Tailormade Chile

About 600 kilometres south of Santiago is an area known as the ‘Lake District’. Stretching from Concepcion in the north to Chiloé Island in the  south, this region of pale green Andean lakes, snow-capped mountains and ancient forest is arguably the country’s most beautiful, and is best accessed from Puerto Montt or Temuco. The  area has a high degree of botanical diversity and endemism, and many unusual plants can be found in the Conguillio and Huerquehue National  Parks, including forests of the Araucaria Pine (or Monkey Puzzle). Aside from the many botanical wonders, mammal enthusiasts can go in search of the Kodkod (the smallest cat in the Americas) and Darwin’s Fox, while birders will be interested in looking for ground-dwelling tapaculos, as well as Magellanic Woodpecker, Black-necked Swan and Andean Condor. 

Steeped in history, Chiloé Island is home to a unique range of habitats and wildlife and lies across the Chacao Channel from Puerto Montt. The island is home to colonies of Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins as well as Black-browed Albatross, Kelp Goose and Flightless Steamer Duck, whilst in pristine temperate forests the giant Magellanic Woodpecker can be found. The island’s mammals include Marine Otter, Pudu, Kodkod, the critically endangered Darwin’s Fox and Southern River Otter. During the austral summer, Blue Whales are seen regularly off the Pacific coast, including mothers with calves, suggesting that the island’s waters might be used as a nursery! For those interested in culture, Chiloé has a rich and distinctive folklore, cuisine and architecture, whilst arguably its main ‘claim to fame’ is that the variety of potato most widely grown throughout the world is indigenous to the island! 

Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile’s Patagonia region, is known for its dramatic mountains with stunning snow-capped peaks, brilliant blue icebergs calved from huge glaciers and golden grassland. The park provides shelter for soaring Andean Condors and mammals such as South Andean Deer, South American Grey and Culpeo Foxes, Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk, Hairy Armadillo and herds of Guanaco and Vizcacha, as well as its star attraction – the  Puma! In the company of local expert guides, it is possible to search for the Pumas, and although this is undoubtedly one of the country’s most costly wildlife experiences, sighting one of these apex predators, against the stunning backdrop of Torres del Paine’s mountain peaks, is truly breathtaking… you’ll need your camera at the ready! 

Divided between Chile and Argentina, the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego is best reached by ferry across the Magellan Straits. It has a rich flora and boasts the only colony of King Penguin on mainland South America.The southern part of the island is home to accessible albatross colonies and range-restricted marine mammals such as Chilean Dolphin and Southern Elephant Seal. Carlos III Island, which lies to the south-west of Punta Arenas and in the heart of Francisco Coloane Marine Park, can also be reached by taking a ferry across the Magellan Straits. The whale-watching opportunities here are regarded as some of the finest in Chile and species to look out for include transient Humpback Whales, Peale’s Dolphins and large breeding colonies of South American Sea Lions and Southern Fur Seals. Birds of interest include Chilean Skua, Dolphin Gull, Southern Giant Petrel and Magellanic Diving-petrel. 

The Chilean ‘special territory’ of Easter Island lies over 3,500 kilometres from the mainland and is one of the most remote, permanently inhabited islands in the world. In 1995 the whole island was declared a World Heritage Site and much of the island is protected within Rapa Nui National Park. Famously, the island was home to a civilisation (between 1250 and 1500 AD) that carved massive human figures from stone, known as ‘moai’. These are found around the island,  mostly standing by the coast, on platforms called Ahu. Today, the inhabitants of Easter Island live in the island’s only town, Hanga Roa, where all the island’s hotels are located. There are no trees on the island so birdlife is limited, but seabirds such as Magnificent Frigatebirds, Masked Boobies and Red-tailed Tropicbirds are commonly seen close to shore.