377 Best Sights in Chile

One of the island's most breathtaking sights is Ahu Tongariki, where 15 moai stand side by side on a 200-foot-long ahu, the longest ever built. Tongariki was painstakingly restored after being destroyed for the second time by a massive tidal wave in 1960. These moai, some whitened with a layer of sea salt, have holes in their extended earlobes that might have once been filled with chunks of obsidian. They face an expansive ceremonial area where you can find petroglyphs of turtles and fish, and the entrance is guarded by a single moai, which has traveled to Japan and back for exhibition.  The perfect morning sunrise behind the moai at Tongariki lasts only from December 21 to March 21.

Although there are more established observatories in the area, Alfa Aldea has made its mark on the astronomy world due to the flawless attention to detail and excellent customer service. With a glass of wine in hand, embark on a journey to the beginning of time as the dome above you transforms into an interactive and 3D exploration. While lounging among comfortable seating, carpeted floors, and blankets, a bilingual astronomer explains the inner workings of the universe. Afterward, you pop outside beneath the stars to peep at constellations, nebulas, planets, and the moon with a real telescope before listening to light transformed into sound waves by a radio telescope, one of the very few available to tourists in the area. You will need to book your visit here in advance.

About 3 km (2 miles) west of downtown along the coastal road lies Puerto Montt's fishing cove. This busy port serves small fishing boats, large ferries, and cruisers carrying travelers and cargo southward through the straits and fjords that form much of Chile's shoreline. On weekdays, small launches from Isla Tenglo and other outlying islands arrive early in the morning and leave late in the afternoon. There are dozens of stalls selling local handicrafts, and the fish market here has one of the most varied seafood selections in all of Chile.

Perched on a bluff overlooking the sea, this house is a shrine to the life, work, and many passions of the Chilean poet and Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda. Throughout the house, you'll find displays of treasures—from bottles and maps to seashells and a narwhal tusk—he collected over the course of his remarkable life. Although he spent much time living and traveling abroad, Neruda made Isla Negra his primary residence later in life. He wrote his memoirs from the upstairs bedroom to the sound of the crashing waves and dictated the final pages to his wife there before departing for the Santiago hospital where he died (supposedly of cancer, though rumors abound that he was actually poisoned). Neruda and his wife are buried in the prow-shaped tomb area behind the house.

Just before Neruda's death in 1973, a military coup put Augusto Pinochet in command of Chile. He closed off Neruda's home and denied all access, but Neruda devotees still chiseled their tributes into the wooden gates surrounding the property. In 1989 the Neruda Foundation, started by his widow, restored the house and opened it as a museum. Here his collections are displayed as they were while he lived. The living room contains—among numerous other oddities—a lapis lazuli and quartz fireplace and a number of figureheads from ships hanging from the ceiling and walls.

You can visit the museum with an audio guided tour, available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese (included in the admission price) that describes Neruda's many obsessions, from the positioning of guests at the dinner table to the east–west alignment of his bed. Objects had a spiritual and symbolic life for the poet, which the tour makes evident. Reservations are not required for the tour, but space is filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so plan on coming early and be prepared for a long wait during the busy summer months.

This necropolis in the northern part of the city reveals a lot about traditional Chilean society. Through the lofty stone arches of the main entrance are well-tended paths lined with marble mausoleums and squat mansions belonging to Chile's wealthy families. The 8- or 10-story "niches"—concrete shelves housing thousands of coffins—resemble middle-class apartment buildings. Their inhabitants lie here until the rent runs out and they are evicted. Look for former President Salvador Allende's final resting spot; a map at the main entrance to the cemetery can help you find it. Fifty-minute Human Rights Tours in Spanish run weekdays at 6 pm. General tours are weekdays (except Wednesday) by prior arrangement and last 90 minutes. Two 75-minute night tours are available at 8:45 pm for kids and adults. All tours require online reservations and are either free or cost between 4,000 and 6,000 pesos.

Just 64 km (40 miles) south of Coyhaique, this national park is home to one of the most beautiful mountain chains in the region, crowned majestically by the rugged Cerro Castillo. Glacier runoff fills the lakes below the mountain, and the reserve is also home to several species of deer, puma, and guanaco. Cerro Castillo could be called one of the best hikes in Patagonia, but it gets only a tiny percent of visitors compared with its more popular counterpart to the south, Torres del Paine. One excellent hiking route begins at Las Horquetas Grandes, 8 km (5 miles) south of the park entrance. From there, go along La Lima River until Laguna Cerro Castillo, where you can begin your walk around the peak, and then head toward the nearby village of Villa Cerro Castillo. There is bus service from Coyhaique, but it's better to come here in your own rented vehicle. It's also preferable to hike with a guide, as trails are not always clearly marked. Senderos Patagonia (aysensenderospatagonia.com, 9/6224–4725) offers several options for both day hikes and multiday expeditions, as well as horseback rides through the park. 

Either walk up from Plaza Aníbal Pinto or ride the Ascensor Concepción (due to reopen in 2024) to one of the most popular of Valparaíso's famous cerros (hills). The greatest attraction is the view, which is best appreciated from Paseo Gervasoni, a wide promenade to the right when you exit the ascensor, and Paseo Atkinson, one block to the east. Over the balustrades that line the promenades are amazing vistas of the city and bay. Nearly as fascinating are the narrow streets above them, some of which are quite steep. Continue uphill to Cerro Alegre, which has a bit of a bohemian flair.

This large, iconic hill within the centenary Parque Metropolitano is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Santiago. From the western entrance at Plaza Caupolicán (Pío Nono), you can take a steep but enjoyable one-hour walk to the summit, or take the funicular, a historic monument that opened in 1925. The teleférico (cable car) ascends from the eastern entrance, seven blocks north of Pedro de Valdivia metro stop.

The mazelike park of Santa Lucía is a hangout for park-bench smoochers and photo-snapping tourists. Walking uphill along the labyrinth of interconnected paths and plazas takes about 30 minutes, or you can take an elevator two blocks north of the park's main entrance (no fee). The uppermost lookout point affords an excellent 360-degree view of the entire city; two stairways lead up from the Plaza Caupolicán esplanade; those on the south side are newer and less slippery. Be careful near dusk as the park, although patrolled, attracts the occasional mugger. There is a tiny tourism office near the Alameda entrance, open weekdays, but closed for lunch from 2 until 3 pm, and a small indigenous crafts fair called the Centro de Exposición de Arte Indígena (or Gruta Welén) in a natural cavern carved out of the western flank of the hill.

The amazing Cerros Pintados, the largest group of geoglyphs in the world, within the Reserva Nacional Pampa del Tamarugal are well worth a detour. These figures, which scientists believe helped ancient peoples navigate the desert, date from AD 500 to 1400. They are also quite enormous—some of the figures are decipherable only from the air. Drawings of men wearing ponchos were probably intended to point out the route to the coast to the llama caravans coming from the Andes. More than 400 figures of birds, animals, and geometric patterns adorn this 4-km (3-mile) stretch of desert.

Emiliana is the world's largest organic winery, and it preaches its green ethos all across this stunning property, where chickens help with pest control and alpacas mow the lawn. Emiliana also produced the first biodynamic wine in Latin America, and you can try it on a tour or tasting. Stop by as well for organic picnics and a chance to mix your own wine blends.

About 4 km (3 miles) past Pisco Elqui lies this operational pisco distillery. Guided tours show you around its workings and culminate in the basement, where the original owner and his partners would raid the stock for prolonged, secretive drinking sessions. More clearheaded visitors should note that he and his friends also found time to amass a rather morbid collection of epithets, now displayed on the walls. If you want to get to the dregs of this valley´s historic distillery story, this is the site to visit.

This giant cultural center just steps from the Universidad Católica metro houses some of Santiago's most interesting indigenous arts exhibits and offers a packed cultural itinerary, including theater. There is a large atrium between the two halves of the building with a colorful skylight, restaurant, and café. Outside the building, to the north side is an amphitheater that is occasionally used to host events. An antiques market takes place on the west side of the building Tuesday through Saturday, if it's not raining. Tip: A helpful tourism office is located here.

The world's highest geothermal field, the Geysers del Tatio is a breathtaking natural phenomenon. The sight of dozens of geysers throwing columns of steam into the air is unforgettable. A trip to El Tatio usually begins at 4 or 5 am, on a guided tour, when San Pedro is still cold and dark (any of the tour agencies in San Pedro can arrange this trip). After a two-hour bus ride on a relentlessly bumpy road, you reach the high plateau around daybreak. (The entrance fee is covered if you are on a tour, otherwise it is 15,000 pesos.) The jets of steam are already shooting into the air as the sun slowly peeks over the adjacent cordillera. The rays of light illuminate the steam in a kaleidoscope of chartreuses, violets, reds, oranges, and blues. The vapor then silently falls onto the sulfur-stained crust of the geyser field. As the sun heats the cold, barren land, the visibility and force of the geysers gradually diminish, allowing you to explore the mud pots and craters formed by the escaping steam. Be careful, though—the crust is thin in places and people have died falling into the boiling-hot water.

The world's largest anthropomorphic geoglyph, the Gigante de Atacama, measures an incredible 86 meters (282 feet). The Giant of the Atacama is a depiction of a giant man, perhaps an Incan chief or shaman, that with his square head looks a bit like a video game space alien. It is adorned with a walking staff, a cat mask, and a feathered headdress that resembles rays of light bursting from his head. The exact age of the figure is unknown, but it certainly hails from before the arrival of the Spanish, perhaps around AD 900. The geoglyph, which is on a hill, is best viewed just before dusk, when the long shadows make the outline clearer.

One of the last nitrate plants in the region, Humberstone closed in 1960 after operating for nearly 100 years. Now it's a ghost town where ancient machines creak and groan in the wind. You can wander through the central square and along the streets of the company town, where almost all of the original buildings survive. The theater, with its rows of empty seats, is particularly eerie. Take the time to explore beyond the residential area, heading out into the desert where the machines lie rusting in the wind.

Any tour of Castro begins with this much-photographed 1906 church, constructed in the style of the archipelago's wooden churches, only bigger and grander. Depending on your perspective, terms like "pretty" or "garish" describe the orange-and-lavender exterior colors chosen when the structure was spruced up before Pope John Paul II's 1987 visit. It's infinitely more reserved on the inside. The dark-wood interior's centerpiece is the monumental carved crucifix hanging from the ceiling. In the evening, a soft, energy-efficient external illumination system makes the church one of Chiloé's most impressive sights.

Achao's centerpiece is this 1730 church, the oldest house of worship in Chile. In addition to the alerce wood so commonly used to construct buildings in the region, the church also uses cypress and mañío trees. Its typically unadorned exterior contrasts with the deep-blue ceiling embellished with gold stars and rich Baroque carvings on the altar inside. Mass is celebrated Sunday at 11 am and Tuesday at 7 pm, but docents give guided tours when the church is open during the day. An informative Spanish-language museum behind the altar is dedicated to the period of Chiloé's Jesuit missions.

This house designed by Nobel Prize--winning poet Pablo Neruda was dubbed the "Woman with the Tousled Hair" after Matilde Urrutia, his third wife. The two met while strolling in nearby Parque Forestal, and for years the house served as a romantic hideaway before they married. The pair's passionate relationship was recounted in the 1995 Italian film Il Postino. Audio guides are available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German, and the house is visually fascinating, with winding garden paths, stairs, and bridges leading to the house and its library, which is stuffed with books. There's Neruda's old bedroom in a tower and a secret passageway. Scattered throughout are collections of butterflies, seashells, wineglasses, and other odd objects that inspired Neruda's tumultuous life and romantic poetry. Although not as magical as Neruda's house in Isla Negra, La Chascona still sets your imagination dancing. The house is on a little side street leading off Constitución.

Tired of the frenetic pace of Santiago, poet Pablo Neruda longed for a calmer place overlooking the sea, and he found it here in the house that Spanish architect Sebastián Collado began building for himself but never finished. Neruda bought it with friends in 1959 and restored the upper floors in his own eclectic style, complete with curving walls, narrow winding stairways, and a tower. The view from the house is spectacular, but the real reason to visit is to see Neruda's extravagant collection of thousands of diverse objects. The house is a shrine to his many cherished belongings, including a beautiful orangish-pink stuffed bird he brought back from Venezuela, a carousel horse, and the pink-and-yellow barroom stuffed with kitsch.

A contender for the best viewpoint in Chile, this roadside lake sits on the Bolivian border at an amazing altitude of 4,600 m (15,100 feet) above sea level. Volcán Parinacota, at 6,330 m (20,889 feet), casts its shadow onto the lake's glassy surface. Hundreds of flamingos make their home here. There is a CONAF-run office at Lago Chungará on the highway just before the lake.

About 8 km (5 miles) east of Parinacota is the beautiful Laguna Cotacotani, which means "land of many lakes" in the Quechua language. This string of ponds—surrounded by a desolate moonscape formed by volcanic eruptions—attracts many species of bird, including Andean geese. 

About 60 km (37 miles) southeast of Antofagasta via Ruta 5, this giant hand sculpture rises 36 feet tall from the Atacama Desert like a mirage. It was created in 1992 by famed sculptor Mario Irarrázabal, the same artist who created the Monumento al Ahogado hand sculpture in Punta del Este, Uruguay. It's best visited early in the morning or at sunset, when you can see the hand reaching out of the earth into the rays of the Andean sun. You can't miss the Mano from the highway, and a dirt trail leads off the main road toward it. Be sure to park at a respectful distance to ensure other visitors can also enjoy the sculpture.

One of Chile's most important wetlands lies along the northern bank of the Aconcagua River, and a good place to explore it—especially for bird-watchers and photographers—is the Posada del Parque, 5 km (3 miles) north of Concón. This family-run lodge works hard to protect and educate visitors about the wetlands and offers guided or independent bird-watching, nature hikes, and kayaking, as well as simple but delicious home-cooked meals and a few very nice rooms to stay overnight.

This small museum, Museo Antropológico Padre Sebastián Englert, is named for the German priest who dedicated his life to improving conditions on Rapa Nui and who is buried beside the church. It provides an excellent summary of the history of Easter Island and its way of life, as well as its native flora and fauna. Here, too, is one of the few female moai on the island and the replica of a coral eye found during the reconstruction of an ahu at Playa Anakena (the original is in storage after an attempted robbery). Texts are in Spanish and English. Note that the museum can easily overcrowd given its small size.

On the Pacific coast, about a three-hour drive from Osorno, is a network of indigenous parks spread over nine Huilliche communities amid 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) of pristine temperate rain forest. Overnight trips include a sail up the coast to visit a Huilliche settlement and the beautiful, white sand and turquoise waters of Condor Beach (www.caletacondorexpediciones.cl). The eight-person boat leaves from Bahía Mansa, but keep an eye on the weather as the boat won’t run if it’s really windy. Exploring the indigenous parks by land is a more intrepid trip. The Agencia de Turismo Mapu Lahual, which represents the Huilliche communities, offers three- to six-day programs that include trekking, horseback rides, and homestays (simple, basic accommodations) with descendants of the Huilliche. Nature lovers will appreciate the native alerce forest as you cross the Chilean Coastal Range, home to 30 different bird species and an equal number of mammals, including the Molina’s hog-nosed skunk, mountain monkeys, and pumas. 

This imposing hillside site is where the 1881 treaty between the Mapuche and the Chilean army was signed, allowing the city of Temuco to be established. It's a great spot for a short day hike or picnic, with nice views of the city. Trails bloom with bright red copihues (a bell-like flower with lush green foliage), Chile's national flower, in autumn (March–May). The monument, not far from downtown, is part of Chile's national park system.

One of the best nature excursions on Chiloé is to Monumento Natural Islotes de Puñihuil. Located 29 km (18 miles) southwest of Ancud, the three small islets here are home to an abundant colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins, along with a variety of other birds and marine otters. From September to March, a local tour operator, Ecomarine Puñihuil (www.pinguineraschiloe.cl), for 8,000 pesos, offers 30-minute boat excursions to view the penguins up close. From December to March, they can take up to eight people in the mornings for longer voyages farther out at sea to search for blue whales, which have been extensively tracked in the area by scientists.

Tierra del Fuego was inhabited for centuries by the indigenous Selk'nam, Yaganes, and Alacalufes, which were estimated to number between 10,000 and 12,000 people here before colonization in the 19th century. Founded in 1974, the Martin Gusinde Anthropological Museum is a very well-done introduction to these first inhabitants with archaeological, historical, and ethnographic collections about the cultural and natural heritage of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and Cape Horn. It is a must-visit. 

Housing many fascinating artifacts and one of the world's best collections of precolonial ceramics, this museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of the region. Reopened in 2021 after a 10-year restoration, the museum's new curation contains a beautifully housed collection of Diaguita and Molle pottery, an Easter Island moai (carved stone head), bones of the mysterious American Horse, and a raft made of seal skins sown together with cactus spines.