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denominations and coins come in 1 5 10 50 100 and 500 peso denominations it is a good idea to carry some small bills with you as anything over ch 1000 can be difficult to change atms are the best way to access funds and are available in major cities and towns most atms have instructions in english as well as spanish and there may be a charge in addition to charges made by your home bank as a backup always carry a mixture of cards and cash as atms may not always be reliable chile is not a developing nation and so is not cheap by south america standards that said it is still good value for money compared with north america or western europe prices increase significantly over summer so travel outside of the main tourist season december march will likely be more economical a bottle of water will set you back around ch 500 us 0 95 a can of beer around ch 350 us 0 65 and a set lunch ch 3500 us 6 50 major cities and towns in chile most of chile s 16 million people live in a handful of larger cities the largest being santiago with one third of the population santiago is conveniently located in the centre of the country from where you can explore either the north or the south nearby is the off beat port city of valparaíso and ritzy resort viña del mar heading north la serena is a picturesque colonial city and copiapó is the gateway to bahía inglesa one of the country s best seaside resorts in the far north sits desert city antofagasta then iquique and arica near the border of peru south of santiago concepción and chillán are two major cities in the central valley then in the lakes district pucón and puerto varas are both jumping off points for various adventure activities in southern patagonia punta arenas is the local hub while puerto natales provides a launchpad for those wishing to explore the famous torres del paine national park electricity electricity in chile runs on 220 volts 50 hz and the most common socket type used throughout the country is two round prongs such as those used in europe etiquette and culture on the surface chile has many similarities to europe especially when compared to the rest of south america most of chile s population are mestizo a mixture of spanish and indigenous ancestry but there are also influences from immigrants from france germany italy ireland britain croatia and palestine the biggest indigenous groups are the mapuche in the south with around 620 000 people and the aymara in the north andes with around one tenth that number around 90 of chile s population is roman catholic it is customary to greet and farewell people with kisses on both cheeks this is generally done between men women and women women with men generally shaking hands instead geography chile has a land area equivalent to britain and france combined but its extraordinary length means that it stretches through several latitudinal zones chile s geography is also characterised by the andes mountains which run along its border with argentina as well as its central depression and coastal range at the top of the country the norte grande region includes the atacama desert thought to be the driest place on earth and the altiplano a high plateau in the andes bordering the desert with volcanoes vibrantly coloured lakes and salt flats below this region norte chico is semi arid located just north of santiago here desert melts into scrubland and eventually forests further south to the south of santiago the central valley region has mineral rich earth and experiences warm summers and short winters making it ideal for fruit crops such as grapes peaches and mangoes it is also where about 80 of the population reside next is the lakes district with its snow capped volcanoes bright blue lakes and luxuriant forest beyond the lakes district the country disintegrates into a patchwork of fjords and islands with massive ice fields and glaciers tierra del fuego chile s southernmost region is an archipelago separated from the rest of chile by the magellan strait history pre columbian remains have mostly been recovered in the north where they have been preserved by the dry arid climate the best known of these cultures are the chinchorro who were nomadic and known for mummifying their dead the aymara practised agriculture including maize and potatoes in the canyons in the north other cultures include the atacameño el molle tiwanaku and the chango and there are various geoglyphs rock etchings tablets and ceramics that remain from these peoples the incas from the cuzco valley in peru conquered northern chile for a time but did not make it into the central and southern region the americas were divided between spain and portugal in 1495 by the treaty of tordesillas which gave all territory west of brazil to the spanish by the mid 16th century european power dominated the the area down as far as central chile a spanish expedition led by pedro de valdivia reached the mapocho valley in 1541 subduing the local people and establishing the city of santiago on february 12 throughout the colonial period indigenous people were exploited through the encomienda system a administrative tool used throughout south america where spaniards had the right to extract tribute and labour from the local population the southern nomadic tribes continued to resist colonial rule and the south remained unsafe for settlers until the late 19th century during this time many spaniards were rewarded with large tracts of land this small minority of wealthy landowners would have a lasting effect on chile s society and politics in later years american born spanish increasingly yearned for self government and independence movements began to take shape by 1808 1810 chile was classed as a subdivision of the vice royalty based in lima but its isolation meant it developed its own distinct culture to its northern neighbour josé de san martín liberated argentina then crossing the andes to do the same for chile occupying santiago and appointing his second in command bernardo o higgins as director of the new republic of chile before sailing on to lima chile s independence was formally declared in 1818 unlike some of its neighbouring fledgling nations chile managed to gain relative political stability and advancements in industry agriculture and commerce winning the war of the pacific 1879 84 was a significant boost for the country fought between chile peru and bolivia over natural resources in the atacama desert chile seized the bolivian port of antofagasta and the peruvian provinces of arica and tacna this left bolivia with no access to the pacific ocean and chile with access to rich nitrate deposits providing a economic boom for the country treaties with the mapuche in 1881 also brought southern territories under chilean control and chile annexed easter island also called rapa nui to increase their presence in the pacific the status quo of landowning oligarchs controlling the nation s politics was challenged by a growing working class and nouveaux riches president josé manuel balmaceda elected in 1886 attempted to correct the imbalance improving schools and hospitals but when the conservative congress voted him out civil war ensued and more than 10 000 chileans died before they were eventually defeated in the early 20th century demand for nitrate fell and the panama canal was opened nearly eliminating traffic to chile s coastal ports and chile s economy suffered copper became chile s most important export and remains so to this day attempting to correct the imbalance of power in the hands of landowners continued at the time they had exclusive voting rights which they used to maintain their dominance democratic leftist governments dominated for much of the 1930s and 40s ibáñez del campo was elected president in 1952 and worked to reduce landowners control of their tenant farmers votes tension between right and left factions including communist socialist and radical groups some of them violent characterised politics of the 60s and 70s meanwhile reclaiming copper mines from the us provoked us hostility on september 11 1973 general augusto pinochet ugarte overthrew the government in a bloody coup d etat claiming the presidency in 1974 he remained in power until 1989 virtually prohibiting political activity killing and torturing his opponents around 35 000 are believed to have been tortured and 3000 disappeared during his presidency he held a vote to extend his power in 1988 but was rejected by voters and civilian rule returned to chile best time to travel in chile seasons located in the southern hemisphere chile experiences summer from december to march and winter from june to august but given the length of the country there is significant diversity within the seasons to visit patagonia and the southern reaches of the country summer is the best and in some areas the only time when it is appropriate to visit parts of the country are virtually impenetrable during winter on the other hand the winter months are a time when you can indulge in some of the country s excellent skiing and snowboarding opportunities summer can be scorching in the atacama desert with bitterly cold nights although it is possible to explore this area at any time of year central chile including santiago can get nippy in winter with an average minimum temperature of 3 c 37 f while summer boasts highs of 29 c 84 f with summer also comes the crowds and the country is also pleasant and probably less busy in the spring and autumn months september november and march may when to travel weather wise the summer months are definitely the best time to visit the southern reaches of the country other than that chile is more or less a year round destination there are several major festivals throughout the year virgen de la tirana is the most important folklore festival in chile held on july 16 every year in la tirana in the far north of the country over 100 000 people gather there for the week long celebrations through the summer months in january and february most of chile s towns put on live music fireworks and feasts in mid september chile s independence day fiestas patrias is celebrated nationwide with street parties and dancing on easter island tapati rapa nui festival is the island liveliest event with traditional dancing surf competitions locals shooting down the slopes of extinct volcanoes on home made sleds and woodcarving to name but a few of the activities the celebration lasts 10 day and is held in late january or early february as a predominantly roman catholic country catholic holidays are major features on the calendar semana santa easter is marked by nationwide celebrations including processions and parades guide to food in chile chile is a nation blessed with an abundance of raw produce with everything from freshly grown fruit and vegetables to every type of seafood the coastal region is known for for having some of the best seafood in the world and it is possible to eat almost every type of sea animal including urchins octopus barnacles clams oysters etc along with more typical fare chupe is a seafood casserole cooked in a cheesy buttery breadcrumb sauce and paila marina a delicious seafood chowder traditional food in chile often centres around corn and potato ingredients and can be found in small old fashioned restaurants humitas are tamales made from ground corn wrapped in corn husks and steamed pastel de choclo is pie containing chicken or beef mince topped with pureed sweet corn and baked traditional ways of eating potatoes include mallo de papas potato stew milcao cakes of grated or mashed potato that can be steamed deep fried or baked papas rellenas meat or shellfish encased in mashed potatoes and flour and pan de papas baked flat potato cakes empanadas are another favourite snack which are a sort of miniature cornish pasty with the most popular filling being minced beef onions hard boiled egg and olives less traditional restaurants serve more standard fare from burgers and french fries to steak meat is very popular in chile and as in argentina the family based asado barbeque is a popular and time honoured affair there are many varieties of steak dishes served in different ways such as with eggs and fries lomo de lo pobre potatoes eggs and grilled onions chorrillana and the meat eaters heaven parrillada a mixed grill of different cuts of beef if you have the chance partaking in curanto in chiloé is a quintessential culinary experience of the region cooked in a big pit in the ground lined with hot stones a selection of shellfish smoked meat vegetables and potato based patties are cooked between layers of pangue plant leaves top attractions and highlights in chile 1 torres del paine national park with its granite spires turquoise lakes and glaciers this national park is about as scenic as it gets from the famous torres del paine paine towers cuernos del paine paine horns and epic grey glacier this is a playground for landscape photographers and hikers alike 2 santiago while lacking the destination city status of some of the other south american capitals like buenos aires and riode janeiro santiago is the ideal place to get a handle on chilean culture and history with museums and chic barrios to explore in addition it is an ideal spot from which to explore the maipo valley wineries and surrounding hills and canyons where you can hike raft or cycle 3 laguna verde surrounded by huge volcanoes set in a brown and ochre landscape the brilliant turquoise waters of laguna verde glow like gemstones alongside the lake thermal hot pools offer the chance to relax and take a soak in the healing waters 4 valparaíso precariously perched multi coloured houses sit on the steep hills of this quirky port city as the cultural capital of the country its dishevelled charm has captured the imagination of poets painters and philosophers it s just 120 kilometres from santiago with the glitzy resort town of viña del mar just up the road 5 villarrica region nestled on lake villarrica is pucón an adventure centre with all manner of activities on offer villarrica is the name of the lake the nearby famous volcano the national park and also a lakeside town which is one of the oldest towns in the country climbing the smoking snowy peak of villarrica volcano is one of chile s most famous hikes 6 seno otway isla magdalena penguin colonies both possible day excursions from punta arenas in southern patagonia these two locations are both home for the magellanic penguin isla magdalena is the larger of the two colonies with over 120 000 penguins digging their burrows on this small island seno otway is the nesting site for around 5 000 penguins 7 valle de la luna valley of the moon in northern chile near to san pedro de atacama this surreal and barren landscape has been aptly named for its likeness to lunar terrain dramatic wind carved hills and sculptured landforms on a backdrop of sanddunes and distant ring of volcanoes 8 easter island steeped in myste...