It is such a massive country, and underrated at that, that I am forced to accept having remorse that 5 weeks may not even be enough.
Anyhoo! I have to make do with what I have and after massive researching on the internet and reading and self-introspection on the kind of person I am and what I might like and what I mightn’t, I did manage to put on the paper a broad plan. It is hard to be certain about liking a place (or an experience) when you are sitting two 2 continents across, and hence, I am necessitated to be open to changing and pivoting plans, but only to the extent that I make it to all the flights I have booked.
The flights booked so far.
New Delhi to Santiago – 23rd April 2024
Santiago to Arica – 30th April
Coihaique (Balmaceda) to Punta Arenas – 21st May
Puerto Natales to Santiago – 29th May
Santiago to New Delhi – 30th May
I have divided the travel into 6 legs and tried to mark them on the map as well (embedded above).
1. The Santiago Leg
I plan to arrive in Santiago, the capital of the country on the morning of 24th April on the heels of a 14.5 hour flight from Paris, after a day long layover. I have been heard about the horror stories of the wealthy-man’s disease – the Jet Lag. While I am confident, even arrogant that I shall wing it successfully, but just in the odd case my armies are vanquished in the battle, I want to have a few days in Santiago to sleep and recover without anything on the agenda.
I am also hoping to finish off the behind-the-curtains tasks of currency conversion, basic grocery shopping, collecting the bib for the marathon and some other stuff that might come up.
The Santiago Marathon is on the morning of 28th April and that is when I hope to see the city and its historic streets and landmarks in all its glory. After spending a day to recover after the marathon, I hop on to a flight to Arica far up in the north and pop open the second leg of my travel.
2. Atacama and Elqui Valley
I am hoping to spend a day in Arica, a city raved for it’s nice charm and even nicer beaches. I, then, head to the small town of San Pedro de Atacama from Arica and spend 2-3 days there. The town is the hub for several tours to the Atacama desert and the several geological landforms that it offers.
After the sojourn in Atacama, I take a bus to the city of La Serena, in the Elqui Valley and stay in the city or maybe a town nearby, explring the valley and the great beer that I have read people in the valley make.
I take a bus further down, to the city of Valparaiso. A big city for all intents and purposes, I would stroll through the streets of the colorful city, imagine historic events taking place, or a great artist or poet or a philosopher walking the very streets and boulevards.
3. Sur Chico and Chiloe
I will travel to Santiago, an almost twin city to Valparaiso, where I can get a bus/train to travel southwards, to the city of Temuco or Valdivia. I plan to stay in a city in the Sur Chico region, Valdivia or Osorno, to unwind a from all the travelling so far and ready myself for the second half of the trip.
From Valdivia or Osorno, I plan to travel to the city of Puerto Montt/Puerto Varas, which are cities in the Lake District of Chile.
From Puerto Montt, I travel to Ancud, a city on the grand island of Chiloe. From Ancud I travel south in the island to the port town of Quellen or Castro, where I hope to get a ferry across to the mainland – to a city named Chaiten.
4. North Patagonia
From Chaiten, I travel across the heart of the North Patagonia and hope to end up in the city of Coihaique. Although I am at the mercy of buses, ferries and local transport to get to there, I would love to spend a day or two in Coihaique before I fly out to South Patagonia – to the province of Magellenes.
5. Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales
After a lucky direct flight from Coihaique to Punta Arenas, I arrive in the rugged and cold Magellenes. I have kept the itinerary open in this leg, for a lot is dependent on local travel available and my tiredness after all that travel and the odd chance that the beauty of some city would strike me so hard, that I would dump my plans and pitch my metaphorical tent right there.
6. Torres del Paine
The great Torres del Paine national Park is a top ranker on most travel itineraries to Chile and I hope to get a slice of it too. Difficult to figure from internet-based research on what sort of trekking options would be available, I jump on to the Shall-Wing-It bandwagon and then que sera sera.
From Torres del Paine, I move to the next door town Puerto Natales and take a flight back to Santiago, and then two trans-continental flights back home to India.
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