16 Best Places To Visit in Chile: The Ultimate List

Thinking about where to go in Chile? Chile has some seriously otherwordly landscapes and unique places to discover. Keep reading to find out the best places to visit in Chile and what this long, thin country has to offer.

Chile is a country of extremes. From the driest desert in the world in the north to windswept wilderness and glaciers in the south. It’s one of the most diverse countries I have ever visited and if we’re talking about nature and the outdoors Chile has it all.

In this attractions in Chile guide, you’ll find the best places to visit in Chile, which, in my opinion, are unmissable in this stunning country. After having lived in Chile for almost 6 years, I’ve also thrown in some of my top, undiscovered gems- Chile places to visit you won’t see in any other guide.

Chile is really about the outdoors, the landscapes and the hiking. If you love adventure Chile won’t disappoint.  You’ll probably need about a month to get the most out of your experience here but a good 2 week itinerary is a great place to start.

*This ‘best places to visit in Chile’ post contains affiliate links meaning I might make a small profit if you choose to book at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep providing you with top quality content for free.

One quick note before we dive into the best places to visit in Chile; I have ordered these top places to visit in Chile geographically from North to South, so number 1 is the furthest North, not the best place.

It is impossible to rank these destinations as they are so diverse. They are all winners in their way.

Read more: 20+ Must-Know Travel Tips for Chile (From a Local)

16 Best Places to Visit in Chile

1. San Pedro de Atacama/Atacama Desert – a top Chile attraction

San Pedro de Atacama is a small town in the Atacama desert, the driest desert in the world. It is one of the most beautiful places in Chile.

While San Pedro makes a great base for your time in the desert the lure to this region lies outside the town itself.

Valle de la Luna and Valle de la Muerte are two extraordinary, otherworldly valleys that look like you’ve just landed on Mars. Piedras Rojas is an amazing area of red stones surrounded by salt-water lagoons and clay-coloured volcanoes.

Make sure not to miss the Tatio Geysers– a mountain valley full of cauldrons of rising steam and one of the largest geyser fields in the southern hemisphere.

You can visit San Pedro de Atacama and see the area well in about 4 days.

2. Bahia Inglesa – Best Beach in Chile

This little bay lies northwest of the city of Copiapo and it is probably the best place to visit in Chile in terms of beaches. Not many foreign travelers know about this little place but it’s quite a famous attraction in Chile for locals.

This small village has a great, chilled out vibe but the main draw here is the beach. With white sands and crystal clear, turquoise waters this beach is one of the most beautiful in Chile.

It’s very rare to see such a ‘tropical’ looking beach within the golden hues of the desert landscape.

Don’t let the warm colours fool you though, the water is still frigid just like everywhere else in Chile. This bay is the ideal place to grab some ice cream and chill on the beach. 

3. Valle del Elqui

Valle del Elqui is an exquisitely irrigated green valley surrounded by dry, shrub mountains. It’s the birthplace of Chilean Pisco and Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral.

Take in the stunning mountain views, travel from village to village soaking up the atmosphere and take a tour of the Pisco distilleries.

Valle del Elqui is also home to several observatories this being one of the best places in the world to observe the night sky. If you love stargazing then don’t miss out! 

Valle del Elqui is a really popular spot for Chileans taking their vacations in February so you might want to avoid it at this time.

4. Valparaiso – Best Day Trip from Santiago

The celebration of everything bohemian. Valparaiso is the ultimate mix of bustling, hillside port town, local history and boho vibes. It’s the home of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and it’s one of the street art capitals of South America.

Stroll through the streets, admire the street art and the gorgeous views, ride the ancient funicular elevators and enjoy a Chilean empanada all with great sea views almost everywhere you go.

Valparaiso is just a 1.5-hour drive from the capital Santiago and it makes a perfect day trip or weekend getaway from the city. Alternatively, you can take a tour (highly recommended). This exceptional Valpo 1 day tour is one of the best options.

Read more: A Short Travel Guide to Valparaiso, Chile

2024 Update: With the current safety situation in Santiago and Valparaiso getting worse and worse, you’ll need to take extra care when visiting. The best way to visit Valparaiso is on an organised tour with a guide who knows the city and knows where to go.

5. Casablanca Valley – Best Place to Visit in Chile for Wine Lovers

Chile has many amazingly scenic wine valleys, Casablanca is the closest to Santiago and easily be visited on a day trip from Santiago. Casablanca is primarily a white wine-growing valley, mainly due to the optimum coastal climate.

From Santiago, you can visit Casablanca on a tour and discover some of the best vineyards in the area. My personal favourites are Emiliana, Casas del Bosque and Villard Fine Wines. Click here to find the best Casablanca Valley Wine Tour.

Alternatively, you can rent a car and drive yourself. It’s really fun visiting a few vineyards in Chile and seeing the scenery of the gorgeous valley.

Read more: Leading Casablanca Valley Wineries in Chile Worth a Visit

Other notable wine valleys to visit from Santiago are Maipo Valley, Colchagua (my top pick), Cachapoal and Maule.

6. Cajon del Maipo – Best for Outdoors close to Santiago

One of the best places to visit in Chile so close to the capital? Yup, Cajon del Maipo is only one hour away from Santiago and it provides a great escape from the city into the Andes Mountains.

Its main town, San Jose del Maipo is a great base from which to explore the area. The life and soul of this area come from the Maipo River on which you can go rafting, kayaking and bungee-jumping.

Head to Embalse El Yeso, for spectacular snow-capped mountain views around a deep blue reservoir and El Morado National Monument for a beautiful and challenging trek up to the San Francisco Glacier which makes for an exciting day trip from Santiago.

Read more: A Weekend Guide to Santiago, Chile

7. Pucon – Chile’s Adventure Travel Capital

If you love the outdoors, adventure and gastronomy Pucon is the place for you.

This Chile adventure travel capital is full of surprises at every turn. During the day you can explore the national parks and the Araucaria forests ( a Chilean native tree) or even climb up or trek around Volcan Villarica.

Around Pucón, there is also a plethora of hot springs to choose from to relax your tired leg muscles. Pucón also boasts some wonderful gastronomic delights based around the Mapuche and German roots of the area.

Don’t forget to try the delicious German desserts. 

8. Puerto Varas – Best Place in Chile for the Lakes

Puerto Varas is one of the best destinations in Chile for its access to Chile’s Lak Region. Base yourself in this picturesque town on the banks of Lago Llanquehue where you can do several day trips to Frutillar, a lovely German-style town, Ensenada and Petrohue where you can enjoy the stunning lake views.

Puerto Varas is one of the most popular vacation towns in the south of Chile and it’s one of the best places to visit in Chile for those that want the best of Patagonia without having to go too far south.

9. Chiloé Island

Chiloe is Chile’s largest island and one of the best places to go in Chile, without a doubt. It marks the end of the Pan-American highway.

It’s a melting- pot of local culture- the people of this island do almost everything differently than their mainland counterparts.

Enjoy Chiloe’s spectacular folklore, food customs, colourful houses on stilts, spectacular churches, national parks and more. A must-try is curanto, meat, seafood, potatoes and vegetables cooked in a metre-and-a-half deep hole in the ground. 

10. Puyuhuapi

A true Patagonian gem, the small town of Puyuhuapi is one of Chile’s best places to visit. The town itself is picturesque, sitting on the banks of a serene Patagonian inlet but it’s what’s around that a true show-stopper.

Puyuhuapi is famous for its hot springs, head to Termas Ventisquero or even better, stay at Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa for the ultimate luxury hot springs experience.

Nearby you’ll also find Ventisquero Colgante, Patagonia’s famous hanging glacier which sits in Parque Nacional de Queulat.

If you manage to make it this far off the beaten path in Chile you’ll be rewarded with truly stunning natural experiences.

11. Marle Caves – Best Unique Chile Attraction

The Cuevas de Mármol are solid marble caves in the Patagonian Andes, right on the remote General Carrera Lake.

The caves are a result of 6,000 years of erosion, water smashing against the calcium carbonate of the cave walls. Between September and February, the ice melt from surrounding glaciers turns the water a gorgeous turquoise colour, rather than that of an intense deep blue at other times of the year.

Kayaking through these caves is an absolute must. Boat trips and tours can be arranged from Chile Chico. For those looking for cool places in Chile, the Marble Caves are it.

Read more: The Marble Caves Chile: An Essential Guide to Visiting

12. Laguna San Rafael

The San Rafael Glacier might just be one of the more memorable and astonishing natural sights in Chile. The glacier itself sits on one side of the Laguna San Rafael, a majestic and wild place in Chile where few people go.

Getting to San Rafael is a multi-step journey due to its remote location. Generally, you’ll need to take a multi-day boat trip to Laguna San Rafael to see the glacier. You’ll need to reach either Puerto Chacabuco or Puerto Montt, which are the main departure points for tours to Laguna San Rafael.

Once in Puerto Chacabuco or Puerto Montt, the primary way to reach Laguna San Rafael is by taking a ferry or a cruise. Tours and expeditions depart from these ports, navigating through the intricate waterways and fjords to reach the lagoon.

13. Tortel – a hidden gem to visit in Chile

Just before you get to Villa O’Higgins, the end of the epic Carretera Austral, there’s a tiny little hillside town called Tortel or Caleta Tortel. This is one of the most unique places to visit in Chile and is a bit of a hidden gem.

Much of the town is built on marshland and due to the varying tides, the town is built on stilts. Most of the houses and buildings are on stilts, pavements don’t exist- they are replaced by wooden walkways and the town has a truly wild, Patagonian feel to it.

You can stay in a rustic guesthouse in town and enjoy walking around for a few hours. It’s the perfect stop when road-tripping the Carretera Austral.

14. Torres del Paine National Park – The Ultimate Best Place to Visit in Chile

The Torres del Paine is the postcard image of Chile. Located right in the south of Patagonia near the town of Puerto Natales this park is probably one of the most beautiful national parks in the world.

Trekking is the name of the game here with two of the most popular treks being the “O” and the “W”, named after the shape of the route taken through the park.

You trek past ancient glaciers, jagged peaks, freezing glacial lakes and wild-swept scrublands. Be sure to keep an eye out for vicuña, a local llama-type animal and the infamous puma. Trekking in the Torres del Paine, one of the best vacation spots in Chile, is a must-do when visiting Chile for the first time.

15. Tierra del Fuego

The land of wind and fire is just that. This is one of the wildest places in the world and its beauty is unrivalled. I’d recommend visiting both the Chilean side and the Argentinian side as they are completely different.

The Chilean side is quiet and remote while the Argentinian side and Ushuaia boast a great dining scene and more buzz. Take a boat ride across the Beagle Channel to Isla Navarino and trek to the Dientes de Navarino, a very unique rock formation that really does look like teeth.

I would also recommend exploring Porvenir and Tierra del Fuego National Park for grey seascapes and wind-torn forests. 

16. Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

It’s easy to miss Easter Island given its distance location from the Chilean mainland, but this Polynesian island is one of the best places to visit in Chile.

Known as Rapa Nui in the local Polynesian language, stands as one of Chile’s most captivating destinations, revered for its enigmatic Moai statues, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking natural beauty.

Beyond the iconic Moai statues, and these archaeological wonders, Easter Island boasts pristine beaches, dramatic volcanic landscapes, and vibrant Polynesian culture.

Visitors immerse themselves in the island’s history through archaeological sites like Rano Raraku quarry and Ahu Tongariki. The welcoming locals share their traditions through dance, music, and traditional crafts, providing an authentic cultural encounter.

What are the best places to visit in Chile for you? I’d be happy to answer all your comments and questions before you visit Chile on your Chile vaction. Leave them below.

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