Chile
by David Sutcliffe
I only got a taster of Chile – 3 days in the ‘Zona Central’ (one of the 5 natural regions into which Chile is divided) – but, it proved to be 3 intense days of discovery that I will not soon forget.
The backdrop to Santiago de Chile, the country’s capital and most populous city, is the Andes mountain range, which you seem to skim over as you fly in. It’s hard to believe that such an elegant and beautifully positioned city has such a dark recent history. Over the last decade Chile has become a major destination for travellers as it offers a vast variety of landscapes and climates from the Atacama Desert in the north to the glacial southlands, from sophisticated, modern cities to the ancient mysteries of Easter Island.
In a country of extremes I stayed in the temperate Mediterranean region visiting Santiago, the Winelands, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
One of the first things you notice in Santiago is that almost no-one wears trainers, everyone is smartly dressed. Santiago has a very graceful feel, complimented by several high quality hotels such as the San Cristobal Tower, the Ritz Carlton and, where I stayed, the Plaza San Francisco. One recommended trip is an evening visit to Cerro San Cristobal – rising 300m above the rest of Santiago the spot is a superb location from which to view the city and features a 22m statute of the Virgin Mary.
The Maipo Valley area, just south of Santiago, is one of the most well respected wine producing regions in the world. I was lucky enough to visit the Concha y Toro vineyard where we tested several reds and heard the tale of the legendary ‘Casillero del Diablo’ wine – apparently the owner kept a supply of the best wine for himself and to stop his workers stealing any he spread the rumour that the devil lived in the cellar, hence the name – ‘Cellar of the Devil’.
Onwards to the coast and Valparaiso. The most important port in Chile and a UNESCO world heritage site, Valparaiso is a regular stop on any South American cruise. The higgledy-piggledy nature of the housing needs to be seen to be fully appreciated and some areas are best accessed via the charming little funiculars (more like sheds on a near vertical rail track!).
Just up the coast is Vina del Mar, Chile’s premier beach destination, which has several high standard hotels and is well worth a few days stay at the end of a tour of possibly my favourite country in the world.