Chile: the diversity of Andes in one single country.

The Andes mountain range in Latin America is the longest one in the world. It extends from Venezuela all the way down to the southern tip of Chile. This means the Andes encompasses thick rain forests, the driest desert in the world, high defying snowcapped peaks, ancient ruins, gorgeous lakes, luxury spas and termas, threatening volcanos, ski resorts, cozy little villages - all in one long mountain range.

It doesn´t mean, though, that one can enjoy all this diversity in one single trip. Getting to know a bit of these magnificent mountains requires at least a dozen different trips. Where to start or which places to visit depends entirely on your tastes - and Andes got something for everyone´s taste!

One thing is for sure: Chile is a great country to start visiting the Andes. Spreading vertically at the western coast of South America, Chile is limited by the Andes on almost all of its eastern border, and the famous mountain range pretty much defines Chile in numerous aspects: geographical, ethnical, cultural and, of course, touristic.

In northern Chile, you can visit the Atacama desert, which sits high above sea, nestled on a plain between the Andes and the coastal (lower) mountain range. In the Atacama, your Andes experience will be dramatically different from the experience you can have further south. It´s the driest desert in the world, and is home to several jaw-dropping sights, many of them high up in the Andes mountains. For instance, you can visit lakes (frozen in winter) as high up as 4000 m, surrounded by magnificent snowcapped peaks and volcanos, such as Laguna Meñique and Miscante. You can see native indians´ (mapuches and incas) ruins almost as old and intriguing as Macchu Pichu in Peru. You can visit bubbling sizzling geysers generated from underground volcanos that helped form the Andes. However, don´t expect your stay at San Pedro de Atacama (which people usually use as a base to explore the region) to be luxurious or anything. Except for incredibly expensive Explora hotel, the other joints at this city, as cozy and pretty as they can be, are closer to rustic accomodations than luxury hotels. Strolling around the city can be a problem for those used to high heels and fine dining, because none of the streets are paved - they´re all sandy dusty streets. For those who like this kind of place, it´s heaven.

If you choose to head south of Santiago, though, you will find european style cities, some of them very pretty and cozy, such as Pucon, Villarica, Frutillar. These cities are real magnets for practitioners of outdoors sports, such as trekking, rafting, horseback riding, etc. The views are spectacular, with volcanoes dotting the skyline now and then, as well as beautiful lakes and waterfalls. During winter, too, there are a few options. The sightseeing continues to be as good as in summer, plus the opportunity for some snow activity (snowshoeing, skiing, etc). In fact, there´s plenty to do outdoors, as well as a good network of hotels, from the affordable basic options to the top notch luxury hotels.

Both northern and southern Chile will need taking another flight from Santiago, as well as one to two hours transfer to the touristic cities. In case you´re not into tucking yourself away in a small hidden city, you can stay in Santiago and still enjoy the Andes. Not only you can see the range from the very heart of the city, you can also go up the mountains for the day and return. Most people do this during winter, to take advantage of Santiago´s proximity to a major ski area, formed by Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva and world-renown Valle Nevado.