FAQ About Travel in Chile From Tim's Point of View

Why yes, thanks for asking! Some ideas of travel "my way:"

• Lodging: Stay in hospedajes or residenciales. You get to meet the real folks, often widows or retired couples, honest, friendly, and happy to meet folks from other parts of the world. Remember that this is really a private home - respect their privacy, be polite, don't waste water or power (Chileans are very conservation minded as power is very expensive).  Don't leave a mess.  Don't eat much breakfast - the continental breakfast provided is expected to be one piece of toast with jam or cheese, and a cup of instant coffee (occasionally more).  These people charge very little and make a very slim profit. See more detail about accommodation below under "Nuts and Bolts."
• Pictures from home: Take a small picture book of your state or region if you can, folks in Chile always seemed interested in what it was like where I am from (the fact that my area is quite similar to parts of Chile was of interest too).
• Black pepper: Carry a small portable pepper shaker if pepper is important to you, rarely is it on the table.
• Sunscreen is a must, especially in Patagonia.
• Put your name on a card: Simple cards with name, address, e-mail, etc. are handy especially if your name is hard for Spanish-speaking people to spell when they hear it spoken. These are useful even for registering at a hotel. I put my web address on mine.
• I forgot something! In general if you forget anything you can get it there - the stores are modern and full of the same goods as here. However, consumer goods (electronics, cameras, etc.) will be more expensive than North America. Medicines are cheaper and many drugs which require a prescription here are over-the-counter in Chile.
• Talking "local:" Try your best, but don't be surprised if the Chileans are very hard to understand! They talk very fast (takes several tries to slow them down) and carelessly. Textbook Spanish, Mexican Spanish, or dictionary Spanish are a bit hard to use. See information under "nuts and bolts" below.
• Money belt: I am somewhat careless except in bus stations, crowded markets, city streets, but it's a good idea. I prefer a "passport pouch" that hangs from the neck - if you need to get something out in public you don't need to practically undress the way you do with a money belt.  Nowadays the main type of personal crime would be grab and run, like a bag left unattended (guilty as charged - of leaving one I men, not stealing one) I've heard Valparaíso is pickpocket country (generations of taking advantage of sailors) with the worst area being around nightclubs late at night.
• Passport: I usually had it handy except just around a town, because it's frequently needed to check into a hotel, buy a bus ticket, ride on a ferry, etc. Carry a small slip of paper in your wallet with the number written on it - frequently they just want a number, won't ask to see the passport itself. You may be asked for your Carne (national identity card) but a passport number will suffice. Carry your passport in a puch around neck or leave in custody at the reputable hotel, etc.
• Breakfast: If you need a "real" breakfast, uh, good luck - there isn't much available.   Try a café esprés (espresso coffee, widely available) and a küchen in the Lakes District, that'll satisfy anyone I'd think.

I'd say relatively safe, but it's harder (anywhere).  For example, you have no one to share the job of watching packs, etc. if you have just arrived and want to scout the town to find lodging. And be careful in remote unlit parts of towns at night, that kind of common sense that would prevail in any country.  Maybe a bit less safe for women, though not being one I'm only guessing. And of course, traveling alone might be lonely (it doesn't bother me much).

But let's look on the other side of the coin - the benefits. It's nice to be able to selfishly do what you want, go where you want to go, eat what you want to eat and when you want to eat it, and all that sort of thing. I admit - I like traveling alone.  I'm an out of shape mid-forties American and while exercising due caution have had no real problems traveling alone in Chile.  My worst experience (getting my day-pack stolen) happened when I was in a group! And I blame it on my stupidity (just a temporary lapse of course).

I use and (for the most part) recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Chile and Easter Island for all travel in Chile. It isn't perfect (I once reached a small town only to find that the recommended lodging had burned down), and there are inevitable inaccuracies, but I've been surprised at how much accurate information it does have in it. It is available at any good bookstore including Amazon.com (see link above). It's available in a variety of languages.

What about other books?

• There's a book called "Travels in a Thin Country" by an English women, Sara Wheeler, about traveling mostly alone in Chile for six months, interesting although she comes off as a bit of a flake in my opinion, worth checking your library for.
• The Insight Guide to Chile is nice to look at before you go - nice pictures, background material - but I wouldn't carry it as I don't think it would be all that useful on the road.
• There's the "Footprint" series handbook to Chile, I haven't used but some folks like it, I know. It's available in a variety of languages.
• Rough Guides has a Chile handbook, but again, I haven't used it.
• A search at Amazon or any other bookseller for "Chile Travel" should turn up a lot of interesting stuff.
• The Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring or the Footprint Series South American Handbook have much less detail as they cover the whole continent but are useful if your trip covers a wider area and you want to carry just one guide. I carried just the Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring on my trip that traversed northern Chile, Bolivia and Perú, and found it did the trick.
• Chile and Argentina : The Bradt Trekking Guide comes highly recommended, covering 45 important hikes. It's new in late 2001.

I haven't been able to find a lot on the web. Here's a few potential sources:

The South American Explorer's Club - http://www.samexplo.org/ - they have some for sale online and might have leads for others if you contact them.

CONAF (Chile Forestry and National Parks) might have some maps but they don't do a good job of advertising them. You might want to try their offices at Bulnes 285, Oficina 501, in Santiago. If you have a day or two in Santiago ask around - a hiking store would be a good bet - and they could direct you to a good store or a government agency to buy maps.

International Travel Maps has a series of maps I've used in Mexico, Central America, and South America, quite detailed and useful but mostly not very large scale.  The have little info on the web, it might be worth contacting them however.  These maps are available at bookstores, etc.

While it lasts, there's a map of the Santiago region at Gosouthamerica.about.com 

They have trains but I've never heard a lot good about them, and they go no further south than Puerto Montt. There is supposed to be a very spectacular train from the Atacama desert to Bolivia, but it appears to be often out of service -  was unable to get tickets when I was there possibly due to winter rains.

I like it! It's not "safe" nor is it crazy. What is safe?  It's a great idea if you are a regular bike tourist and have experience traveling that way elsewhere.  The roads are not geared to it, narrow in rural areas, and there's a lot of traffic in some areas, and many roads aren't paved in the most out-of-the-way areas. But go for it! I've met several folks traveling long distances by bike, mostly Germans or other Europeans, and they seemed to be having a great time! I met a Swiss guy and a Netherlander riding down the Carretería Austral - rough even in a car. Check out Erhard Kraus's travelogue about bicycle travel (combined with buses, etc.) in Patagonia and the Lakes.

Maybe I meant motorcycles?

Then I'd just say "it sounds like fun and good luck!" BMW and some Japanese bikes are most common, and there are a lot of them, so parts should be available.  Make sure it's pretty rugged if you  want to get off the main roads! I met a Japanese couple on matching Kawasakis who rode from Alaska to the Lakes District and were on the way to Tierra del Fuego when I met them in Puerto Octay on Lago Llanquihue. And I met a Swiss man and his Colombian wife in Chiloé who were on the way to Tierra del Fuego as well, from Columbia, riding two to the bike! Here's a link to Doug Ruth's account of a ride from California to Tierra del Fuego and back.  For a lot of info about using dual-sport bikes in out of the way areas, see Robert Runyard's pages.

If you only have a week, the problem is that getting anywhere other than along the main Puerto Montt - Santiago corridor can take a long time, especially if you don't have your own vehicle (and rental cars are very expensive). I've heard that reserving a car from here at US rates can be much cheaper but never tried it. Anyhow, with only a week I'd have to say the Puerto Montt area - more specifically the Lakes District - as transport is better and faster. Nothing moves very fast in Patagonia! Another option is south onto the lovely Isla Grande de Chiloé.

Walking isn't a solution to getting around long distance for most folks - the distances are just too great.  Hitching is not extremely common but there are always hitchhikers here and there on the main highway (in 1999 it was usually middle-class dreadlocked youth from the cities) and even in the back woods. I only hitched a couple of times but found it relatively easy if there is any traffic.

Some folks walk the passes over to Argentina or back in the Lakes District.  You can combine hiking on the dirt roads and ferry travel effectively in the area of Parque National Vicente Perez Rosales and the Argentinean Parque National Nahuel Huapi, I'm told.

Oh, heck yes! I don't golf (I like to point out that golf spelled backwards is "flog") so can't tell you much but here's a link to the Chilean Golf Federation home page - most of their pages are bilingual. There are around 60 courses in the golf federation.  The link from the page listed above to "Clubes" (clubs) lists all the clubs in the federation and provides info about them. I saw one with no grass in the north about 100 miles south of Iquique in the barren Atacama desert - not sure if it was under construction, abandoned, or supposed to be that way.

No, the situation there isn't bad. I was robbed because I was stupid - I left a day-pack sitting in a public place (second floor of the bus station in Puerto Montt) and someone grabbed it. This would be the same in Los Ángeles de California or even in Seattle, and the situation there isn't all that bad.  There is supposed to be some pickpocket activity in Valparaíso and you should exercise caution with easily grabbed goods such as cameras everywhere, but most people will be honest and helpful.  I left a camera on a park bench once (how could I have been that stupid twice?) and when I came back, a workman came down from his ladder nearby, ran up to me, and said he had it locked in his car.

Be careful in crowded markets, major tourist destinations, bus stations, and places like that. Use common sense! I use front pockets and Velcro or button closures if possible, in public markets or crowded places like that a money belt is uncomfortable but may be a good idea. I prefer the hang-around-the neck money belts to the around-the-waist ones because if you need to get at it in public it isn't quite so much like undressing. Never leave a small bag unattended in a public place - I learned that the hard way. But overall, safer and lower crime than most US cities, I'd exercise the same caution.

Remember if you hear about crime in Chile from other tourists, part of the reason is that tourists anywhere are a target - they are carrying valuables, don't know their way around, usually have cash, etc. - think about the stories from Miami.

All in all just be careful but don't obsess about security, it isn't Quito, Miami, or Bogotá or something, it's just like going to an American city, actually probably a lower-crime American city, I'd say.

Although you see them fairly frequently, foreigners only are very common in a few major tourist destinations. It's not hard to find areas where you're the only gringo if you want, as I did much of the time in my 1999 trip. I never saw too many other Americans except when we were in major destinations like Puerto Natales and Torres Del Paine National Park or in the major spots of the Lakes District. Swiss and Germans are more common than Americans and you see people from many other countries as well.

I am not a woman, so can't be too specific, but off the to of my head, I'd would be super careful if I were a woman traveling alone anywhere, even relatively safe Chile. In Chile just be careful - advice to travelers anywhere in the world, even the US and the UK, right? Yes, it's usually not to hard to find travel companions, and although I like traveling mostly alone, I also like to meet travelers from around the world sometimes. In Chile, bus stations, hostels, hospedajes, etc. are good places to meet folks - ride a bus, share a meal, etc. to get a feel for them. Many are Germans and Swiss-Germans and usually speak quite good English.

I do just hop buses if I know where they are going, it helps keep you out of stations, the charge may be lower from the driver's assistant than from the station, you can grab a nice seat sometimes instead of taking the assigned one, etc. I almost never take tours, only small, inexpensive, owner operated ones.

I've never been asked for a ticket out of Chile but I suppose it's possible, it might depend on what passport you have.  Check out the consul or embassy before you leave on the trip if you can.

Very possible - inexpensive lodging is easy to find in Chile. I don't much like hostels - I like to mix with the locals and hostels rarely have any to speak of. When I want to visit with large numbers of Americans, Germans, Australians, Swiss, etc. I'll go to those places! Here's some ideas of types of lodging in Chile:

• Albergue (youth hostel): In places where there might be a lot of tourists (Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Santiago, etc.).  The cheapest lodging, a few dollars a night.
• "Hospedaje" - literally lodging, often just a small hand-lettered sign in a window, or someone (a small boy often) may meet the buses. Not much more expensive, usually a private room for your whole group, often includes a light breakfast (ask when negotiating price) and usually but not always has better bathrooms than the albergues. This is my favorite way to go - you are in a family home (often a widow or retired couple), it's more or less comfortable, and usually quieter and more homey. They will often store stuff for you if you are going hiking, too, especially if you are coming back to stay a night or so. However, respect their privacy, be polite, don't waste water or power (Chileans are very conservation minded as power is very expensive) and don't leave a mess - these people charge very little and make a very slim profit. In 2001 prices were usually about $7 or $10 US a night with a light breakfast.
• Residencial - I'm not sure there's a clear differentiation between hospedaje and residencial but the latter is usually a bit more substantial, more permanent. Occasionally (especially in bigger towns) called pensión. Similar prices to the hospedaje, maybe a dollar or two more on the average, occasionally as much as $12 a night for a nice one.
• Hotel, Posada, Hostal, etc.: Fancier, more expensive places, with private bath, may be very modern and "American." Some are even familiar chains such as Holiday Inn Express. Hostal is not to be confused with the English word hostel - it's a fancy inn. Sometimes hotels are a good deal, and I like them in bigger towns as they may be a bit more secure as well as closer to the center. See the Santiago entry below for my "favorite" (OK, so I never tried any others) budget hotel there, Hotel Los Arcos ("The Arches"). 

Whew! Where? Quick guesses (I have never been there in Winter but I am a geographer, so can't resist the chance to surmise about this):

• Santiago: Cool nights, pleasant days, sometimes rain. 35 degrees F to 65 degrees F. Snow and skiing in the nearby mountains.
• Lakes and Chiloé: Chilly, very rainy. 35 degrees F to 50 degrees F.
• Patagonia: Cold, extreme conditions. Windy, snow or rain, 20 - 30 degrees F. or colder.   Very stormy.

A long ways!  I think Punta Arenas and Santiago are about 1300 air miles (2000 km) apart. I wouldn't suggest walking it, and the roads aren't very good though you could ride a bike I suppose.

There are lots, and they are often a great place to visit. I've only been to a couple of the bigger ones. Here's some fairly large ones I remember right off the top of my head:

• The Museo de Arte Precolombiana in Santiago, which is quite good and a nice place to get out of the bustle of downtown Santiago for a few hours.
• The three homes of Pablo Neruda are supposed to be quite worthwhile, I certainly enjoyed my visit to La Chascona, the one in the Bellavista barrio of Santiago.
• The Museo Regional de la Auricanía in Temuco has a some nice displays including much about the Mapuche tribe and some interesting displays about the German settlement in the late 19th century.
• The Museo Gustavo Le Paige in San Pedro de la Atacama is a MUST if you are anywhere near it, a great little museum of the indigenous peoples of the north mostly put together by the late Padre Gustavo Le Paige.
• The Museo Antropológico in Iquique is quite good too and a wonderful chance to get into one of the old mansions that line the streets of the old town. 

But the little museums in almost every small town are quite a bit of fun and worth visiting if you see them. They usually cost less than a dollar US to enter, and are quite worth it! Off the top of my head I can remember a few that  I have visited:

• Museo Regional de Chiloé in Ancud, cost about $.80 US when I was there, fairly large and well displayed,  with pre-Columbian information as well as colonial period and Chiloé folk culture.
• Museo Regional de Patagonia in Coyhaique, on the riverfront, cost about $.50 US, a humorous jumble of fossils, native artifacts, settlement period stuff (quite recently), and a lot about the national police (a retired police general apparently founded the town).  I had to round up someone from the chamber of commerce next door to turn on the lights - the door was wide open but I couldn't find the switch.
• The Museo Colono in Puerto Octay, quite small, is on the second floor of a large old German style house in mediocre condition. It has a mixture of things taken out of attics and barns, ranging from old farm equipment, portraits, and native artifacts to a lot of information about local German settlement, including a map showing where and when the settlement occurred.

• I like a set of very light nylon clothes, such as you can buy to hike in (cargo pants for example).  Admittedly you may look a bit silly if they are not common colors or have lots of attachments, etc., but they are handy. I especially like the efficiency of ones that have removable legs to create shorts. I try to get colors that don't look too military.
• Nylon (including underwear) is easy to wash in a sink, and dries quickly in a hotel room. NOTE: the folks who run the hotels don't like you to wash clothes so be discreet if you do! I usually limit myself to the day's underwear and socks.
• A fleece jacket is a very nice thing to have in most areas
• Raingear is important if you are going south. Most useful is a good Gore-Tex jacket that acts as a day-to-day jacket and a wind-breaker as well as a raincoat.
• T-shirt and shorts a must if you get out and about in warm weather. For a park, a tour, non-fancy meal, etc. they are fine - t-shirts, mostly in English, are everywhere. 
• Baseball caps are useful in the sun and widely used.  I have a Colo Colo one I bought there, that's the best known Chilean soccer team, but actually I don't recommend wearing a local sports team logo as it could anger some folks. A "geographic" hat - like my San Pedro de la Atacama hat - makes more sense.
• Middle-class Chileans usually wear sporty clothes like golf shirts and slacks for men, designer jeans or slacks with blouses or knit shirts for women, it's not an overly dressy nation except for evenings in nice entertainment districts of the cities.
• If you are doing business (including academic or non-governmental organization business) some nice clothes are critical.
• Carry comfortable shoes to walk in even if you don't plan to hike.

For money I find that the best thing is an ATM card - Chileans don't like traveler's checks and charge a hefty fee to change them. I just used my ATM card and it works almost everywhere, best exchange rate, no fee. Machines are called RedBanc (the ones that say Nat. Bank of Chile did NOT work for me), and are in (or outside) most banks as well as some stores and gas stations. That allows you to carry cash, which is best for small restaurants, cafes, small stores, taxis, buses, tips, etc. as well as for staying in hospedajes or small hotels. For bigger hotels or nice restaurants Visa card is best, again best exchange rate and no fee. Make sure you carry cash before going to small towns, as they don't have ATMs! Avoid any torn or dirty paper money (local or American) and don't carry any money other than Chilean or American, it'll be hard to use. A few Chileans are still suspicious of the new US $20 bills, but that should pass soon.

I'd take some emergency US cash - $200 maybe - and a few hundred - say, $400 - in traveler's checks but hope not to use them, just redeposit in your bank (or mine in you prefer) when you get back. 

Here is a link to a useful currency page - convert to and from any currency in the world.

Restaurant food is great if you look for "platos típicos" or, a favorite of mine, just get the daily special (called "menú del día" or sometimes oferta). The special is usually filling, good, and cheap. I've never been all that lucky with "American style" restaurants such as the "Dino's" chain. These types of places tend to be too salty, the food usually fried, and they lack variety. 

The restaurants often had many types of standard sandwiches, including "lomitos," barros jarpas," and "barros lucas." A favorite is the "completo" - a hot dog with palta, onions, and tomatoes, topped with mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup (far better than it may sound). There are the ever-present "papas fritas" - French-fries - usually very good, made with lard and occasionally with a hot dog stuck in. 

Good seafood is especially common in the south - from the lakes district through Aisén. Try curanto in Chiloé, and the salmon is great, cholgas (mussels), congrio (conger eel), etc. Now you got me hungry! 

In every town bigger than a village I've found found at least one café with an espresso machine (café esprés), a lifesaver in a country of Nescafé. In Santiago there are fancy café esprés bars all over downtown, where the waitresses all dress in skimpy outfits - "we're not in Seattle any more, Dorothy." 

Everywhere there is excellent juice, including my favorite, tuna (cactus fruit) - it's terrific.

Everywhere the produce was very good, even in the far south. Fruit of top quality was everywhere, big ripe paltas, large tomatoes, etc. 

For hiking, it's interesting to note that a lot of things are packaged individually. You can get many things in small pasteurized pouches, including jam, tomato sauce, stuffed dried pastas, pickles, olives, sauerkraut, tasty powdered juice, etc. Boxes of super-pasteurized milk and juice (again, the juice was always excellent) are the rule.

Boxed wines ranged from poor to quite decent. A liter box of Concha y Toro Vino Tinto (red wine) that cost $1.75 there was as good as the same product at $5 for a 750 ML bottle here, or the equivalent bottle of California table wine. Seems to be no prejudice against boxed wine. I did get a bad one, I suspect it had been in the sun or something. Bottled wines can be very good, of course,  some excellent. 

Beer is pretty good in general, though the popular ones resemble American beer for the most part. Restaurants, taverns (schoperías) and bars always serve it draft (schop). Some of the regional brews, especially in Patagonia, are better.  I like Escudo, Austral, and Imperial better than the ever-present Cristal. My favorite is a smaller company out of Valdivia called Kunstmann, with great beers resembling what we call "micros" here in the Pacific Northwest. Almost the only beer available in parts of Argentina (and available occasionally in Chile) is the wretched Quilmes (pronounced a bit like "kill-me" - that's a joke, son).

I did prearrange it: I used the ChilePass, which at that time was $300 for up to four internal flights south of Santiago and has to be purchased outside the country. My group used only the one flight, as it turned out, so the airline made out like bandits with us!   I think you could get a much cheaper flight than $600, try various airlines - if you don't get it from your home country try the offices in the national airport in Santiago. I don't think it really costs $600, maybe round trip it does.

No visa from many countries, but passport from most if not all. No injections required but my HMO recommended tetanus, hepatitis B, and a tuberculosis test before and after. They also gave me diarrhea pills (over the counter type) and a prescription antibiotic for intestinal bugs, which I never used. If you are going on to the Altiplano you might ask about pills to prevent altitude sickness. You can get any kind of over-the-counter drug there and often things that require a prescription in the US don't there.

If you do decide to rent a car, I'd get south first by bus or plane, then rent. Try to arrange it from home to take advantage of lower prices and maybe specials. And get a 4 x 4 if you can!

I looked at prices from Budget (just because they were easy to do) in July 2001 (but looking at rentals in Jan. 2002), arranged from US but for a week rental in Puerto Montt. They ranged from $170 US a week for an economy car (read tiny) to $525 US a week for a four-door, 4WD Toyota pickup.

I've heard it's hard to get a work permit. I have no personal experience. I meet Americans and other foreigners there who are working (teaching English often, or guiding), so it's obviously possible but it may be "without benefit of formal permission."

My frequent correspondent Robert Runyard, who has great Chile Pages at this address, has added some valuable insight which I am reproducing here with his permission:

Most of the time visiting foreigners will find legal work through a sponsoring employer. Among the elements of the process are an obligation by the sponsoring employer that if you are let go, then the employer must send you back to your country so that you don't become a burden of the state. You will have to get photos of the correct size and a bunch of notarized forms, often a statement from your home-state police department to verify that you are not a criminal, and then there are the inevitable fingerprints (Chileans call the fingerprinting business "tocar el piano" -- literally, "to play the piano.") The term of work permission is typically for a year at a time and renewable. Your ID card is similar to the Chilean national ID card or "cedula" but it has a code in the RUT (similar to a social security number) that identifies you as a foreigner. The back of the card typically says "subject to contract" but of course in Spanish. With this card you can usually get by without a passport anymore, and you are free to travel back and forth between Chile and Argentina without having to get a stamp on your passport (in theory: that is, it USUALLY works for me so that I don't have to fill up my U.S. passport with entry/exit visa stamps. ) The cedula will allow you to purchase and register a motor vehicle. But some bank accounts, particularly checking, will not always welcome a foreigner with just a 1-year visa. Part of that work permission involves an obligation of your employer to pay certain taxes, and you are limited to working for that employer who sponsors you. It is easy to understand that a sponsoring employer will want a fairly definite commitment. However, some "cooperative employers" may do the paperwork for you, put you down as a "consultant" on a part-time basis, pay little or nothing toward your tax obligation, and allow you to get that very important cedula year after year...for a few years, anyway. 

You caught me - I was being lazy when I wrote that.  There is some kind of permit to travel issued when you arrive and good for a lengthy period - that's what I was calling a visa, though technically it's not. However, it's not a good idea to try to leave without it, I'm told, so I went to some length to get a replacement.

Chileans speak Castellano (Spanish) with quite a few local features. They speak fast but most people will slow down if they realize you aren't a fluent speaker. A common feature of the local dialect is dropping syllables in common words - Usted becomes something like u'te', para becomes pa'a, etc. They often say "buen día" or just "día" for good morning, and almost always "chao" (ciao) for goodbye. Avocados are "palta" (the word is apparently used everywhere but Mexico, but it was new to me) and fresh corn (especially on the cob) is "choclo" which may be widespread in South America too. Draft beer is always "schop" or "shop" (pronounced approximately like the English word "shop") and taverns usually "shoperías." I'm guessing these words come from the German "schoppen," meaning half-pint. English isn't widely spoken - I've met only a few Chileans who were very fluent. However, if I'd been around more university students I'm sure they would be likely to speak more English.

Other world languages are not widely spoken due to the traditional isolation of the country, however, there are more and more of the educated people who speak English and some folks of German or Swiss heritage may speak some German. In any country you can be closer to the people if you can communicate, and if you plan to get anywhere off the beaten track you should try to pick up some Spanish before you go.  At the very least, take an introductory class so you can pronounce the words. Also, carry a phrasebook and dictionary. You'll find Chileans are often accommodating and forgiving of linguistic lapses, and if they speak any English they will try to use it, but in Spanish they speak VERY fast and it's sometimes non-standard (different words, a pronounced accent).

I don't know about Spanish classes, but I bet you could find them anywhere there is a university as well as anywhere there is a tourist scene, but being Chile (higher wages, etc.) they will be more expensive than in, say, Perú, or Guatemala. Although I never took classes there, I saw private language schools in Coyhaique, Pucón, Puerto Natales, and San Pedro de la Atacama.

There are universities in most cities. In Valdivia there's U. de Valdivia, in Santiago there are several universities, best known are U. de Chile, U. de Santiago, and U. Católica de Santiago. There are universities in many other cities including La Serena, Concepción, Temuco, etc.

In Pucón there is a school called "La Casita" that I've heard of but can't vouch for, the Escuela de idiomas Violeta Parra is in Santiago, and Linguatec has a school in Chile, too.  This page has some more links. I've heard of one called Baquedano in Coyhaique, but have not found a page for it.

I think Chile is a great place to visit (obviously) but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say for language school it's not in the running.  Why?

• Most expensive Spanish schools
• Expensive lodging (especially in Santiago)
• Local accent / dialect is often described BY CHILEANS as the world's worst Spanish accent (the Cubans beg to differ...)
• Speed of speech
• Many local words not understood elsewhere

When I wanted to do a couple weeks of brush up I chose Guatemala despite my love of Chile, and don't regret it.

In any case most schools can get you a room and board pretty cheap for a specific country, and I'm sure you can find a cheap place to live in Santiago, however, I don't know one as I usually stay there only a few days and use a hotel that's not overly expensive but more than you or I would want to spend for a longer spell (I pay about $25 US a night when it's one or two, but a bit lower for a week I think).

In Guatemala (Quetzaltenango) I paid $130 a week for 5-hrs a day 5 days a week 1-on-1 study including 7 days a week / 3-meals a day home stay, with some excursions and activities in the afternoons. This was February, 2000 prices but they are still advertising the same tuition - it's higher in the summer, about $150.  Here's a link to Centro Maya de Idiomas, the school I used, one of many.

I looked into Chile and it was MUCH more. Plus when I'm there I want to get out and about, on the road.

In any case, I'd try the school if you have one picked out already, and if you are not sure of a school, I'd do Guatemala (or another place that has a specialty of language schools, like Nicaragua, Peru, or Ecuador) instead and save enough money for a great trip to Chile later!

The option also remains of language school in a smaller, less expensive town. Puerto Montt, Coyhaique, Puerto Natales, and I'm sure other towns have schools. Pucon has schools too, I know, though they may be very expensive also.

Why, yes, I do just happen to have some! Not all-inclusive, just some things that come to mind:

• Make sure you have a water purification system (filter / pump best)
• A tent is a MUST
• Rain gear (preferably head to toe Gore-Tex), polypro underwear, a good polypro jacket
• Don't bother carrying down except maybe your sleeping bag
• Have good sunscreen and lip protection with sun factor
• Have a waterproof pack or a pack cover, wind will drive rain in everywhere. Gaiters are good too for the mud
• Shirt and pants should be synthetics that dry fast, like nylon
• Carry lots of film, if the weather is clear or gets clear, it's hard to stop taking pictures!
• Six days is easily enough, except a bit longer if you are doing the whole circuit. A longer time out there may be just too much time miserable if it stays wet and windy (or even snowy - don't let mid-summer fool you, we were snowed on in January).
• I did the new "short circuit" or "W" (up to Torres by Campo Chileno, back down and along Lake Nordenskjold, up to Campo Britanico, back down to Lago Pehue, and up to Lago Grey and the Grey Glacier, then back by boat to the road from the Hosteleria on Lago Pehue). This is a nice three to six day trip.
• The pay campground by the hosteleria on the west end of Lago Pehue is very comfortable, I recommend a night or two there (day hike to Lago Grey?).

I'd say the earlier the better - you are probably right about FitzRoy being safer (it's further inland) but it's still Autumn in the extreme south. Be prepared for bad weather!

I'll rely on guesses here: It would be a nasty time of year to be traveling in the closest inhabited area to the South Pole. I would read up in every possible source about the trip, and be very prepared even if you plan to have a vehicle. To be honest, I wouldn't do it!

Robert Runyard writes to tell me that he travels in Patagonia at all times of the year. Read his account of a winter trip to the Aisén region of Patagonia in a borrowed 2-wheel drive pickup..... 

I also took the liberty of adding some of his useful details on a page at this link.

I still say, be very careful, plan well, remember there are wide areas between towns, and the weather can be extreme, especially in southern Patagonia.

Yes, in most of the National Parks, as well as near towns. As for campsites, in the parks, if I go back I'll discretely look for spots upstream and hidden from the standard sites, illegal sites in other words. We (North Americans) are more used to camping alone and practice low-impact camping. If you do have to go to a crowded official campsite, look all around before you choose a campsite, often the farthest end isn't too bad. But DO filter water near them! And watch where you step.

I think it won't be too hard to find hiking companions in Puerto Natales, it's a pretty small town and gringos (including Europeans) are easy to spot near the Plaza de Armas (town square) or at your lodging, and they all are heading to the park. I'd be careful to find folks you'll be comfortable with personally and who will have similar hiking speeds, etc. Maybe another good idea is to plan the association to be a bit loose (your own gear and food etc.) so if you aren't compatible you could split up.

It's up to you but the famous Circúito takes a week at least, I'm told. There are shorter trips and if you aren't into major expeditions and long trips in potentially miserable conditions, you might want to consider one of them!

I believe you can rent a tent at one or two places in Puerto Natales, but I don't know details. A good freestanding tent would be best but not required, however, I think a tent of some sort is a necessity. It's bloody wet and windy!

Vest, maybe not. It'll probably be wet and windy, but not likely extremely cold in Summer (0 degrees C or a few degrees below, no colder?). I'd say fleece underwear top and bottom - nice to own here too - and a fleece jacket, nylon or other easy-to-dry pants and shirt, plenty of wool socks, and rain gear. If not Gore-Tex pants, at least waterproof ones, in the weather (wind and rain) I was in I wouldn't want to be without! You might be lucky, but don't count on it.

Note: See the update under the question about white gas below regarding buying equipment in Punta Arenas.

Can get things there, but be creative! Pasta sauce in tubes, dried ravioli, dried fruit, etc. are good bets. Crackers, cheese, dried soups are available. Pancitas (little rolls) are useful and tasty when fresh. You might want to bring some Mountain House or similar hiking dinners from home.

A) Should I bring a small stove?

B) I've heard getting white gas is not a problem. What about propane tanks for stoves (a propane tank for a blow torch would also do)?

C) I was planning a camping trip to Paine, but I can't sure what kind of gas cartridges is available in Puerto Natales.

A stove would be a great idea, you'll want one. I'd suggest a white gas (bencina blanca) stove as it is available in many places (try pharmacies if nowhere else seems to have it).

I bet you can get propane tanks but can't back up my claim, I never looked for them! The camping gas (like Bluet or Gaz) containers I have heard are nearly impossible to get. Note that international law forbids taking them in your airline baggage.

Update: I just heard from Jim Curl about buying gas cartridges and other equipment in Punta Arenas:  "One thing I didn't learn in advance of my trip was whether or not propane/butane stove canisters would be available. I went prepared with an MSR as well as a screw on Gaz type stove. While I was unable to find these types of Gaz canisters, I did find the screw on propane/butane canisters that fit other types of stoves such as Primus, MSR, GigaPower, etc. In addition, they had a few different models of inexpensive stoves for sale. We purchased a stove for about $20 and the 8oz canisters where about $3 each. We found them in the Balfer store in the Zona Franca shopping area of Punta Arenas. We also noticed that the Balfer in Puerto Natales stocked the canisters. Balfer is the only store we actually looked into closely. It has some camping equipment, but it is fairly minimal."

I'd use a filter if you can get one, tablets may be OK but make sure they are good ones. I hate to admit it but we drank most of the water in Torres de Paine without treatment. Upstream from the main camps please! They are sickening. A small filter is OK for towns too. Though I trusted the city water in Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, I didn't in some of the small towns further north, or even Santiago.

Yes and no! I wished I could spend more time there but I would have had to cut some other part of that trip short. Maybe another trip is the answer! I was eager to see settled areas of Chile, too, so didn't want to spend too much of my trip in remote, mountainous areas not unlike many places I can get to here in the summer.

After talking with my doctor at home, I suspect it was a common winter bug I'd picked up in the north before leaving and that hit me there due to incubation time and exacerbated by the extreme conditions of hiking in bad weather in Patagonia. It was likely a virus but the extreme conditions and the virus infection made me susceptible to a bacterial infection and I got bronchitis.  The doctor surmised this because I improved so quickly when I took the antibiotic.  I chose the particular antibiotic because Jennifer, who was in the group I was in, said her ex-husband was often sick with bronchitis and it was what he took. While this wasn't all that smart, it worked, and in fact when the bug came back just as I was getting home (I should have taken the antibiotic longer) my doctor at home gave me the same antibiotic but for a longer period.

The one I went to - the well-known one north of Punta Arenas - is quite a ways out. I wouldn't walk! You can take a cab or better, hire a driver with a van and some experience guiding folks out there. Ours was a retired man, quite knowledgeable and pleasant, a photographer.

Do you know which day it departs from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales?

How about other ferries in Patagonia or the area of Chiloé?

There are offices of NaviMag (the company that runs the boat) in Puerto Montt and in Puerto Natales, as well in a few other places, including Santiago. Check the latest contact information in a guidebook such as Lonely Planet. The Puerto Montt office phone is (65) 28700 and fax is (65) 258540.

B) Do you really recommend the boat trip?

Maybe - if you don't mind the cost (a big expense compared to most other travel expenses in Chile). You may not see a real view the whole trip, get seasick, and feel it's a wasted trip. I enjoyed my trip, I know that, even though the weather was not all that great...

I believe that's best though we just stuck our heads into the office (in Puerto Natales) and got tickets for less than a week ahead.

If the weather cooperates, definitely! Waterfalls, glaciers, forested coasts, whales, dolphins, and further north, the quaint farmland and villages of the Chiloé Archipelago and high snowy volcanoes are all possible. Clouds, fog, and rain are also possible!

I didn't check but I bet it is quite expensive! It's really a freighter, not a ferry, even though it runs on a set route, and you would be shipping your car, not a drive-on drive-off like a ferry.

We would have ridden in Class B, except it was full, but I did think it looked uncomfortable and damp, hot, no real privacy, and I heard the food was much worse!

No, this is very easy country to travel in and there is convenient bus service almost everywhere. And I have it on good authority the fishing is great in that area! I believe that it is better around Coyhaique than further north. It's a long trip by bus and boat to Coyhaique - consider flying from Puerto Montt.

I was only at Pumalín for a day and only saw one corner of the park, but from what I've read, seen, and guessed from maps, it is quite incredible.

Pumalín has a web site now, here's the link.

I believe it is possible to get to Pumalín by staying on the mainland in summer, by going south from Puerto Montt by bus or car and ferry. But the trip is difficult and slow, I've heard, and the buses may not go all the way. Much easier (and quite a nice trip too) is to go from Puerto Montt by bus and ferry to the southern end of the Isla de Chiloé and take a ferry from Quellón to Chaitén on the mainland (Chiloé Continental). In the little town of Chaitén you can arrange transport north to Pumalín. The only village in Pumalín, Caleta Gonzalo, is about 35 miles or so from Chaitén. The best bet is to find Nick in Chaitén, he's an American from Vermont (Nicolas LaPenna) who can arrange anything, and may drive you up himself. He did an all-day tour with me and a dozen Chileans in an old Ford van to the southern corner of the park to see waterfalls, a grove of giant alerces, lakes, and beaches and charged only $5000CH (about $10.00 US). The main part of the park has a big volcano, glaciers, rivers, more giant alerce trees, etc. At Caleta Gonzalo, north of Chaitén, Douglas Tompkins (the rich American who bankrolled the preserve) runs a restaurant with meals reputedly very good and cheap, as well as inexpensive lodgings and a fancy campground, partly as a goodwill gesture to Chileans in the area I think. The ferry north from there, summer only, runs I think only one round trip a day, so folks are stuck there often.

If you travel there, you might want to be careful or non-committal talking about Pumalín or Douglas Tompkins in other parts of the country as it is very controversial, and even people with interest in the environment (true of many Chileans) may not like the idea of a rich American coming and buying a lot of land, even to preserve.

No guidebook exists, that I've seen. The foundation (I can't recall its name) that started the park is in San Francisco but I believe they are now separated.

Pumalín is incredible but it's really out of the way so you'll extend some time in getting there, and it's all pretty remote so you'll have to backpack, camp, etc. And at that latitude, that's awful late - I'd say be prepared for awful weather, In fact it was very wet and chilly when I was there in mid-summer (Feb.). If you go, first thing in Chaitén talk to "el americano," Nick LaPenna (check the bus station, and ask - if he's not at the station, he'll be somewhere near). He can get you up to Pumalín, find places for you to stay, knows the scoop on everything around there, and will give you a fair price on it all.

Here's some data - may be out of date when you get this:

I'm sure you can get cabs to take you (cabs will take you anywhere!) but the buses in that part of the country are very nice too, and there are charter buses for trips to places like Lago Todos Santos if you want to ride in style.

Supposed to be pretty good, but gets better further south around Chaitén and on down to Coyhaique.

Lakes district is I think the most concentrated area, when your total trip is pretty short. As for the time of year, I don't know if you know the western US, but the Chilean climates can be closely compared to the same latitudes in California and the pacific northwest by adding 6 months - so late April, like late October. And the lakes is like northern CA and southern OR. So I'd say do it but be prepared for rain and don't be surprised if you don't see the volcanoes. Puerto Montt and further south is pushing it!

You are right in surmising that it's harder to get to the best outdoor sports (hiking, etc.) without a car but not impossible. A few ways - rent a car for one day, ask around about hiring a local person to drive you up, or take the back roads buses (they go lots of places, ask). Finally, some of the formal tours for a day can be reasonable, like the hot springs I went to from Pucon (avoid Pucon if you really want to avoid tourist traps!). Local buses go from Puerto Varas into the heart of the mountains at Lago Todos Santos, and trails lead right from the end of the road. Also you can hire people with small boats to take you to remote spots and pick you up later. Weather there will be iffy that late however!

Anywhere you go in the south should be relatively tourist free that late - even tourist towns like Pucon. The Chileans and Argentineans are long gone home to work and school, and the northern hemisphere people home or to more tropical locations.

There's lots of good lodging at a variety of prices. I like the odd but comfortable hotel I've used three times now, it's called "Hotel Los Arcos" and is located at 2173 Agustinas. A taxi from airport should be about $8 US and since taxis can get a kickback of your hotel bill, negotiate the price. It's an old (and old-style) building. The lobby is updated but the rooms are not. It's more expensive than I like to spend when I'm in other parts of the country but not bad for the capital. Prices in Feb. 2001 were about $23 US for single, $32 US for a double, with private bath (basic bath but 24-hour hot water!). What I like best is the courtyard with trees, birds, plantings, tables, and food / drink service if you want (though they never complained when I bought beer, wine, or food at the little store next door to consume out there). Also, the old rooms have wooden shutters inside instead of curtains, which is neat and makes it really dark in the morning if you want to sleep late. It's a 15 minute walk to downtown (Agustinas all the way), and there's a really nice little park (Plaza Brazil) a block away down the side street. Three are a couple of Intrenet cafés on the park. The neighborhood has a lot of restaurants with a variety of styles (including Chinese) and the hotel staff are friendly though distant. There's fancier places and there's cheaper places but I like Los Arcos for balance. Tends to have a lot of Germans and Brazilians but rarely Americans or other English speakers (nor do the staff speak English). There was a whole crew of well-dressed guys from Cameroon once when I was there, but I didn't figure out what they were in town for (nor did the staff know, though they were curious too).

Good question! Although I'm not a roller-blade person, I'd say yes, no problem - but there is a lot of traffic so be careful. Some of the park areas such as along the river might be best. Good luck!

Hmm - there are some native crafts as well as crafts from Easter Islanders, Peruvians, and Bolivians available in markets near downtown - look for the crowded, knocked-together little ones or the big market near the river. All in all, however, it's not really a city I'd say has a lot of souvenirs to offer! Use your imagination.

I can't say about the job, but I think it might be a fun city to live in. It's a big city and so not cheap, but I'd say much cheaper than a European, Japanese or even American city. It's not beautiful like a Paris, Rio, San Francisco but it has its charms. The smog is getting better but still bad, at least they are trying to control it. Fun - there's skiing and then ocean nearby (an hour or so either direction), wineries, discos, museums, lots of great sidewalk cafés, etc. I'd suggest taking a crash Spanish course, such as a two-week intensive course in Guatemala or Peru (see above under Language), you'll need it in Santiago if you are there very long. When the smog is light, the view of the Andes is stunning - 20,000 foot peaks are less than 40 miles away.

The main tourist areas are quite a ways from Santiago. Valparaíso and Viña del Mar (sister cities) are only an hour or so away and worth a visit. I found Viña wasn't my kind of place and very expensive. It's like Palm Beach FL or the south of France. But funky old Valparaíso is fun and not expensive to visit. Santiago itself has many attractions (climb both the hills - Cerro San Cristóbal by cable car and Cerro Santa Lucía on foot) and make sure you see Pablo Neruda's home in Bellavista (there's another, better known one in a small town north of Viña del Mar as well as a third in the small town of Isla Negra south of Valparaíso- all three are museums). The pedestrian malls of downtown Santiago never get old to me.

Also I think you can get day-trip buses to the ski areas outside of town, even in the summer - that's a way to get into the mountains.

Gosouthamerica.about.com recently added this page on weekend excursions from Santiago - seems useful to me, though it ignores the obvious trips to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Hopefully this page will remain online!

Cascada has a good reputation and that far north it should be nice still in the mountains, and I find it hard to get short trips in those mountains (I never have been much around Santiago, just in the city.