Chile

Spanish is Chile's official language. Chileans speak fast and use many local expressions. Even fluent Spanish speakers from other countries sometimes struggle to follow conversations. English is common in Santiago hotels, tour agencies, and Patagonia lodges, but far less so in smaller towns and rural areas.

Prepaid SIM cards from Entel, Movistar, or WOM are sold at airport kiosks and shopping malls. Bring your passport, since registration is required by law. Coverage is reliable in cities and along the main highways. Signal drops out for long stretches in Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, and on ferry crossings through the southern fjords.

Tap water is safe to drink in Santiago and most cities. Pharmacies (farmacias) are widespread, with Cruz Verde and Farmacias Ahumada open late or 24 hours in larger towns. If you're heading to San Pedro de Atacama or high Andean passes, give yourself a day or two to adjust to the altitude first. The sun is strong at altitude and in Patagonia; use sunscreen even on cloudy days.

Visitors from the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia can enter Chile without a visa for stays of up to 90 days. The same applies to most Latin American countries. Travelers from other countries should check whether they need a visa before departure.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Chileans usually greet with a single kiss on the right cheek, including between men and women who have just met. A handshake is common in business settings. Dress modestly when visiting churches, covering shoulders and knees. Chileans tend to be reserved with strangers at first, but conversations open up quickly.

Public holidays affect transport schedules and can close small shops, so check ahead if traveling around one. Chile's Independence Day celebrations (Fiestas Patrias), in mid-September, are the busiest travel period of the year. Book buses, flights, and hotels well in advance if visiting then.

Most shops open Monday to Saturday and close on Sunday outside malls and tourist areas. Businesses in smaller towns often still pause for a longer lunch break.

Chile's length makes domestic flights the fastest way to link its regions:

• By air: LATAM and Sky Airline connect Santiago with the Atacama Desert, Patagonia, and Easter Island. Flying saves days of travel compared to the bus, especially for the north and far south.
• By bus: Long-distance coaches (Turbus, Pullman Bus) link almost every town, with reclining seats and overnight routes between major cities. Buy tickets at the terminal or online in advance around holidays.
• By train: Passenger rail is limited to a few regional lines around Santiago and the central valley. It isn't a practical way to cover long distances.

Santiago is the country's main air hub, with connections to the Atacama Desert, Patagonia, and Easter Island. Punta Arenas is the main gateway to Chilean Patagonia.

Lunch is the main meal of the day, often eaten around 1 or 2pm. Dinner comes later and lighter, sometimes replaced by once — a light early-evening spread of bread, cheese, avocado, and tea, similar to British afternoon tea. Weekend family lunches can stretch for hours.

Empanadas filled with pino (minced beef, onion, olives, and egg) are the closest thing to a national dish. Pastel de choclo, a corn and beef casserole, is another favorite, along with curanto, a seafood and meat stew traditional to Chiloé. Street food includes completos (hot dogs piled with avocado, tomato, and mayonnaise) and sopaipillas, fried pumpkin dough eaten plain or with a sweet syrup.

Chile is one of the world's major wine producers, and a glass of Carmenère or Sauvignon Blanc is easy to find anywhere. Pisco sour, made with the local grape brandy, is the country's signature cocktail. Mote con huesillo, a cold drink of husked wheat and dried peach, is a popular summer refresher sold from street carts.

Chile's regions are spread across a huge range of latitude, so most trips focus on one or two areas rather than the whole country.

Santiago and the coast: Santiago, the capital, sits about an hour from the Pacific coast. Nearby is Valparaíso, a hillside port city known for its street art and funiculars, and the beach resort of Viña del Mar. Wine valleys and hot springs fill the countryside around the capital.

The north: San Pedro de Atacama is the base for exploring the Atacama Desert's salt flats, geysers, and stargazing tours. Antofagasta is a coastal mining city with access to desert sights, and La Serena combines colonial architecture with nearby beaches and observatories.

The Lake District and Chiloé: Pucón sits beneath an active volcano and is the region's adventure-sports hub. Puerto Varas offers lake and volcano views with a German-immigrant heritage. The island town of Castro is known for its stilted houses and UNESCO-listed wooden churches.

Patagonia and Easter Island: Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales are the gateway towns to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile's most famous national park. Far out in the Pacific, Easter Island holds the moai statues that made it famous.