It’s at the top of countless bucket lists for good reason: Torres del Paine, in Chile’s south, is a wonderland of snow-capped mountains, bright-blue glaciers and swooping valleys cloaked in plush grasslands and beech forests. While there are many ways to explore the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the multi-day W trek is the most popular route to take. Join the six-day G Adventures expedition and let the expert team guide you as they share the history of the national park and point out local flora and fauna along the way, including Patagonia’s ‘big five’: the puma, Andean condor, guanaco, huemul and Darwin’s rhea. If you prefer a self-guided experience, Swoop Patagonia will ensure there’s camping gear and meals waiting at your refugio – communal dorm-style accommodation and open-air campsites are available – at the end of each day. 

Just an hour’s drive south of Santiago, the Maipo Valley – renowned for its fresh and fragrant reds – specialises in growing Chile’s signature carménère grape and cabernet sauvignon. Book a full-day excursion with Maipo Valley Wine Tours and cycle around the mostly flat Isla de Maipo region, stopping for lunch at a homestead, a winery tour and three tastings along the way. Prefer to give your legs a rest? Opt for the Horseback Wine Tour instead: your day will kick off with breakfast in a local artist’s refreshed colonial abode before your trusty steed takes you trotting through the countryside to an alfresco Chilean grill lunch, followed by a visit to Undurraga Winery.

In the heart of the Atacama Desert – the driest on earth – an hour-long drive from San Pedro de Atacama, rest the seven hidden lagoons of Baltinache. Surrounded by vivid-white salt flats, the bright-turquoise shades of the water seem luminescent beneath the blistering sun. Visitors are permitted to swim in two of the pools (and will find that the salinity of the water makes everyone float) but it’s recommended that you lie on your back to prevent salt getting into your eyes. Book your tour with FlaviaBia Expeditions and you’ll enjoy a relaxed lunch by the lagoons before being driven back into town. 

The coastal hub of Valparaíso is known for its colourful 19th-century houses, eclectic street art and historic funiculars, which continue to transport residents and visitors up and down the undulating hills today. While there’s plenty of charm to be found ambling along the city’s winding cobblestoned streets, bring your swimmers and join the locals for a splash at Caleta de Horcón’s beaches. Afterwards, make your way to La Sebastiana Museum House and retrace the footsteps of Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. After becoming fatigued by the buzz of Santiago, he sought a tranquil retreat in Valparaíso and settled on this four-storey abode overlooking the bay and city below. Now the property is an homage to Neruda’s life, housing personal items including maritime-themed curios, artworks and photography.

While dipping your oar in the vividly aquamarine waters of Chile’s General Carrera Lake is magical in its own right, it’s the three Capillas de Marmól – Marble Chapels – dotting the lake’s glacial western shore that’ll command the bulk of your attention. Weathered by more than 6000 years of lapping waves, the walls and rock formations of the caves are a swirling wonder of blue and green hues, ideally viewed while kayaking between their limestone columns and arches. To see them at their best, book a guided morning tour from nearby Puerto Río Tranquilo (fly from Santiago to Balmaceda and take the 3.5-hour drive south-west) from September to February.

The 900-odd monumental moai statues of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) have presided over this tiny isle – 3500 kilometres west of Chile’s coast, an almost five-hour direct flight from Santiago – for more than 500 years, with some dating as far back as AD 1300. While some stand proudly in formation on stone ahu platforms along the edge of the island, with the Pacific Ocean as their backdrop, others are partially buried in the ground with only their striking heads emerging from the grass. The dramatic figures can be found primarily at the Rano Raraku crater and are largely hand-carved from tuff – compressed volcanic ash – with the largest (El Gigante) clocking in at 22 metres tall. Before boarding your flight, you’ll need to fill out this form. It’s important to note that most of the island’s attractions can be visited only with a registered tour guide and require an entrance ticket (valid for 10 days). 

Artfully nestled among the towering native trees of Villarrica National Park in the centre of Chile, the 18 slate-lined thermal pools that make up Termas Geométricas – and the bright-red timber bridges that connect them – are a tranquil escape into nature. The pools are fed by natural hot springs and range in temperature from 36 to 45℃ – no matter which one you settle into, you’ll hear little but the sound of the waters of the Aihué estuary and three nearby waterfalls tumbling over rocks and through the forest. To get there, the car journey is about 30 minutes from Coñaripe or one hour and 45 minutes from Pucón. 

A two-hour flight from Santiago, Chiloé is the second-largest island in Chile and is renowned for its unique architecture, ultra-fresh seafood and the diverse wildlife that inhabits its waterways and rainforests. In the main township of Castro, you’ll find colourful palafito stilt houses rising from the water and the sunshine-yellow Church of San Francisco – one of 16 UNESCO World Heritage-listed timber churches dotted across the isle. While you could spend your time exploring the island’s charming towns or national park, don’t skip visiting the bay of Puñihuil – it’s the only place in the world where you’ll spot Humboldt and Magellanic penguins nesting side by side (best seen from a boat on a guided tour) as well as cormorants, kelp geese and perhaps even sea otters.

Fringed by the Andes Mountains to the east, Chile offers some of the best skiing in the world. El Colorado ski resort (above) is a local favourite due to its close proximity to Santiago – it’s a 90-minute drive away – and is home to South America’s largest snow park (a configuration of rails, modules and jumps for skiers and snowboarders to perform tricks on). Here you’ll find more than 100 slopes that span beginner-friendly to experts-only, serviced by 15 ski lifts. For those who prefer something more secluded, the Nevados de Chillán is perched on the side of a volcano in the southern Andes and this mountain resort is where you’ll be able to test your skills on the 13-kilometre Tres Marías – the longest ski run on the continent – before treating your muscles to a soak in a thermal hot spring. 

The challenging 8.3-kilometre round-trip walk up Villarrica may get your heart rate pumping but the prospect of being able to see the volcano’s molten lava pit from the crater, in addition to the uninterrupted views you’ll get of this part of central Chile, makes it well worth the effort. With Ermitaño Expediciones, the daylong adventure starts in nearby Pucón – about 800 kilometres south of Santiago – followed by a 40-minute drive to the base of the volcano in Villarrica National Park. During the hike, there are regular stops for you to refuel and snap photos as your guides share the history of the area. The return journey takes a different route: thanks to Villarrica’s abundant snow, you’ll be able to slide (most of the way) down on a sled before celebrating with a beer back in town.

Sure, you can spot some of Chile’s famed glaciers while trekking its majestic national parks (the W Circuit will showcase the Grey Glacier and French Glacier in all their glory) but there’s something unforgettable about making the journey to witness a colossal mass of ice on water. On Howlander’s Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Tour, you’ll set sail from Puerto Natales in Patagonia, passing colonies of lazy sea lions and cormorants as your boat glides through the Última Esperanza Sound. At Bernardo O’Higgins National Park – the largest in the country – you’ll stretch your legs on a 40-minute trek that culminates in spectacular views of the immense Serrano Glacier and the 2030-metre-high hanging Balmaceda Glacier.

Sprawled across more than 105,000 square kilometres in Chile’s north, the Atacama Desert is the closest you’ll get to walking the surface of another “planet” without heading into space – in fact, it’s where NASA chooses to test rovers before sending them off to Mars. Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) is a 10-minute drive south-west of San Pedro de Atacama and its lunar-like landscape can be explored as part of a tour group (maximum 12 guests) or independently. Upon arrival, a park ranger will point out restricted zones and outline the rules, including that food and alcoholic beverages must not be consumed in Moon Valley. There are four easily accessible hiking trails open to visitors, each leading you to designated lookout points that provide fantastic views over the sand dunes and rock formations.

In 2015, the Elqui Valley in northern Chile, a one-hour drive from La Serena, was officially named the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary – a protected zone with minimal light pollution. The region boasts 300 nights of clear sky a year, paving the way for exceptional stargazing. After spending the day exploring the nearby town of Pisco Elqui – the “capital” of the Chilean liquor, pisco – head 15 kilometres east to the Cancana Observatory and make use of the facility’s telescopes to spot different constellations and planets in the sky above. If you’d rather take in the surrounds from pure comfort, check in to one of four observatory-style cabins at Elqui Domes – each has a large viewing window positioned right above the bed. 

Sitting 4320 metres above sea level in the Andes, El Tatio is a rugged geothermal field – the world’s highest – where more than 80 geysers regularly billow plumes of white steam and water into the air as a result of the region’s highly active volcanoes. The area is most spectacular at sunrise – on a Pukarumi morning tour, you’ll be treated to a light breakfast of eggs, cheese and bread after exploring El Tatio – when the sun paints the smoke and landscape in dreamy hues. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may also spot local vicuñas, ñandus and viscachas bounding between giant cacti along the way.