Chile Chile, which hugs the southwestern edge of South America, might be described as the world's skinniest country. Stretching some 4,300 kms (2,700 miles) from north to south, it is on the average only 175 kms (110 miles) wide. Chile has a total land area of 748,800 square kms and a coastline of 6,435 kms. Its elevation ranges from sea level to 6,880 meters in the Andes. Native southamerican groups, many of them ruled by the Incas, dominated the region before the arrival of Spaniards. The Spanish conquest was led by Pedro de Valdivia, who foundesd Santiago on 1541, today's capital of Chile. The native population was sharply reduced by European diseases and intermarriage. Today, about 95% of the Chilean population is descendant of European race or is mixed race, with only about 3% of pure natives. Independence from Spain was achieved in 1818 after a 10-year struggle. Profile of Chile Number of inhabitants of Chile: 15.116.435 Number of men: 7.447.695 Number of women: 7.668.740 Number of inhabitants of Stgo: 6.527.903 Approximately 40% of the national population lives in Santiago. Annual growth rate: 1970 1982 : 2,62 1992 2002 : 1,42 Catholicism is the dominant religion, with about 90% of adherence. The gross domestic product is about $10,000 U.S. per capita. Number of persons belonging to ethnic groups: 692.192, 87% of this group belong to the Mapuche ethnic group. Censo 2002, Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) Estimación para 2005, INE
Security In Chile the Carabineros de Chile (Chilean Police) wear a green uniform. They are characterized by being an honest and clean institution, so that bribery is not a usual practice. Incidentally, the crime rate is low, when compared to that of other large cities. Police Emergency Number: 133 Travelling to Chile Coming to Chile is relatively cheap, in spite of its remoteness. For example: A flight of Iberia Airlines, from Madrid to Santiago de Chile costs around 900. From Frankfurt to Santiago de Chile, via Lan Chile Airlines, the cost is between 800 to 2000, depending in the specific days. From Miami to Santiago de Chile, via Lan Chile or American Airlines, the cost is around U$800 Santiago History and Geography The stunning backdrop of the Andes Mountains in winter, would be a dramatic introduction to any capital city; this is Santiago. The location of Santiago as the capital is owed probably more to the natives, than to the Spanish conquerors (represented by Pedro de Valdivia). The city was founded in 1541 when the Spanish conquerors were able to subdue the local natives relatively easily. Principal points of reference are the main river Mapocho (that takes its name from the natives Mapuches ; meaning valley of people), running from the Andes Mountain to the sea and the Huelen hill, nowadays known as Cerro Santa Lucía (Santa Lucía Hill). Santiago was a Spanish colony until 1810. The city was built using the military model of the epoch which was the cuadra (square). We recommend watching the following video; Michael Palin travels to Santiago, Chile in South America - BBC http://www.worldmapfinder.com/map_ Youtube.php?ID=/Es/South_America/C hile/santiago f you would like to see a map of Santiago in E nglish, please see the link below: h ttp://www.servicioweb.cl/google_map. php?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=santiago,+ chile&ie=utf8&z=12&iwloc=addr&om= 1&ll=-33.439177,-7 0.625267&source=embed
Tours: In order to get to know Santiago, it is a good idea to take an open top double deck tour bus (English is usually spoken). You can find more information about the route that this bus takes here: http://www.turistik.cl/en/index.htm Some of the places that you will see from the bus include: 1.- Central Market http://mercadocentral.cl/inicio.htm 2.- Bellas Artes http://www.dibam.cl/bellas_artes2/pre _home.htm 3.- Teatro Municipal http://www.municipal.cl/ 4.- Parque Metropolitano (Metropolitan Park) is located at the San Cristobal Hill (Cerro San Cristobal). It is a good place to make contact with nature and appreciate the National Zoo. You can go via the funicular, cable car (teleférico), walking or by car or taxi. On the summit you can find the statue of the Virgin (Virgen Inmaculada Concepción), an impressive 14 meter statue, which looks down over the whole city. You can get to this park via: - Pio Nono street, in the Bellavista neighborhood (relatively close to the venue) or via - Pedro de Valdivia avenue (that crosses Providencia avenue), metro line 1, Pedro de Valdivia station. For further information about the cable car and funicular look at: www.funicular.cl/en/teleferico/index.htm. 5.- Pablo Neruda s House (the Chilean Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pablo_ner uda- We recommended visiting La Chascona (one of the houses of Neruda, the only one in Santiago) http://www.fundacionneruda.org/ing/h ome_ingles.htm - You can read some of his poems at: http://www.poetseers.org/nobel_prize_for_lit erature/pablo_neruda_%281971%29/pablop http://www.adowns.com/pabloneruda.h tml If you are interested in other tours then you might like to have a look at these websites: www.santiagoadventures.com http://www.welcomechile.com/santiago /index_i.html http://www.contactchile.cl/index.html http://www.cajondelmaipo.com/en_ind ex.php A video presentation of Santiago: (well worth a look) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1sq AZflZ7c Transport: Remember that for general tours around Santiago you can use the service that we have specifically arranged for you: Transvip ( phone +56 2 677 3000 ). http://www.transvip.net/site/reservas. asp?lan=en (in English) http://www.transvip.net/ (in Spanish)
Handicraft: Traditional Chilean handicraft includes semiprecious and precious stones, leather, wool, wood and ceramics. For Handcraft information and stores, please see: http://www.artesaniasdechile.cl/artes2 /inicio.htm Other Handicrafts stores can be found at: 1- the Patio Bellavista (Pío Nono 55) 2- the Lapislázuli (semi-precious blue stones) stores on Av. Bellavista (a wide variety of shops). Los Graneros del Alba (otherwise known as Pueblito de Los Domínicos): located at 9085 Apoquindo avenue (at the top the avenue). Closed on Mondays. Pueblito Los Dominicos: an artisans town located near the mountain of the city, which gathers the most diverse offer of traditional and contemporary handmade objects (see: www.pueblitolosdominicos.com in English) 3- Craft fairs (ferias de artesanía) such as: Shopping There are a number of good shopping malls in the Las Condes district: - Mall Parque Arauco: Avenue Kennedy 5413. - Mall Alto Las Condes: Avenue Kennedy 9001. Security Precautions: As with most large cities, take the same safety precautions in Santiago that you would do normally: Maintain a low profile. Avoid wearing expensive or expensive-looking jewelry. Don t carry or display large amounts of cash in public. Avoid carrying luggage. Don t carry cameras in full view. Keep your wallet or handbag well secured. When using your credit card, don t leave it out of your sight When using backpack You must use it forward Pickpockets and purse-snatchers do work the crowded streets, especially during rush hours, on public transportation, and in the crowded areas, around Ahumada and Huérfanos avenues. Following general precautions will ensure your safety. Do not walk in downtown Santiago after dark or at weekends or in the late afternoon. Visit the San Cristóbal and Santa Lucía hills only during daylight hours and stay on the main paths. Report a lost or stolen passport immediately to the local police and to your nearest embassy or consulate.
Wine Imagine a misty morning in Casablanca valley, cold but not so much, the sea it s only 40 km away. Suddenly mist dissipates and you can see the fields as a woman's curves, a lot of green, a lot of vintage, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and noirs Green fields are lost in a limitless horizon. Riding in your bike under the trees with the sunlight paints in a kaleidoscopic shadows on the road in front of you. Perhaps you get thirsty and may want to go to a winery to taste their wines and as you see your reflection in the full cup you may surprise yourself looking at a happy SPR attendant. Casablanca is a white and noirs world,...the whiteland; the redland is Colchagua Valley. Surrounding a Santa Cruz city there are a lot of wineries, a museum and a Chilean country style house. Imagine you are riding a nineteenth century chariot travelling cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, pinot and If you can see more bodypaint go to http://www.cuerpospintados.com/index2.html Among boldos, quillayes, hawthorns, eucalyptus, lingues and old oaks, typical Chilean animals are found: ducks, quails, ringdoves, foxes and chillas (Chilean foxes). At the end of some corridor you can see, Don Melchor Jufré del Águila, an Extremaduran nobleman, who held the rank of major in 1599. Or the national independence hero Don José Gregorio Argomedo y Montero del Águila, who was born there in 1767 and usually love to drink some Carmenere with SPR guys. malbec vintage. If you go deep into Hacienda Los Lingues it is like being taken back in time. It is not only a typical big house of the Chilean countryside but it is a living testimony of the colonial times. Everything is kept out as in those days Trees decorate courtyards and parks. Many Chilean painters have designed wine labels and if you want to design one for yourself you can visit http://www.arteenvino.cl/ Our Nobel Prize poetry Pablo Neruda wrote many poems to honor wine, one of wich is the "Ode to Wine".
Ode To Wine Poetist Pablo Neruda (short version) Day-colored wine, night-colored wine, wine with purple feet or wine with topaz blood, wine, starry child of earth, wine, smooth as a golden sword, soft as lascivious velvet, wine, spiral-seashelled and full of wonder, amorous, marine; never has one goblet contained you, one song, one man, you are choral, gregarious, at the least, you must be shared. Wine stirs the spring, happiness bursts through the earth like a plant, walls crumble, and rocky cliffs, chasms close, as song is born. A jug of wine, and thou beside me in the wilderness, sang the ancient poet. Let the wine pitcher add to the kiss of love its own. Drink it, and remember in every drop of gold, in every topaz glass, in every purple ladle, that autumn labored to fill the vessel with wine; and in the ritual of his office, let the simple man remember to think of the soil and of his duty, to propagate the canticle of the wine.
Wine Tours As South America's undisputed winemaking king, Chile certainly knows a thing or two about the humble grape and the science of viticulture. Wine was actually an unexpected bounty for the Spanish Conquistadors in Chile who thought they would strike gold but instead found conditions ideal for winemaking. Rainy winters, warm dry summers, rich soils, and relative isolation provided by the Andes proved to be perfect for producing some of the best wine grapes in the world. Today Chilean wineries combine traditional methods with high tech advancements to impressive effect. Indulge your senses with a tour that combines vineyards, wine tasting and gourmet food with local Chilean culture and history. Take a fullday wine tour to visit Chile s top wine-growing valleys near Santiago. These tours typically involve visits and tastings at three wineries. Wine tours are available every day, all year. Reservations are required at least two days before your tour. Each tour is priced according to the wineries and restaurant to visit. Tours usually include: Round trip transportation from your hotel in Santiago English-speaking guides with expert knowledge in Chilean wines Gourmet lunch Winery entrance and tasting fees All sales tax Information about wine tours in Chile: http://www.santiagoadventures.com/ch ile_wine_tours/chile_wine_tours.htm For questions and reservations you may call a US phone number 802-904- 6798 Chile: (56) 2 244 2750 or write to info@santiagoadventures.com Very Good!!! http://www.tucantravel.com/tour/winetrain-and-colchagua-valley-tour/rcwt/ http://www.chiptravel.cl/index.php?opti on=com_content&task=blogsection&id= 8&Itemid=46 Bike & Wine Tours Another possibility is to take a Bike & Wine Tour which combines the bike-adventure experience with delicious wine tasting. Exercise and wine: just make sure to drive carefully! http://www.bikesandwinechile.com/ http://www.santiagoadventures.com/ch ile_wine_tours/chile_bike_wine_tour.h tm#biketours http://www.chiptravel.cl/index.php?opti on=com_content&task=view&id=102&it emid=87
If you want to know about the different Chilean wine regions visit: http://www.winesofchile.org/wineregions and the history of nearly 500 Years of Chilean Wine: http://www.winesofchile.org/content/1 262 Wine Train & Colchagua Valley Tour Leaving from Santiago, this full day tour takes you through the most important and beautiful vineyards of the Colchagua Valley. Come and learn about the architecture, traditions, customs and delicious food of this unique Chilean area (see www.tucantravel.com) Wine stores In Santiago there are many boutique wine stores http://www.elmundodelvino.cl/ http://www.vinoscyt.com/ San Pedro de Atacama museum in the village, the Padre Le Paige Archeological Museum, taking the name from a Belgium priest of the village who stayed there in the middle of the last century). Known as the Archaeological Capital of Chile, San Pedro de Atacama invites tourists to discover its archaeology, the desert, extraordinarily beautiful natural wild life sanctuaries and pre-colombian village architecture. This small village has the most important history in northern Chile. It provides a good infrastructure and services for tourists and offers interesting excursions. You can see spectacular landscapes as well as Atacamanean culture (there is a very important Located 1,574 km northeast of Santiago, your adventure will begin in Calama, a city located near one of the largest copper mines in the world, Chuquicamata, and continue to San Pedro. From there it is recommended that you explore for example: El Tatío Geysers
For hotels, tours, excursions, attractions, maps, photos, restaurants, and further information, please look at: http://www.sanpedroatacama.com/ingl es/home.htm http://www.welcomechile.com/atacama /index_i.html http://www.quasarchile.cl/ Moon Valley and Atacama Salar, Tulor Ruins., Pucará de Quitor, Puritama Hotsprings, Pre-Hispanic villages, Death Valley. In June, there are two important religious events. The Machaqmara (the Aymara new year) on June 21st, and San Pedro y San Pablo festivities that take place over the entire week, ending on June 29th when people go through streets with the image of San Pedro. To get to San Pedro de Atacama in the north of Chile you need to take a flight and then a 1 hour journey by car or bus from Calama. In June it is warm, ranging from 22ºC (during the day) to 4ºC (at night). You should not have altitude problems (lack of oxygen) as it is only 2,400 meters above sea level. There are no dangerous insects or animals. Hotels: http://www.explore-atacama.com/eng/ http://www.hotelkunza.cl http://www.awasi.cl http://www.tierraatacama.com http://www.hotelaltoatacama.cl To find San Pedro de Atacama on Google Earth or Google maps, just type: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile Paranal Observatory: http://www.eso.org/public/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/paranal_o bservatory Atacama Desert: http://sunsite.dcc.uchile.cl/chile/turism o/atacama.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/atacama_ Desert Recommended Hotels in Valparaiso Gran Hotel Gervasoni http://www.hotelgervasoni.com Villa Liguria http://villaliguria.blogspot.com Hotel Casa Tomás Somerscales http://www.hotelsomerscales.cl Hotel Manoir Atkinson http://www.hotelatkinson.cl Hotel Ultramar http://hotelultramar.cl Zero Hotel http://www.zerohotel.com Hotel casa Latina http://casalatina.cl
Practical Information Money: Exchange (money exchange shops): you will have no trouble with money exchange as there is a diversity of money exchange facilities downtown, in banks, commercial centers and near the hotels where you will stay. You will need to use Chilean pesos for your personal expenses. Dollars are not usually considered legal tender. There is no regulation for the exchange of foreign currency, for this reason you can buy or sell foreign currency in the established Casas de Cambio (money exchange shops) Credit Cards: credit cards are accepted by business establishments and there is no surcharge for their use. The most commonly used are Visa, American Express, Diners Club International and Master Card. Automatic Teller machines: it is easy to find them in the banking, exchange areas, gas stations, pharmacies, malls and supermarkets. Tourists can use an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) if it has the Cirrus or Plus logo. This also means that the ATM is bilingual. The ATM s only dispense money in national currency. Electricity: 220 volts at 50 hz. Post: The Chilean Post Office is safe and reliable. Correos or Correos de Chile offices are open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 hours and Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00 hours. Phone Calls: International Calls Phone: You can make your calls from a public pay phone or from commercial centers. Chile has a multicarrier system. You must dial the number of the company of your choice before making your call: Chile has a large number of companies that offer multicarrier system for long distance telephone services. For example multicarrier code of Entel is 123. The phone companies are: ENTEL: 123 +0+ country+area code+number Telefónica: 188+0+country+area code+number VTR: 111+0+country+area code+number Bellsouth: 181+0+country+area code+number Chilesat: 171+0+country+area code+number Carrier 155: 155+0+country+area code+number CNT Carrier: 121+0+country+area code+number Manquehue net: 122+0+country+area code + number Micarrier: 154+0+country+area code + number TransamCommunications: 113+0+coountry+area code + number Calling between different cities in Chile: you should follow the following sequence: Multi-carrier code + city code + local telephone ( E.g.: 188 2 731 83 00)
Local Call Phone: Public telephones are widely distributed all over the city. Call cards can be purchased from kiosks, or $ 100 coins can be used to make calls. Internet phones: Wifi is widely used in most hotels and restaurants here, in which case, it is suggested that you bring your laptop, headphones with built-in microphone with you and use either Skype or Voipstunt () as you can have free or very cheap calls (around 50 pesos per call). You have up to 300 minutes per week for free after you have paid the setup fee of around US$ 10. Internet cafes: You will have no trouble whatsoever if you need to check your email or surf the Internet, as the main commercial centers and hotels have Internet connections. Souvenir Suggestions Lapis Lazuli: (Blue stone) a semi precious stone made up of 14 different minerals, one that stands out is lazurita which gives it its characteristic blue color. It is considered a symbol of purity, elegance, luck and nobility. It is used especially in jewellery but also in decorative and practical items. Wine: in our country there are certified organic wineries and others that use natural processes with the only aim being, to produce high quality wine, avoiding the interference of chemical products. There are specialist shops in the city which offer their products specially packed for traveling or the possibility of sending them to a home address at the expense of the traveler. Pisco: Distilled from grapes, especially the Muscat variety, which gives the product one of its most important characteristics, an aromatic liquor with a high sugar content and transparent color. Arts and crafts: La Chascona House Museum Shop and Café (Bellavista district) postcards, handicrafts and typical Chilean ceramics, as well as poetry books by the nobel prize winner, Pablo Neruda and other books related to his life and work. The opening hours are from 10:00 to 19:00 hours Tuesday to Sunday. If you want to buy handicraft, it is recommended to go to: - Los Graneros del Alba (Pueblito de Los Domínicos): located Avenue Apoquindo 9085. - Handcrafted Center Santa Lucía: located in Avenue Bernardo O Higgins 510 (opposite to hill). If you want to see an example about some crafts, have a look at this site: http://www.artesaniasdechile.cl/artes2 /inicio.htm Tourist information: The National Tourist Service http://www.sernatur.cl/ SERNATUR - counter in Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, telephone 601-9320. Is open Monday to Sunday from 08.15 to 20.00. SERNATUR office in Santiago: Calle Providencia 1550, Manuel Montt metro station. Open: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 18:00,
Saturday 9.00 to 14.00. Telephone numbers: 731-8336 / 731-8337 Every region has SERNATUR tourist information offices, generally located in the center of the city. Tourist Bookstore: Specializes in maps, guides and tourist books on Chile. It is also possible to purchase DVD s and CD s of Chile and its regions. Av. Providencia 1670 local 5-A Name: Australis. Open at 11:00 am to 07:00 pm. Bus turistik On this web page http://www.turistik.cl/ you can find information about the route that this bus takes through Santiago, visiting places downtown such as, the Moneda Presidential palace, Bellas Artes Museum, or taking lunch at the traditional Mercado Central. The other part of the route takes you to Providencia and Las Condes, where you can enjoy coffee, watching people go by or just visiting one of our biggest shopping centers (Parque Arauco). The turistik service is offered on open top, double deck buses with a hop-on/hop-off system which allows you to discover the city with flexibility. visiting ski resorts such as Valle Nevado, El Colorado and La Parva. Turistik bus usually offers English guided tours. Travelling through the country If you want to travel by bus, Santiago has four terminals for both national and international destinations. This form of transport is very economical (around US$2 per hour of travel) as well as comfortable (you will usually find TV and Air conditioning on board). To give you an idea of the distances, you can travel to Arica, the northernmost city in Chile (a trip of at least 24 hours), or to Puerto Montt, some 1000 kms. south of Santiago (a journey of around 12 hours). If you want to travel further south, it would probably be best to take a flight. Due to the fact that Chile Continental (a roadway of some 4000 kms) is so long we also use domestic flights. These airlines also connect us to the rest of South America: LAN CHILE: http://www.lanchile.com (click on version in the upper and right corner, then English, or directly in http://plane.lan.com/index-en-us.html ). SKY AIRLINE: http://www.skyairline.cl At the same time, starting from Parque Arauco the bus company offers other tours, near Santiago: Valparaiso, wineries, El Teniente : the world s largest underground copper mine, the city of Swell (recently declared World Heritage site by UNESCO), the Andes Mountains,
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