Brazil
From the icy waters around Cape Horn to the dry deserts of Peru,
Chile’s landscape is stunning and incredibly varied. The Pacific is
never far away and the Andes Mountains, which form the backbone
of the country, loom large. Sit back with a glass of Chilean wine
and take it all in.

Country Combinations
Chile shares a long land border with Argentina and as there are numerous crossing points combining the two countries is very straightforward. Add on a few days in Argentine Patagonia, or take the lake crossing from Petrohué to Puerto Panuelo and then continue to Buenos Aires. Flying between the two countries is also easy. Alternatively, there is a good network linking Chile with the rest of South America. Fly to Chile with Brazilian carrier Varig, then enjoy a few days relaxing at a quality beach property at the end of your trip. Finally Chile is a popular stopping off point for a number of cruise ships. Sail down from Panama, or head further south past Cape Horn to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Useful Links
www.fco.gov.uk/travel
www.climatecare.org
www.masta.org
www.travelhealth.co.uk
www.stanfords.co.uk
www.escape2luxury.co.uk  

Climate and When to go
Due to its physical length, Chile has several different climatic zones. The northern region is dry and hot for most of the year, the central region around Santiago is warm and dry from November to March, mild and rainy the rest of the year. The southern part of the country receives the most rainfall, it is relatively mild from November to March, although rain can fall anytime and heavy snow and freezing temperatures are possible the rest of the year.

Getting There
There are no direct services from the UK into Chile. A daily service is operated by the national carrier LAN Chile. Flying via Madrid, the cost of internal flights (in particular to Easter Island) is cheaper when combined with an international LAN ticket. Santiago is a popular stop off point on longer round the world tickets. The onward routing may include Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. Other airlines flying from the UK include Iberia via Madrid and American and Continental Airlines via the USA.