It is useful to think of Chile as comparable to the West Coast of the U.S., a narrow, 2,000-mile strip running from Alaska to Baja – only in reverse. There is the same wondrous diversity, from the snow-capped Andean spine that forms its eastern background to the crashing surf of its endless coastline, the two boundaries enclosing lush fruit-growing valleys, sub-arctic wastelands, high-plateau lakelands, searing deserts, and a temperate middle zone where it is Spring all year.
Entry is made through Santiago, a capital more visibly prosperous than its sisters Lima, La Paz, and Quito, with super highways slicing through, an admirable new metro system, many glass-sided downtown office buildings, big-deal hotels, and plush, inside-the-city-limits residential neighborhoods. On the flip side, the city is also bland, lacking that messy vibrancy that lends tang and character. Think of it as a pleasant stopover on the way to Chile’s abundant other attractions.

Reasons To Visit Chile
Easter Island. Diverse environment. Stable government. Horses and horsepeople. Good to excellent Chilean wine. Friendly, gentle, helpful people. Lapis lazuli jewelry. Easter Island. Abundant Seafood.
Urban order and cleanliness. Subtitled English-language TV and film. Easter Island.

Reasons Not To Visit Chile
*12 hours on a plane *Chilean cuisine *Rural poverty *Poor selection of handicrafts *Absence of English-language publications.