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Showing posts with label Los Ríos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Ríos. Show all posts

Saturday, 21 August 2021

Country Guide: Chile

Name: Chile

Continent: South America

Capital (and Largest) City: Santiago

Language: Spanish

Currency: Chilean Peso

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Chile Standard Time (GMT -4)

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type L

Description: Chile is a very long and very thin country located on the western side of South America, between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. Because of its unusual shape, it features many different landscapes and climates, from the hot, dry Atacama Desert in the north to cold, icy Patagonia in the south. It is also famous for its literary heritage and its wine production.

Why You Should Visit: The natural landscapes of Chile are so varied and are unlike anywhere else on Earth. The country is filled with mountains, volcanoes, beaches, lakes, forests, waterfalls and glaciers, and is also home to many amazing species of animals, including penguins, flamingos, vicuñas, guanacos and pumas. In addition, Chile has several stunning cities to explore, such as Santiago and Valparaíso.

Fun Fact: The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on Earth.


My Blogposts About Chile



- Viña Undurraga (Talagante province)

- The Sky Costanera (Santiago)

- Cerro Manquehue (Santiago)




- Cerro Santa Lucía (Santiago)







- El Cementerio General (Santiago)

- Parque Metropolitano (Santiago)


- An Unforgettable Trip to Algarrobo (Algarrobo, Isla Negra and Santo Domingo)





- Travel Tips: Destinations off the Tourist Trail (Maule region and Huilo Huilo & Siete Lagos)







- A Few Highlights From Chile (Santiago and Chicureo)

- A Day at the Beach (Viña del Mar, Reñaca and Concón)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Valparaíso and Santiago)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Castillo Wulff, Viña del Mar)

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Nature Destinations (Atacama Desert, Valle del Elqui, Algarrobo, Cajón del Maipo, Maule Region and Huilo Huilo & Siete Lagos)




- UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Valparaíso, Qhapaq Ñan, Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, Archaeological sites of the Chinchorro culture and Churches of Chiloé)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Beaches (Algarrobo, La Serena and Reñaca)


- Travel Tips: My Top Five Colourful Cities (Valparaíso and Coquimbo)

- Travel Tips: The Best Day Trips From Santiago (Región Metropolitana and Valparaíso region)

- Movie Travels (Valparaíso, the south of Chile, and the Atacama Desert)


- Cute Animals in the Wild (the Atacama Desert and Algarrobo)


- Discovering More of Chile's Beaches (La Laguna, Maitencillo, Cachagua)




- Life in Chile: Update 2 (Santiago and Maipo province)






- Life in Chile: Update 5 (Santiago and Chicureo)



- Our Snow Day! (Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado)



- Life in Chile: Update 7 (Santiago and Monticello)


- Back in Valpo! (Valparaíso)



- Life in Chile: Update 8 (Santiago, Talagante provice, Cajón del Maipo and Rancagua)






- Our Civil Union (Santiago)



- Travel Tips: Ten More of My Favourite Beach Destinations (Cachagua, Iquique, Arica, Zapallar, Papudo, Frutillar and Viña del Mar)


- Charlotte's Travel Adventures is 5 Years Old! (Atacama Desert, Santiago and Frutillar)


- My Year of Adventurous Travel (Santiago, Papudo and Cajón del Maipo)





































Clockwise starting from top left: La Serena Beach, Laguna Chaxa in the Atacama Desert, Salto del Huilo Huilo, the Japanese Garden and Costanera Centre in Santiago, Mirador de Monjes Blancos in the Maule Region, Embalse el Yeso in Cajón del Maipo, Stairway in Valparaíso, Montegrande Church

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

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Location: Chile

Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Travel Tips: Destinations off the Tourist Trail

It's a cliché, but one of the best things about doing a Year Abroad was that I discovered a lot about myself, including how I like to travel! Although I enjoyed visiting places like Venice, I found the relentless crowds of tourists a bit stressful to deal with. I also realised that lesser-known places can be just as interesting as the tourist hotspots, as well as being a lot more authentic!

So, this is my list of my favourite travel destinations off the tourist trail...


1) Sète, France














Close to Montpellier in the Occitanie region of France, Sète is known as the French version of Venice, as it is a beautiful town with a network of canals. For this reason, it's not exactly tourist free, but it's not crowded either. You can take a boat trip around its main sites, and take in the great views from the top of Mont Saint-Clair.

In fact, I would recommend the region of Occitanie as a whole for those looking for a less touristy holiday in the south of France. I have spent a lot of time around the Nice/Cannes area of France, and while I liked those places, I must say that the Occitanie area feels much less extravagant and much more relaxed.

Read more here!



2) Le Havre, France



















An interesting destination in Normandy is Le Havre. This port city with artistic attractions and a funicular railway reminded me a bit of Valparaíso in Chile. The highlight is the art gallery Musée Malraux, where you can see impressionist paintings by some of the most famous artists in history, without the crowds of the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay.

Read more here!



3) Kärnten, Austria



















Kärnten, or Carinthia as it's sometimes known in English, is the region where I lived when I spent a semester teaching English in Austria. It's not as well known as the Tyrol and Salzburg regions, but it's a beautiful place with plenty of lakes, mountains and fairytale castles! It's also very close to both Italy and Slovenia, so it's an ideal place to go to if you're planning a multi country trip.

Read more here!



4) Vaduz, Liechtenstein



















This is a European capital city quite unlike the others I've visited. For one, it's very small, just like the country it's a part of. It's also pretty much devoid of people! Well, at least it was when I visited in November 2017. In this charming city overlooked by a castle (pictured above), you can visit both the national museum and a fantastic art gallery in total peace and quiet!

Read more here!



5) Udine, Italy















I first heard of Udine when looking at train timetables in Austria. I'm surprised that it's not more well known, as it's a beautiful city with plenty of attractions. The most memorable part for me was Piazza della Libertà (pictured above), but I also loved the art gallery in the castle, and the cathedral, which has an amazing painted ceiling. Although I've been to Florence and Venice, I have to say that Udine is my favourite Italian city. It has a very authentic and relaxed vibe. I could imagine living there!

Read more here!



6) Maule, Chile



















The Maule region in south-central Chile is not totally off the tourist radar. The Siete Tazas national park is already quite well known. (It's on my list of places to visit when I go back to Chile!) However, in May last year, I went on a group tour to some parts of Maule that are not so frequently visited. My favourite places were Mirador Monjes Blancos (pictured above), Cascada Invertida (an inverted waterfall) and Laguna del Maule. This region of Chile has so much amazing nature to see.

Read more here!



7) Huilo Huilo and Siete Lagos, Chile

























Another group tour I took in Chile was to Huilo Huilo biological reserve and Siete Lagos (seven lakes) in the south of the country. I've yet to visit the far south, but I've heard it can get very busy. This place, however, was so peaceful. I went in winter, so it was very cold, although maybe that was why it was so quiet. It was worth braving the weather to see beautiful sceneries of lakes, waterfalls, forests and volcanoes. The picture above is of me in front of the famous Montaña Mágica (magic mountain) hotel!

Read more here!



That concludes my list of less-touristy travel destinations! Coming soon: Five places to visit in Austria.


Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

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