Rapel Lake

In the middle of August, there was a three-day weekend in Chile, so Claudio and I wanted to make the most of it and go to a new place. Our original idea was to stay in a cabaña with a jacuzzi in Termas de Chillán, but it seems everyone else in the country had the same idea, as all of the cabañas in the area were fully booked. (Hopefully we will get to go there some other time!)

In the end we decided to go on a day trip instead. As we'd been to the snowy mountains the previous weekend and to the beach the weekend before that, I had the idea of going to a lake in the countryside, in order to do something completely different. So we chose to go to Rapel Lake, which is actually an artificially-created reservoir located in the O'Higgins region, the next region down from Santiago Metropolitan Region. I had actually never visited anywhere in this region before (I'd only ever passed through by bus) so it was nice to get to know a new area of the country. (Now I've been to 10 of Chile's 16 regions - I hope to explore them all some day!)

The journey took longer than we expected, but after a few hours, the stunning blue lake finally came into view. Unfortunately, actually getting access to it was more difficult than we anticipated, as a lot of the area around it is private. So we went to have lunch at a nearby restaurant and had a look at Google Maps to figure out where to go next.

First we ended up going to a small amphitheatre on the shore of the lake. It was nice to have access to the lake at last, and there were nice views of the mountains and trees from there, but the actual area itself was a bit swampy and unattractive.

Next we went to a beach that was mainly being used for fishing. Again, this area had some nice views, but it was quite run-down looking with lots of rubbish on the ground.

Up to this point, Rapel Lake had been a bit of a disappointing experience. But then as we were driving across the bridge that goes back in the direction of Santiago, we noticed some people offering boat rides. We got out of the car, and found out that we were just in time for the last ride of the day, which was very lucky!

The boat trip really was just the experience we were hoping for. It was amazing to sail around the lake at sunset, seeing the different birdlife (including herons and pelicans) on and around the water, and enjoying the views of the mountains, palm trees, forests and cabañas. There were even some over-water cabañas that reminded me of pictures I've seen of the Maldives - I think they would be a great place to stay in summer.

Overall, our trip to Rapel Lake was a nice little adventure, and we're thinking of going back there in the summer to go swimming.

Right now I'm actually back in England again, and I'll be here for the next three weeks. Although I was really happy to move to Chile, it's definitely nice to be back here for a holiday! I'm hoping to do a bit of travelling during my time here, including trips to London and to the beach in Wales. So watch this space!

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!