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Sport & Activities
Trekking: One of Chile’s most popular regions for trekking is the Lake District, which lies some 900km (560 miles) south of Santiago, and where several of the country’s national parks can be visited. The Lago Verde Trail in the Parque Nacional Huerquehue leads through beech forests, past waterfalls and offers good views of the Volcán Villarica. The fairly remote Parque Nacional Queulat (characterised by glaciers, fjords and volcanic peaks) is a popular destination for adventure travel package tours. Guided hikes, ecology tours and boat trips are available at Parque Nacional Conguillio. The Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, which lies 400km (250 miles) northwest of Punta Arenas, offers abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery consisting of huge glaciers, fjords, waterfalls and blue lakes dotted with icebergs; the park has a well-developed network of trails complemented by trekking huts. In many cases, visitors intending to trek through Chile individually must register with local rangers or at the nearest CONAF (Corporación Nacional Forestal) office. At the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, solo treks are not allowed.
Wildlife: Naturalists wishing to follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin (who wrote extensively about Chile’s fauna and flora) may head to the Juan Fernández Islands (located in the Pacific, some 965km/600 miles west of Santiago). The islands contain numerous indigenous plants and animals, most notably the Juan Fernández fur seal and the Juan Fernández hummingbird. The Parque Nacional Lauca (155km/95 miles from Arica) is filled with flamingoes, rheas (an ostrich-like bird) and llamas. Guanacos (or llama guanicoe) roam freely in the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (see above), which is also a good place to observe giant condors. Magellanic penguins can be seen at Chiloé Island (485km/300 miles from Santiago), a region of evergreen forests and fjords much admired by Darwin. The abundant coastal wildlife of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego includes large colonies of sea elephants, sea lions and penguins.
Climbing: The Lake District’s Volcán Villarrica and Volcán Osorno are the most popular destinations. Various companies offer guided ascents, but ice gear is required. Guides are compulsory.
Fishing: This is particularly good in the Lake District and in Patagonia, South America’s southernmost region. The lakes near Puerto Montt, a port city whose economy is mainly based on fishing, offer excellent trout fishing.
Whitewater rafting: The Maipo, Claro, Trancura and Bio-Bio rivers are the main destinations and specialist operators can organise week-long trips. The scenery around the Bio-Bio includes hot springs and waterfalls, but the construction of several dams along the river will change conditions.
Watersports: Chile’s coastline is indented by many bays and fjords where various types of watersports, including swimming, diving, water-skiing and boating can be enjoyed.
Equestrian sports: As an alternative to walking, guided horseback trips are widely available in Chile’s national parks. The International Horsemanship Championship are held in Viña del Mar in January. The two main horseraces of the year are the Derby (Viña del Mar, January) and El Ensayo (Santiago, October).
Skiing: Portillo (150km/95 miles northeast of Santiago) is a world-famous ski resort offering both downhill and cross-country skiing and ice skating (on the spectacular Laguna del Inca). Other ski slopes in the area can be found at Farellones-El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado. The best time to ski is August (with the season running from June to September).
Glacier cruises: Departing from Puerto Montt, these cruises follow a spectacular route through Chile’s Inside Passage, the Beagle Channel and around Cape Horn, passing through glacial valleys (notably at Laguna San Rafael), fjords and past huge icebergs. Passengers can disembark at various points en route, notably at Puerto Natales and on the Argentinian portion of Tierra del Fuego.
Antarctic trips: Chile’s southernmost city, Punta Arenas (located 2170km/1350 miles south of Santiago), is one of the most widely used departure points for trips to Antarctica.
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