for beginners in summer.