10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Chile

Offers one of the most varied scenery on the planet, Chile in recent years has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, especially among nature lovers and adventure seekers. Here, in a long, narrow country on the West coast of South America, tourists will find a range of stunning views, from the peaks of the Andes peaks and endless beaches to lush rainforests, volcanoes, ancient and dramatic coastlines such as that found in the robes of the Horn. Chile is also blessed with an abundance of national parks and conservation areas, much of which is a popular destination for those who love trekking and hiking, as well as those who enjoy trekking, rafting, mountain biking, and horseback riding. But Chile is also not without its cultural attractions, such as the capital city of Santiago, which offers many museums and art galleries are nice, and the amazing Easter Island with the famous stone figures.

1. National Park Torres Del Paine

One of the most spectacular natural areas in Chile and popular tourist destination is the National Park Torres del Paine. More than 100 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Natales in Patagonia South, this stunning area include mountains, glaciers, and lakes and countless rivers. The most important area of the Park is the Cordillera del Paine, an area that marks the transition from the patagonia to the subpolar forests in the North. Perhaps the most prominent of many features beautiful granite peak is as high as 2,880 meters in Paine Massif, dominating a landscape that is already amazing. Hiking is one of the most popular parks, with lots of well marked paths, many offering overnight shelters (refugios) with the basics needed for the longer treks around the mountains. Hot Tip: If you're planning anything more than one day of hiking, a professional guide is recommended and, in some areas, mandatory.

Official website: http://www.tempatwisatajogja.net

2. Valle de la Luna and the Atacama desert

Valle de la Luna, which means Valley of the Moon, located 13 kilometres west of San Pedro de Atacama in the far north of the country near its border with Bolivia. Views of the rugged and inhospitable in the heart of the Atacama desert this attracts many visitors due to the awful similarity with the lunar surface, an effect caused by the erosion of sand and rock by wind and water over thousands of years are countless. Apart from keterpencilannya, amazing views of this sustained life for centuries, both the man and also various species of flora and fauna. Among the most interesting features is a dry lake bed (this is the song that most dry on this planet), who is white, because the salt is stored, and tend to produce a stunning natural outcrops of salt. Other notable features of the Atacama desert is the many caves in the area, some of which contain evidence of pictograph created by early humans and where some of the world's oldest Mummy, preserved by the madness of that area, found (most notably here, Chinchorro Mummy, now exhibited in the archaeological museum in San Miguel de Azapa).

3. Easter Island

First visited by Europeans in 1722, the magnificent Easter Island yet secluded – named by the Netherlands who first saw it on Easter Sunday – has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Polynesians. Despite being more than 3,500 kilometers from mainland Chile, the stunning island with the statue of this wonderful stone remain the attractiveness of the country's most recognizable. All told, 887 this sculpture, known as Moai, created by the Rapa Nui resident on the island, have been identified, most of them are now protected by the Rapa Nui National Park (the island itself has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site). The most impressive collection is at Ahu Tongariki where 15 of which have been reassembled in the largest Moai platforms on this island, or "ahu". Of interest are the ruins of the "hare paenga" near site of ahu which consists of rocks that once formed the Foundation of the house-shaped vessel. Other highlights include Sebastian Englert Anthropology Museum in Hanga Roa, the island's main community, famous for its exhibit relating to the history of the Polynesian Islanders and their traditions. Hot Tip: Visiting Easter Island best done as part of the Chilean holiday, with regular flights are available from Tahiti or Santiago (the flight time is approximately five hours, so expect to stay at least several days).

4. Santiago: Chile's Cultural Capital

Santiago is not only financial and business capital of Chile, also serves as a cultural and entertainment center of the country and is home to the best museums and galleries, along with a selection of shopping, dining, and excellent hotel. Located in the main transport hub in the country, Santiago is where most visitors start their journey of Chile before heading to the Andes or other areas that have natural beauty. The smartest travelers, though, will allow time to get to know Santiago. Founded in 1541 and relatively free of the hustle, the city was showing highlights such as the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda, a cutting-edge Arts Center which occupies part of the Palacio de la Moneda, and Chile's National Fine Arts Museum, founded in 1880 's with a focus on the Chilean artist and boasted a large permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Another must-see is the pre-Columbian Art Museum, which displays collections related to the indigenous population of the country, and the Museum of memory and human rights commemorating the people who suffered under Pinochet's regime. Spotlight visits to Santiago is bringing the air train to the Hill San Cristobal since the magnificent scenery from the cities the most friendly.

5. Cile's Lake District

Stretching for more than 330 kilometers away from Temuco to Puerto Montt and resemble the mountains of Europe, Lake District in Chile worth a search. Like its cousin the alpine, this beautiful Andean region boasts rich farmland at the base of a volcano, snowcapped lot surrounded by dense forest and a kind of deep lake make water sports fans reeling. And connections to Europe does not end there. After the forced displacement native areas, Mapuche, farmers from Switzerland, Austria, and Germany arrived, carrying as well as the cultural aspects of their own which can still be seen in the architecture of cities such as Valdivia and Osorno, and also at customs and festivals in the region. For adventure seekers, this area offers potential for hiking and cycling are incessant, along with other fun activities like volcano trekking, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, and, come winter, skiing.

6. Valparaíso

The third largest city in Chile, Valparaíso, located between the sea and the coastal mountains of about 112 kilometers Northwest of Santiago and travelled very well. As popular for many old cobbled streets and the unique architecture as for the Harbour and beautiful beaches, the city offers many things to see and do. Many sights are concentrated on the rich marine heritage in this country, including the Museum of Lord Cochrane, in a beautiful colonial house built in 1842, and the naval and Maritime Museum with amazing displaynya who are dealing with the war of the Pacific 1879 year between Chile and Peru and Bolivia, with particular emphasis on the contribution of the Chilean war hero. A related attraction is the Ironclad Huáscar in the port of Talcahuano about 600 kilometers south of Santiago. The beautiful port of Talcahuano-home to the Chilean Navy-is a base for the historic ship preserved this neat built in 1865 in the United Kingdom and the only surviving ships like type.

7. National Park Lauca

At the north end of Chile, only 140 kilometers east of the city of Arica, Lauca national park covers an area of 1,300 square kilometers and is composed mostly of high plateau and mountains, many of which consist of a large volcano. Highlights include a lot of pristine mountain lakes, especially the Cotacotani and Chungara, reflecting the sights around them to stunning effect. The Park also has a number of important archeological sites, as well as evidence of early European settlers who left their trace in many old colonial buildings and churches in the area. This is also very popular with birdwatchers and is home to more than 140 species including the Andean crested duck, Swan, flamingo, Chilean and Andean skew. Other wonderful areas that are popular with nature lovers is the Conguillío National Park, also in the region of Araucanía in the Andes.

8. Pumalín Park

Although established as a nature sanctuary in 2005, children's Pumalín has become one of the most important and popular conservation area in Chile. Covering an area of approximately 715,000 hectares of area that stretches from the Andes to the Pacific, this region offers some of the coastline and the purest forest in the country and famous for its almost untouched by human development. In addition to protecting the rich flora and fauna in the region, including the Alerce, the world's oldest species of trees, the Park is owned and operated by Conservation Land Trust based in the US – easily accessible to visitors and provide the best experience the wilderness is the best in the country. . Thanks to an extensive network of walking trails, campgrounds, and visitor facilities, Garden Pumalín is great to explore, either for short or nature hike as part of a longer ecotourism adventure included a stay at a cabin-style accommodation overlooking one of the most famous places in the world. The background of the beautiful and unspoiled.

9. Los Pingüinos natural monument

In addition to national parks, more important conservation efforts of Chile can be seen in many natural monuments. One of the most popular is Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, just 35 kilometres northeast of the city of Punta Arenas at the southern end of the island and joins the islands of Magdalena and Marta. As the name suggests (Spain is the language for Penguin penguin), the monument is home to one of the largest penguin colony in Chile, which is composed of about 60,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins developers. Accessible only by boat, guided tours of the Islands is also home to large colonies of seals and sea lions. Another important natural monument of Chile are El Morado, an easy trip from Santiago and place Glacier San Francisco and mount Cerro El Morado 4,674 meters tall.

10. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works

Near the northern port city of Iquique in the remote Desert Pampa and declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005, this amazing ghost town used to be the residence of a vibrant community. For more than 60 years from circa 1880, thousands of workers of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru are working hard in this hostile environment around 200 salt mines, in the process forming the culture and way of life that has been preserved here. Although abandoned since 1960, the site offers a glimpse of the difficult conditions faced by "paminos", with a lot of site structure that still stands and can be explored. Professional Guide recommended given the remote areas and the harsh climate.