Chile[1] narrowly stretches along the southern half of the west coast of South America. The bordering countries are Bolivia, and Peru in the north and over the Andes, to the east, lies Argentina. Chile has over 5.000 km of coast on the South Pacific Ocean. It also has a claim to a portion of Antarctica.
Regions Map of Chile Geopolitically, Chile is divided into 13 regiones (regions). Ordered from north to south they are:
note: Argentina and Chile's claims to Antarctica overlap. The US does not recognize any country's claim to Antarctica, but "reserves the right" to make a claim itself in the future. Cities
National Parks1. Lauca Other destinations
Get inPlease be aware that American citizens need a valid passport to enter the country, no visa is necessary. Regarding entry fees, there is a reciprocity fee of 100 dollars to be paid in U.S. dollars or credit cards (Mastercard, Visa and American Express). This entry fee is for only for tourists entering by plane, and the one-time charge is good for the life of your passport. When entering Chile (By cruise, vehicle or plane), at customs, travelers will need to fill out a tourist card that allows visitors to stay for up to 90 days. Travelers will have to present the tourist card to Custom officials when leaving the country. Be aware that hotels waive Chile's 18% sales tax applied to rooms when the guest shows this card and pays with U.S. dollars. On flights leaving Chile, there is an airport tax of US$18, or the equivalent in Chilean Pesos. On domestic flights, airport tax is included in the airline ticket. For tourism information of Chile please visit: www.visitchile.org. For consulate information please visit the Embassy web site: www.chile-usa.org. From the Chile Tourism office at the Embassy of Chile in Washington DC (ofitur@embassyofchile.org) Agriculture is very important to Chile, and to avoid contamination all passengers entering Chile are not allowed to carry fruits, vegetable, meats, eggs, honey, etc., not even an apple! so don't bring them to Chile. By planeThe most common entry point for oversea visitors is the international airport [2] of the capital Santiago. There are airports in major towns but Santiago offers the best connections. LAN Airlines in Chile's flagship airline. By busIf you are already in South America a cheaper and still reliable way is to go by bus to Chile. Chile has borders with Argentina (daily bus from Mendoza), Peru (bus from Arequipa) and Bolivia. Get aroundBusThe bus system is pretty sophisticated providing a great way to get from town to town. Take in mind that for the most part going from one city to the next will take longer than expected because they stop at many bus stations along the way. La MicroLa Micro = transit/local buses. Larger cities have bus routes to get around for a very affordable price. There are no maps with all the routes so a little bit of spanish and the audacity to ask around can get you places effectively. ColectivoA mix between a micro and a taxi. These small cars have routes and get around quicker and more comfortably. Slightly more expensive then the micros. Eat
With such an enormous coastline you can expect fish and seafood almost everywhere. Locals used to eat bundles of raw shellfish, visitors should be cautious on raw shellfish because of frequent outbreaks of red tides. Chile is the worlds 2nd largest producer of salmon, as well as number of other farmed sea products, which include oysters, scallops, mussels, trout, turbot. Local fish offer includes corvina (sea bass), congrio(conger eel), lenguado (flounder), albacora (swordfish), yellow fin tuna, etc.
Sandwiches
A common combination is meat with avocado and/or mayonnaise, e.g. Ave palta mayo (chicken with avocado and mayonnaise) or Churrasco palta (beefsteak with avocado). The strong presence of avocado is a Chilean standard for sandwiches that even makes it to the fast food franchises who include it in their menus. Desserts
As a major fruit producer, in Central Chile you can easily get fruit for dessert. There is a broad offer that includes apples, oranges, peaches, grapes, watermellons, strawberries, raspberries, chirimoyas', etc. Drink
SleepChile has many types of hotels in the cities like Sheraton, Kempinsky, Marriott, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, etc. and a lot of hostels and little hotels of varying qualities. In the backpacker trail a local hostel version can be found in every small city residencial. There is also a variety of accommodation in the mountain ski centers, the world class resort Portillo, 80 km north of Santiago, "Valle Nevado" in the mountain close to Santiago (35 km) or "Termas de Chillan" ski resort and hot springs, about 450 km south of Santiago. LearnAlong with Mexico and Argentina, Chile continues to grow as a preferred destination for studies abroad. It is not uncommom to find groups of European or North American students taking interdisciplinary studies in Spanish in one of its many reputed universities.
WorkForeigners need to apply for a work visa before arriving (it can be done after, but it is a lot harder to get one). Temporary permits are issued to spouses and people with a contract. Under-the-table jobs are normally not well paid, lack the mandatory health insurance and retirement plans, and is a reason to get deported. Stay safeSantiago suffers from a high rate of pickpocketers and muggings. Do not travel in the downtown area wearing expensive-looking jewelry or watches, even during the day. Stay alert and be especially careful in all crowded areas in Santiago. Chilean Carabineros (National Police) are very trustworthy, call 133 if you need assistance. If you have a working GSM mobile phone, call to 112. Some municipalities (such as Santiago or Las Condes) have private guards; however they usually don't speak English.
Thankfully for many visitors, Chilean drivers are not as erratic and volatile as those in neighbouring countries. Stay healthyHaving relatively good standards in medicine throughout the country, it is not difficult to stay healthy. However, one will usually find more refined resources at a private medical facility. Respect
ContactPhoneChile has an extensive network of communications. Mobile telephony (mostly GSM networks) is ubiquitous in major cities and central and southern Chile. If you stay for a consirable amount of time, you could even buy a prepaid cellular phone. Prepaid cards for mobile phones and landline networks and sold at most newspaper kiosks. A prepaid SIM card from ENTEL costs 5000 pesos. You don't need to show an ID card. It comes without credit though, which you need to buy as well to be able to call. The phone system is not as ridiculously complicated as in Argentina. InternetThere are cybercafes in every major and midsize city and at all tourist destinations. Some libraries are in a program called Biblioredes, with free computers and Internet (they may be very sensitive if you plug your camera or something like that). In some remote locations, public libraries have internet satellite connections.
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