Our Snow Day!

Last weekend, Claudio and I did something completely different to our trip to Zapallar the previous weekend, travelling in the opposite direction up into the mountains to the ski centres of Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado.

This was a trip that I'd been wanting to take for a long time, and we were really determined to do it at some point this winter. So on Saturday, we got up at the crack of dawn and left when it was still dark, in order to beat the weekend traffic and spend as much time in the snow as possible.

The ski centres are not very far from Santiago in terms of distance (in fact, they are part of Santiago province and Lo Barnechea comuna), but because of their high altitude (Valle Nevado is at an altitude of 3000 metres above sea level), it takes at least 90 minutes to get there from the city. The journey consists of 40 sharp bends up the mountain road, which seems to go on forever... but then finally you arrive in Farellones, which looks like a fairytale Alpine village, and you feel like you're in a completely different world.

First of all, we spent some time driving through all four villages and getting to know the area, before exploring Valle Nevado, which is probably the most popular of the ski centres - there were many Brazilian and Argentinian tourists there, as well as Chileans.

It was pretty hard at first to get used to the cold (it was -4 degrees, which is a big contrast to Santiago, where the days have gradually been getting sunnier and warmer again). But later in the day, we put on some snow trousers and gloves which Claudio's family lent us, which made a big difference.

In Valle Nevado, there's a rooftop viewpoint, which offers you really great views of the mountains and the ski slopes.

The next place we stopped off at was an area at the side of the road, where lots of families were having a great time sledging and playing in the snow. This area is a free alternative to paying for activities at the ski centres, and it has amazing mountain views.

Afterwards, we went back to El Colorado. Here we had lunch at a restaurant with views over the ski slopes. While we were there, it actually started snowing, which was pretty exciting!

We didn't go skiing or snowboarding this time, but we had a look at the prices for future reference, and discovered that we could go for a ride on the panoramic chair (in other words, the ski lift) without actually taking part in any winter sports. The ride was a little expensive ($10000 pesos per person, which is around £10) but it was a lot of fun, and it made our snow day extra special.

Going up into the mountains to spend a day in the snow really felt like being on holiday, as it was so different from the city, and the scenery was so beautiful. We are definitely going to try to go back there at some point in September (when I'm back from my trip to the UK), and next time we're planning to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time! I'm really looking forward to trying a new sport and writing about it here soon!

Zapallar

Last weekend, Claudio and I decided to do something a bit different, and escape from the city to spend a day at the beach. Although it's not quite swimming and sunbathing weather yet, we felt like a change of scenery and some sea air. And because everyone wants to go to the mountains in winter, the beach is very quiet and peaceful at the moment.

We chose to go to Zapallar, which is a little bit further north of the beaches we visited in February. Along with Cachagua, Zapallar is known for being one of the most exclusive beach resorts in the country, and many of Santiago's elite spend the summer there. However, in July, it's a nice, secluded spot for enjoying nature.

It took us about three hours of driving in total to get there, but it was worth it, as it's really one of the most beautiful beaches we've been to in Chile, and one of the most beautiful beaches we've been to overall, to be honest. Like other beaches in the centre of the country, it's surrounded by forest, making it a really picturesque setting. It also has plenty of palm trees, and different types of plants and colourful flowers, in addition to architecture inspired by various countries in Europe.

We spent a really nice afternoon walking along the sand, and exploring different pathways around the beach. It was too cold for swimming, but we did paddle in the ocean a little bit!

We also met a lovely cat called Lechuza (Owl) at a café next to the beach. She was so friendly and cute!

Overall, it was a really nice day and a great escape from the daily routine. We will definitely try to go back to Zapallar in the summer, and also to Papudo, which is fairly close. There are so many beautiful beaches within a few hours of Santiago, and we hope to discover as many of them as possible!

Bosque Santiago

A few months ago, I started following the Instagram account Santiago Adicto, which highlights interesting photos, places and events in and around Santiago. Thanks to this account, Claudio and I have discovered some great new places that we'd never been to or heard of before, including Castillo Macul and Cerro Calán.

But perhaps the best place it's introduced us to has been Bosque Santiago, where we went the weekend before last. Bosque Santiago is part of Parque Metropolitano (the city's biggest park) and is sort of a part hiking trail, part open-air museum. During the week, educational tours for schools take place there, but at the weekend it's open to the public in general - and it's completely free!

When you arrive at the entrance to the park, you have to walk uphill for about five or ten minutes until you get to the first attraction, the South American camelids. The sign mentioned llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicuñas, but there were only two vicuñas there. All the same, they were very cute and brought back memories of our trip to the Atacama Desert!

Nearby, there's a little lagoon, which is a representation of the lagoons of the Atacama Desert.

Then we began following the trail of the traditional houses of Chile, which was really interesting. There are nine different houses to see, starting with one from Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a place that is definitely on my bucket list. The house even has its own moai outside!

Then the tour took us down to the far south of Chile, with this hut from Tierra del Fuego.

The next house is from the island of Chiloé, another destination on our "to-visit" list.

The following two houses are both Mapuche houses from the south of Chile.

The next two houses are both from the centre of the country (the first one is from the countryside in the O'Higgins region, and the second one is from the coast of the Valparaíso region).

The last two houses on the trail are both from the Coquimbo region, in the north of Chile.

It was really fun to follow this trail that took us all over the country!

Afterwards, we explored some more of the park's sights, including the amphitheatre, a garden of cacti, and a wooden bridge that reminded us a lot of the bridge we visited on our recent trip to Peru!

Then we went back towards the entrance to the park, where you can find a little recreation of the Valdivian Rainforest in the south of the country.

We were both really impressed by this amazing part of Parque Metropolitana, and surprised that it is not better known as an attraction to visit in the capital. It actually reminded us a lot of Skansen, the famous open-air museum in Stockholm, which also has native animals, and traditional houses from different parts of the country. Skansen is a lot bigger, and has lots of shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as a recreation of an entire village. But on the other hand, Bosque Santiago is free to enter, and has very few visitors, so perhaps it's better that it remains more of a hidden gem!

To sum up, it goes without saying that I would recommend Bosque Santiago as a place to visit for anyone exploring Santiago. It's a great place for seeing nature, enjoying a walk, and discovering some of the culture from every corner of this beautiful country.