Chile

Easter Island, a Chilean territory, is a remote volcanic island in Polynesia. Its native name is Rapa Nui. It’s famed for archaeological sites, including nearly 900 monumental statues called moai, created by inhabitants during the 13th–16th centuries.

ChileanPatagonia covers the vast distance from the Lake District to the far tip of southern Tierra del Fuego, it is a truly remote wilderness and you need time to explore it. Snow-capped volcanoes are interspersed with magnificent glaciers, mighty rivers and dramatic mountain ranges. The area has long been recognised as one of natural beauty and National Park status now protects vast swathes of the landscape, thanks in large part to the late Doug Tompkins. The most popular regions include the famed Torres del Paine National Park and the Lake District, whilst the undiscovered Aysen province is truly a hidden gem. Unsurprisingly the region is home to host of flora and fauna; Andean condors may be seen soaring overhead whilst guanacos and more puma than you might imagine roam the plains.

Chilean Patagonia covers the vast distance from the Lake District to the far tip of southern Tierra del Fuego, it is a truly remote wilderness and you need time to explore it. Snow-capped volcanoes are interspersed with magnificent glaciers, mighty rivers and dramatic mountain ranges. The area has long been recognised as one of natural beauty and National Park status now protects vast swathes of the landscape, thanks in large part to the late Doug Tompkins. The most popular regions include the famed Torres del Paine National Park and the Lake District, whilst the undiscovered Aysen province is truly a hidden gem. Unsurprisingly the region is home to host of flora and fauna; Andean condors may be seen soaring overhead whilst guanacos and more puma than you might imagine roam the plains.

With relatively tiny numbers of visitors compared to themore well known Torres del Paine National Park, the Aysen region is worthy of your time. Expect to see fjords, glaciers, bright blue lakes, big mountains and snowy peaks. The largely unpaved road of the Carretera Austral stretches through the region for 1200kms. It took 30 years to build and this impressiveSouthern Highway weaves through ridiculous scenery and allows you to access the playground where you can enjoy unlimited hiking options, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and white-water rafting.

The southern section of the Carretera Austral is accessedvia the tiny Balmaceda Airport, which is one of the most untouched and dramatic regions of the route. Notable destinations south of Balmaceda include the MarbleCaves, the San Rafael Glacier and large protected national parks.

In Chile you will find organic vineyards and traditional wine estates interspersed with enchanting colonial architecture and boutique family-run hotels, giving the distinct feel of an era gone by when life moved at a gentler pace of life. This historic region of Chile is home to over 250 vineyards of all shapes and sizes, which produce a selection of the country’s most well-respected and delicious wines. Vineyard tours are of course an essential way to learn about the process of wine production and sample the wines.

The Atacama Desert is a desert plateau in SouthAmerica covering a 1,000-km strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of theAndes mountains. It is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts.