If you have already scheduled your trip to Chile, it is because you have probably already heard that Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

You will probably be arriving in Santiago, and if this is the first time I recommend you to start your trip with a City Sightseeing and Wine Tasting Tour that will show you the highlights of the city and will bring you to one of the most beautiful vineyards right in Santiago.

Not only I say it (and the recommendation comes very closely … in case you don’t know yet … I’m Chilean), but many others agree that Chile is a country to fall in love with.

Even Lonely Planet defined Chile as one of the best destinations to travel this 2018 in their “Best in Travel” selection

Why traveling to Chile?

Due to its geographical location, Chile is located in a kind of bubble along the South American continent.

This has its pros and cons like everything. The most positive thing is that this location gives Chile a unique climatic and landscape variety. From the arid lands of the north to lush landscapes in the south.

It is very interesting because you can be on the same day first up in the mountains and finish the day seeing the sunset at the Pacific Ocean. If you are in Santiago you can take a Day Trip to Valparaíso and Visit some Vineyards, or go to the Ski centers or trekking in Cajón del Maipo.

If you were always dreaming about learning more about wine, you can make it true and BOOK HERE a 4-hour Sommelier class and learn how to enjoy the best of Chilean wines.

The least positive thing is that the infrastructure you will find in big cities can have international quality, but it gets more rudimentary across the territory when you are far from big cities.

When is the best time to travel to Chile?

Chile has a Mediterranean climate and you can find four seasons.

The best time to visit is in Spring-Summer, between September and March. Especially if you plan to travel to Patagonia and visit Torres del Paine, where rain and cold are part of the landscape most of the year.

 

How to get to Chile

The main entrance to Chile is Santiago, at Arturo Merino Benítez Airport (SCL). Most tourists don’t need a special visa and are allowed to stay 90 days in the territory.

Passengers from Canada (U $ 132), Australia (U $ 56), Mexico (U $ 15) and Albania (U $ 30) have to pay a reciprocity fee when entering the country.

It is very easy to get to the city center in Santiago if you arrive by plane. You can take a bus going to the city center, or book your own transportation in a shared or a private car. Be careful, even if Santiago is a very safe city generally, there are some Taxi Scams at the airport and in the city to be aware of.

International buses arrive directly to the terminals located in the city center where you can connect with the Metro lines or buses.

What you should know before arriving in Chile

Basic things

– Local Currency: Chilean Peso. Don’t get scared by all the zero’s in our currency and don’t think every Chilean is a millionaire cause of this.

– Telephone code: 056 + city code (9 for mobiles) + number (have 8 or 9 digits)

– Time zone: Chile has two time zones, one for the mainland and another for Easter Island and Salas y Gómez islands.

Usually, it is between UTC -3 or -4 depending on the time of year. The changes almost always occur in May and August.

Best hotels in Chile

The offer of hotels and hostels in Chile has increased in recent years.
Today you can find luxury hotels to lodgings in private homes and the quality is not necessarily related to the price you pay.

I always book through Booking.com when I travel and I recommend that when you book through the internet you always read very well all the details of the offers, as well as the references and comments from previous passengers, is what will give you a better idea and more details about the place.

Booking.com

 

Health

No special vaccines are required to enter Chile and there is no mosquito-caused disease to worry about.

There is only a small outbreak of Zika virus in northern Chile.

Chile has strict border controls for the entry of products of animal or vegetable origin, and trying to bring something not allowed might cost you something close to $300USD! Basically, any biological product like fruits, vegetables and non treated wood including others are not allowed to enter the country. If you have doubts, always mark that you have something and ask the Agricultural Security to be sure.

Please don’t forget to check these rules and you can risk heavy fines and even a few days in jail if you falsify the document, so please, be accurate and careful.

Language

The official language in Chile is Spanish and is spoken by 99.3% of Chileans.

Without doubts, as in all South America, your trip will be easier if you speak Spanish since English or other languages speakers are not too easy to find among its citizens. Indigenous languages such as Mapudungún, Quechua, Aymara, and Rapanui are spoken in lower numbers, from which come many of the Chilean slang you will find in your daily life in the country.

Spanish spoken in Chile is famous for being very fast and with a characteristic intonation that is changing according to the country area. For those who have studied Spanish in Spain, they will notice a great difference, especially in the use of the ‘z’, which is non-existent in its pronunciation in Chile. 

In addition, the use of a lot of very creative and local words makes it a little complicated for those who visit the country and want to interact with Chileans.

¿Piola, Cachay, Bacán, Weón?

I always tell my foreign friends: When you can read without asking anyone this newspaper, called La Cuarta, you will be totally immersed in Chilean culture and Spanish. It’s even difficult to understand everything they say to me!

Security in Chile

Chile is one of the safest countries in South America, but I’m not saying nothing happens.

Traveling in Chile is easy and safe in general. Even if you love nature we have a very friendly fauna and there is almost no dangerous animal or insect that could endanger your life (except the spider called ‘araña del rincón’).

Just as in all the continent and especially as in any big city, always be careful with your belongings.

Don’t walk with your camera hanging and always have your backpack or wallet at sight, as the most common are pickpocketings or ‘cartereos’.

Although I’m not particularly proud of this and would love to not need to share this with you, in recent years there have been a lot of complaints about foreigners having problems with taxi drivers and it’s best that you keep this in mind to avoid being cheated on your visit.

Social rules and curious Chilean etiquette

• Chileans greet with kisses on the right cheek and a hug. If you are introduced to someone in a meeting, even if you barely know each other, everyone makes this greeting. There are some exceptions, such as in business, restaurants or very formal occasions.
• Punctuality is not our greatest virtue. If you are meeting up with someone and you’ve been waiting for almost half an hour and they tell you that they are on the way, believe it, is on the way to decide to leave.
• The common thing is a window of a half-hour and always the encounters are ‘eight to eight and a half’, for example.
• Chileans are terrible at saying no. This applies to things as basic as saying no when you offer them another plate of food. No wonder they say ‘we talk’ or ‘see you’ and you never know anything about that person, it’s just a way of avoiding telling you:  I’m not interested in having contact with you.
• At meetings, parties or barbecues no one wants to be the first to arrive, so always leave a window time of 30 minutes after the appointment time to arrive.
• You can get to a party if someone just warned you that there was a ‘carrete’ that day. It is usual that you can come with more friends to a party in a house.

Things to know when it comes to eating and drinking in Chile

Chilean food is simple yet comforting and with great flavor. Although Chile’s name the food is NOT spicy and nobody knows with certainty why the name of this country.

If you love wine, salmon, and seafood you will be in the right place, you will find them of very good quality at very accessible prices.

If you want an introduction to Chilean cuisine in Santiago, you can BOOK HERE a unique food tour exploring the local markets and trying the best of the Chilean delicacies.

 

• Lunchtime in Chile is around 2 pm and dinner from 8 to 10 pm.
• We usually tip 10%, but beware that in some restaurants is already included at the end of your bill and your risking tipping double.
• Check your change in stores and restaurants.
• If you are not a customer of the bar or restaurant, they will not be very happy to lend you the toilet. Even in some places, they charge for their use if you are not consuming customer in the place, but more likely they will don’t allow you to enter.
• It’s not very common to find good places to eat breakfast outside the touristic areas, so if your hotel includes the service, I would take it there
• It’s not common to share tables with strangers.
• If you are invited to have ‘once’ (literally meaning: eleven), that is what almost all Chileans get after work. It’s the Chilean tea time, consisting of a light dinner with tea, coffee, bread and things to add to it and sometimes sweet things too.
• If you don’t like mayonnaise, ask in advance, since Chileans love excess mayonnaise, as well as avocados.
• Don’t forget to try the local version of hot dogs: Completo Italiano is my favorite.
• Yes, we have a drink called ‘Earthquake’ in Spanish: Terremoto and it’s delicious and dangerous!
• If you are a vegetarian ask specific details of your dish, often consider a dish that contains vegetarian.

 

 

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(Updated August 2019)

Are you planning your trip to Chile? What else would you like to know about this country?