Santiago de Chile and Beyond?

Question

i have 13 days from the time i touchdown to the time i'm back in the air. i'm 21 and going with 3 close friends to visit a friend who is studying in valpo and living in vina del mar. my plan is 3 days in SANTIAGO to see:

Cerro San Cristobal (in Parque Metropolitano)

Plaza de Armas (main plaza, including national cathedral)

Cerro Santa Lucia (park including El Castillo Hidalgo)

La Moneda Palace (presidential palace)

then off to PUCON (789 kilometers south of Santiago) and:

Volcan Villarrica (climb it for 30000 CLP, including gear and transportation)

Huerquehue National Park (hike past waterfalls and brooks)

then back up to santiago, doing a day of wine country somewhere in the process, and then over to valpo and vina to see my friend. we only have 2 weeks, we won't have the time to go to patagonia, but i was looking for other things to potentially see (lake district, Chiloe, etc). anyone have any ideas or information? preferably someone who's been there. thanks a lot.

Answer 1

Everything sounds good. IMPORTANT: One travel tip is to take toilet paper or tissues with you when traveling in Chile. (you will understand why I advised you of this later).

Americans really stand out so be careful and don't carry purses. Don't want to scare you, but my husband insisted on this when we were there and he is Chilean.

If you can afford the train over the bus, I recommend it. Even if you go partial train and then bus. Compared to US traveling rates, the train is cheap. Going on a bus scared the H out of me when I was there because they drive like maniacs.

Villarica is beautiful, the lake and the volcano..I spent my honeymoon there.  The waterfalls and brooks and hot springs are a definite thing to check out around Villarica.

Chiloe was OK but I was only in Quellon which is where the end of the Panamerican highway is, which was kool for me but not necessarily for a group of 4 girls.  You have to take a ferry to get to the island. I was there in the winter so it was horrible on the ferry, like boating in the winter. But, probably not so bad in the summer.  

Hope you have a great time...

Answer 2

Jesse:

  I'm happy you are coming to Chile. You will love my country!

  Your itinireary is good, I think... maybe you could visit the Seventh Region: Talca. There's a lot of beauty places around.

   If you can visit Concepción, you will like it too. Near is the Lota mines, and the "Parque Lota".

   Have a great time.

If I can help you, please let me know.

P.S.- Renni: a basic thing: is most easy talk about the bad things and then of the good. Is a little hard to the opposite, but smart people use to do it.

Answer 3

Cerro San Cristobal, Plaza de Armas, Santa Lucia and La Moneda can be seen in one day. If you really like sea food I suggest you go to El Mercado, if not, go to Barrio Bellavista (close to cerro San Crsitobal) with a good night life, or Barrio Suecia or El Bosque, a bit more fancy. If you like skiing you can go to Farellones, Parva or Valle Nevado in one day.

Pucon is a nice place, it is in the lake district. Climbing Villarrica is a good choice and Huerquehue too, also you can go rafting Trancura river. Don`t miss some of the "termas", hot springs, after climbing Villarrica.

Try going to Conguillio Park and go to Sierra Nevada.

Chiloe is a bit far away, and you don't have much time. For example if you go to Chiloe you don't have to stay in Ancud (the first town you see), you have to go to Castro, Dalcahue and other towns that are further away.

Good luck and have a nice trip.