Chile holidays : introduction
Chile stretches nearly 3,000 miles north to south, always bound by the Andes to the east and the Pacific to the west, yet is on average only 100 miles wide. The scenery is extraordinarily diverse, from the deserts and salt flats in the north to the lakes and sculpted peaks of the Torres del Paine in the south. With one of Latin America's most successful economies and political stability it is a friendly and safe place to explore, with a level of efficiency in services that many will find unusual in Latin America.
It is easy to combine visits to Chile with Argentina or Bolivia. Journeys that are worthwhile in their own right include a lovely crossing by boat and bus in the Lake District, or a cruise through fjords between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia in the far south.
Climate and when to go
The hottest months are December to March. The Central region has a sunny Mediterranean-like climate; in July and August temperatures can drop to 10ºC. The Lake District enjoys a temperate climate similar to northern Europe but with heavy rainfall. In the far south the winter (June to mid-September) is more severe: it can snow and temperatures often drop to well below freezing. In Easter Island the rainy season is March to October (wettest in May, when torrential rain can fall, although usually in short bursts); the coldest month is August, and warmest is February.
“We have returned from South America and Antarctica having enjoyed an excellent trip. All the arrangements worked well and whilst the whole trip was excellent, Antarctica was superb and we were particularly impressed with Explora. Many thanks for making all the arrangements.” - DC
“C and I returned from our honeymoon in Brazil, Argentina and Chile on Sunday so I just thought I'd drop you a line to say thanks very much for your help. It was fantastic, we were impressed by how smoothly everything ran, the quality, friendliness and knowledge of the guides (particularly Hermann in Rio and Alex in Iguazu) and the hotels (Cataratas was a highlight for Catriona). I was also very impressed overall with the itinerary you put together the variety and mix of the holiday was ideal, and also how well you knew the places yourself - all the info you gave us was spot on. Certainly from my point of view I will be recommending Last Frontiers to any friends who express an interest in Latin America.” - TM
“We have fallen in love with South America and will travel there again.” - DJ
“Just to summarise, the trip was outstanding and that was not just to do with the amazing sights. Your arrangements were flawless and everything ran like clockwork. We were collected at each point by knowledgeable, friendly, perfect English speaking guides. It quite put me to shame! They knew exactly what we had to be told and kept us on plan. Although other travel agents had told us we could not achieve all we wanted in such a short period of time, you gave us the benefit of the doubt and the holiday was all the better for it. Yes it was busy and tiring at times, but you built in calm points to allow us to recover and we had just the right amount of time in each location to get a real feel for each of the sights.” - SF
