Tips and Recommendations for Chile

Quick access to the chapters

    Generalities
      Guide Book
      Web sites
      Hostels
    Chiloe
      Ferry Crossing
      Tours and Visits
    Viña del Mar
      Visiting & Beaches
      Sleeping
      Eating
    Valparaiso
      Visiting
        Not to be missed
      Drinking - Eating
      Sleeping
    Santiago
      Sleeping
      Eating / Drinking
      Going out
      Visiting
    Puerto Montt
      Sleeping
      Ferry to Chaitén
    Carretera Austral
    Coyhaique
      Sleeping
      Eating / Drinking
      Going to Chile Chico

Generalities

That's a really long country with a lot of different landscape (even longer and more varied than Argentina). It's a quite interesting country with quite a difference between the big cities from the north (Santiago, Valparaiso) and the small villages in the south (like along the carretera austral).
There's a lot of competitions with the neighbour Argentina (which is bigger, with more people ... and better at football ;-) ). But these days, the chilean economy is slightly in better shape, hence a stronger currency ... so for the traveler, at the end of day, it's a more expensive country ... but still quite cheap.

Guide Book

For all South America, I used the Lonely Planet South America. Although some people find it a bit too directing, it is still a good book. However, the version I had (8th edition - Jan 2002) was getting old (particularly about Argentina as it was written before the currency devaluation).

Web sites

www.hostelchile.com: All the hostels in Chile.
www.sernatur.cl: Sernatur: Servicio Nacional del Turismo.

Hostels

Hostels are really rare in Chile. Even in Santiago, true hostels are quite rare and could be even more expensive than getting a room in a hotel. So keep your options opened and check prices in different places.

Chiloe

Ferry Crossing

Quite expensive with a car ... but worth it, because you are getting to Chiloe ! ! Ferry are quite regulars and cars go before the big lorries and buses.
$7 200 with a small car.

Tours and Visits

Don't miss the pinguins next to Ancud, you can do on your own (if you have a car) otherwise, take a tour. They're worth it as pinguins are always fun. However it's not the best place to see them, as you don't get too close and you don't stay too long in a boat: you're just sailing in a dinghy boat around the tiny island when they conglomerate.
Two agencies to do some tours and activities in Chiloe (both based in Ancud).

Austral Adventures: Av. Prat 176-B
Ancud
Tel/Fax: (56-65) 625-977
Web site: www.austral-adventures.com
E-mail: tours@austral-adventures.com
Good tours with nice people who know their stuff ! They will give free advices as well. And they sell maps of the area (very useful if you are driving).
Patagon Chiloe: calle Bellavista No491
Tel/Fax: (56-65)622 128
Web site: www.hotelmadryn.co.cl
E-mail: patagonchiloe@hotmail.com
Eco-turism: mainly one day excursions. New ... but seems good.

Viña del Mar

This is THE beach resort of Chile: they have an tennis tournament (ATP), a music festival, etc ..
Nice place with a few OK beaches.

Visiting & Beaches

Go to the beach in the north at Reñaca, wait till you pass the long beaches really windy till you reach Reñaca. They are quite nice ... but also quite crowded.

In town, a stroll along the beach is quite interesting. Also the Castillo Wulff is quite interesting in it-self, but it also houses the Museo de la Cultura del Mar Salvador Reyes.
A stroll in the park Quinta Vergara is quite interesting too, and don't forget to visit the markets of arts and crafts just by the entrance of the park.

Sleeping

Residencial "Clorinda": Diego Portales No 47
Tel: 623.835
Good and familial hotel with nice owners (who are running the thing). And a nice kitchen to cook as well.
Hostel: There's also an hostel where I didn't go ... as I didn't know that it existed ! ! ;-) It's close to the sea (near the sea, on Alvarez ?)

Eating

The addresses in the Lonely Planet are OK. There are quite a few restaurants around the ped mal on Av. Valparaiso.
My special: Restaurant Journal

Av. Agua Santa N^o12
Tel: 32.620.482

Nice restaurant with good french and local food (and peruvian ... so they say: I didn't notice anything peruvian on the menu), good selection of wines as well.

Valparaiso

Visiting

Go to the the square on av. Brasil (corner with Bellavista), there is a quiosk with young people giving information and free tours ! Quite cool and the lifts (ascensor) are free too (with the tour).

If you can't find them, or don't want a guide, there are plenty of free booklets and maps to do a tour by your-self at the tourist information centre.

Not to be missed

La Sebastiana & Museo a cielo abierto: Quite cool both of them: on the cerro Bellavista. The Museo a cielo abierto could be done during the free tour (see above). Start with the Sebastiana before it shuts ... don't wait arond at night ! !
Cerros: My favorite: Cerro Concepción, Alegre and Bellavista (see above). Nice little streets to visit and get lost (but not at night in Bellavista, the other two are OK).
Muele Prat & Plaza Sotomayor: Nice buildings and monument. From the Muele, boats depart for a tour of the bay.
Calle Prat: For the nice buildings, including banks and former stock exchange, and the Turri tower (one of the landmark).

Drinking - Eating

Cafe Vinilo: Almirante Montt 448 - C^o Alegre
Tel: (32) 230.665
Web site: www.cafevinilo.cl
E-mail: cafevinilo@tre.cl
The best deal in town ! ! Really good food and cheap ... and a special place ! My favorite ! !
EL Rincón Sueco: Calle Laurtaro Rosas N^o510
C^o Alegre
Tel: (032) 594.891
The only swedish restaurant in Chile ! They do swedish specialties and local stuff as well: nice seafood ! Nice swedish owner too !
El Desayunador: Almirante Montt 399, Cerro Alegre
E-mail: marciasaav@hotmail.com
For breakfast, brunch, cakes ... Good bakery and nice place.
Nectari Nectare: O'Higgins No1236
Tel: 595475
Good juice, limonades ... for $500. Just next to where the free tour departs.
Color Café: Papudo 526, Cerro Concepción
Cel: 09.121.2827
E-mail: colorcafechile@hotmail.com
Nice proper vegeterian food (for a change). And they also do tour in spanish and english around town.
Le Filou Montpellier: Almirante Montt No 382, Cerro Alegre
Tel: 224.663

Sleeping

Quite a few places on the Cerro Concepción. It's probably worth having a look around for the best deal.

Hostal Galgiardo: Beethoven No322 - C^o Concepción
Tel: (56-32) 459.476 - 9331.5500
I didn't go there ... but it looks very nice and it was recommended by our tour guide !
Casa de Manuel y Paola: Abtao 566
Tel: 459.665
E-mail: casamanuelypaola@entelchile.net
Not the best place (Paola is not really friendly and not efficient either, Manuel is better) but if there's nothing else ...

Santiago

Sleeping

Not that many backpackers in town (or in the country) and they might not be cheaper than hotels: a dorm could be more expensive than a single room ! !

Hostal internacional (Familia Letelier): Nice, clean and cheap. In the centre. Single room: $7 000 first night then $6 000, if staying a long time (inc. breakfast).
Londres No 61 y 63
Tel: 664.2454 E-Mail: liky_@latinmail.com
Santiago Hostel (International Backpackers): I didn't go but nice location. $8 000 per night in a dorm (inc. breakfast).
Dr. Barros Borgoño 199 - Providencia. Tel: (56-2) 264.9899
E-mail: hostelsantiago@yahoo.com
Indiana Hostel: Rosas 1339
Tel: 699.6676 - 688.1277 - 687.9201
A cheap (the cheapest ?) hostel. Decor a bit weird (really funky colors) but I had a room for my-self, and the kitchen is OK-ish (a bit small with not many plates and pots ... but still works).
They recomend a "Lavanderia" around the corner.

Eating / Drinking

STGO 1920: in Dr Sotero del Rio off Huerfanos
Great juices (small pitcher for $450) and usual snack food.
And a nice terasse as well.
Camino Real: En la enoteca del San Cristobal
Parque Metropolitano S/N - Providencia
Tel: 232.3381
Tel: 232.1758
Nice place ... with nice wines ! ! Don't forget to visit it !
Jana Flor: A japanese (sushi & curry) restaurant, not too expensive. Cheaper than Izaka Yoko (from the Lonely Planet) which is quite expensive.
Miraflores 267 (corner of Máximo Humbser)
Centro
Tel: (56 2) 632.9241
Pergola de la Plaza: Nice bar and restaurant with a nice courtyard !
Plaza del Mulato Gil
J.V. Lastarria 321
Centro
Bucaneros: A lively address in the centre, with live music and poetry. For drinks and snack food.
Alameda 564
Centro
Tel: 632.8210
Web site: 3w.bucaneros.cl
Posada Fiorentina - El Tallopin Gordo: Good italian restaurant with a nice setting.

Purísime 254
Barrio Bellavista - Recoleta
Tel: 737.8567 Web site: www.tallaringordo.cl
Sea food at the market (mercado central): Many stands, don't go for the expensive in the centre.
Cheap: Marisqueria "La Julita" (local 62). Tel: 657.3669
Better (and just a bit more expensive): Marisqueria El Galeon (local 26). Tel: 672.8598

Going out

Take the metro and go out at the station Manuel Montt: there are pleny of bars and restaurants there ! And that's mainly locals and hardly any tourists unlike in Bellavista.

Visiting And shoping

A few things to do:

La Chascona: Tel:737.8712
That's the house of Pablo Neruda in Santiago, transformed in Museum: quite cool. Can be visited any time. Just turned up there.
BBVA: opposite Dr Sotero del Rio, on Huerfanos
Formerly the place where they printed money (and now a foreign bank). The fantastic building makes for a great visit, with a few expositions.
Mercado Santa Lucia: A really good market for all kinds of artefacts and Chilian tee-shirts (if like me, you're building up a collection of teeshirts from the places you've been). It's really difficult to find tee-shirt outside of here.

Web: www.artesanosantalucia.cl

Of course, there are other places to visit, including a few parks and "cerros". I would recommend the main park with the vinoteca and taking the mini-train and the "eggs": it fells like you're going skiing ... except it's all hot and green ! ! ;-)

Puerto Montt

Not the best place in Chile, but if you are taking a boat here you may have to stay a few hours or even overnight !

Sleeping

There are quite a few places ... but they mostly look grimm.

My Favourite: Chalet Suisse: middle of Independencia (same street as Resindencial Idependencia)
This place seemed much better than the rest: a nice place with a lot of atmosphere ... but a bit more expensive than usual, still affordable. The owner is really nice and a painter ... from Switzerland ! ;-)

Ferry to Chaitén

To go down the Carretera Austral ! !
Frequent service only in January and February ! Different point of sale and information accross the country.

Tel in Puerto Montt: 65.432.360
Web site: www.navimag.cl

Carretera Austral

Don't miss a trip on the carretera Austral: this is really special ! ! Not as desertic as the ruta 40 (on the Argentinean side) but much more scenic as the vegetation is much more luxurious and being along the coast, you get a few fjords too.
The road is not desertic and there is a little bit of traffic (much more than on road 40). Driving is nicer than the bus as you can do it at your own pace, but it is possible too to take the local buses (watch out for them when driving). Just book it in advance as they get fairly booked up.
The scenery at the crossing of Futaleufú is quite fantastic.

A combination Carretera Austral and Ruta 40, is probably one of the best road trip of the planet. Check out the Argentinean document for more info about Ruta 40.
You might want to take your time and stop in the little villages along the road and explore the surrondings: there are a few nice walks to do.

Coyhaique

Not much to visit in the city, but it makes a good stop to rest from your trip on the carretera Austral. It's also a good base to explore the surrondings where there are many walks to do.

Sleeping

There are a few places in town. We went to:

Hospedaje Sra Blanca: Simpson 459, Tel: 067 232158
Good place with a nice couple of old owners !

Eating / Drinking

Cafe Ricer: Horn 48
A good place too eat (not cheap though but still reasonable) with a good travel agent (Los Andes Patagónicos: same name but different from the one in Bariloche in Argentina): really helpful and knowledgeable couple (owner of the restaurant too).
Piel Roja: Mordela & Condell
A good bar with a club upstairs: recommended by the locals (and also in the Lonely Planet).

Going to Chile Chico

To go to Chile Chico, you will have to catch a mini van service. One is Minibuses Ali, tel: 250.346 - 219.009, cell: 09.757.7826. From Chile Chico, tel: 411.864
That will bring you down to Puerto Ibanez, from there you will have to catch the ferry to Chile Chico. It is recommended to book your ferry passage in Coyhaique as it might get busy.