Currently in various cities of our country there is an interesting offer of art, culture and entertainment, special tourist instances to take advantage of the last days of rest and thus recharge the batteries before starts March. Under this context and especially for those who are summering in Santiago, the capital offers various places listed as “must-haves”.
“There are several historic neighborhoods that can be explored walks, such as Barrio Lastarria, Barrio Bellas Artes, Barrio Yungay, Barrio Concha y Toro, and Barrio Paris and London. Another must-see is the Metropolitan Park, considered the fourth largest urban park in the world, with its most iconic area, Cerro San Cristóbal and Paseo Metropolitano. It is also important to call to visit our museums, loaded with a great cultural proposal, such as the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Museo La Chascona and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, one of the most contemporary, inaugurated in 2010”, explains Janine Valenzuela, director of THE School of Hotel and Tourism of UDLA.
There are also the infallible “escapes” near Santiago, destinations ranging from the Andes Mountains, Colchagua Valley, the Pacific beaches and the rural landscapes of the Chilean countryside, all of them unique, short-haul and suitable for various Budgets.
“There are many places that are close to the capital and that can be rediscovered, hence the importance of calling “we are tourists within our own country,” he says. As an example is Sewel, a former mining town renowned for its historical and cultural value declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Also the La Campana National Park, biosphere reserve that has a beautiful local flora and fauna; and the city of Santa Cruz, a traditional city with a great wine wealth,” says the professional.
Family holidays in Chile
Family vacationing is not easy, as you have to reconcile many factors, tastes of all members, transfer time and budget. And although it requires some planning, today the supply in Chile, is varied, abundant and diversified.
“The beaches have always been the preferred place to spend the holidays, with 4000 kilometers of coastline and variety of landscapes from north to south. Among these stands out Playas La Lisera and El Laucho (Arica), La Playa Cavancha (Iquique), Bahía Inglesa, which has nothing to envy of the Caribbean, and the small fishing village known as Punta de Choros. We can not fail to mention Easter Island and Anakena Beach, which according to Condé Nast Traveler magazine, is one of the 50 most beautiful places in South America,” says the expert.
It continues: “Already in the south of Chile, with a complete change of scenery, is Playa del Cole, (located in the Chiloé National Park) a formidable coastline of cold waters and golden sands, is not suitable for bathing, but its value lies in the beauty of the place”.
For those who dare to venture into a new proposal, today it is possible to enter the world of astrotourism. “40% of the world’s astronomical observation is in Chile, in the north of our country, from the Atacama region to Coquimbo. Our country has the cleanest skies in the world and with a geography that benefits observation, which has made it the world center of astronomy. Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo and the Metropolitan region have important telescopes, scientists and tourists. Very few Chileans know that these scientific observatories are open to the public all year round and can be visited only by registering previously,” explains Valenzuela.
Finally, among the observatories that must be taken into account when opting for an astrotourism route, stand out: Alfa Aldea Observatory (Elqui Valley), Cerro Las Campanas Observatory (156 km from La Serena, on the edge of the Coquimbo and Atacama regions) , Gemini Observatory (located 10 kilometers southeast of Tololo Hill), Mamalluca Observatory (9 km from Vicuña, La Serena), the National Astronomical Observatory (Metropolitan Region) and the Andean Astronomical Observatory, near Farellones.
