The first of the practical suggestions for Chile It has to do with internal flights. In Chile you can only find two companies with which to do internal routes: LAN and Sky Airline. Both have quite high prices for foreigners, something that does not happen for domestic travelers.
We, after many laps and reading the little existing information on the subject, reached several conclusions:
- It is quite common for tourists to make only one-way trips. With the LAN company, these are terribly more expensive than doing the same round trip, so it is worth checking prices for both possibilities and if the round trip is cheaper, book it, even if the return is not used. Keep in mind that the path to be used is always the first, since if it is the second and the first is not used, the second would be canceled.
- Another of the things we have observed with LAN is that multidestination routes are much cheaper than not buying flights separately, something that should also be taken into account to be able to make the comparison and stay with the most economical option or the one that more It fits our schedules.
- Regarding the Sky Airline company, just entering your website makes you select your country of origin, at the time you put "others", which includes Spain, the final prices of flights are significantly higher (shown in dollars).
For the route Puerto Montt-Punta Arenas, we try to book it directly through the option "country of origin Chile", payment with card and currency Chilean pesos. At the time of payment, we receive an error message, both with credit and debit card.
Making tests, we saw that if we selected currency exchange to dollars, the possibility of paying with Visa was activated and the price was still maintained "local", apart from being able to perfectly indicate all our Spanish data such as passport, telephone number ... etc. We were able to pay perfectly with our Spanish visa, but at a price"local"This is something to keep in mind since we only save about $ 100 on this journey, paying it this way.
Sky Airline flights from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas
We continue with the advice on flights in Chile. At least according to our experience, in all small airports, such as Calama, Punta Arenas or Puerto Montt, the procedures, both billing and security and boarding, have been fast, so unless you travel in high season or on holidays, you can go to the airport with a fairer time, although always within the prudential.
On the other hand, at the airport of Santiago de Chile, the lines for check-in are usually quite long, so it is best to go in time to avoid having to run.
There are several ways to go from the Santiago de Chile Airport (Arturo Merino Benitez Airport (AMB)) to the center of Santiago de Chile:
- Take a bus to the city center. There are several companies among which Turbus and Centropuerto Buses stand out from the lobby door and have several stop stations in the city (you can see all the stops on both websites). The price of the ticket is CLP 1700 per person and route.
Once at the stop that fits the location of your accommodation, you can take another bus or the subway until you reach the accommodation.
In our case, the best option staying at the Sommelier Express Hotel would have been to stop at the Alameda Terminal and from there take the Metro line 1 from "Universidad de Santiago" to the "Santa Lucia" stop about 200 meters from our hotel.
- Another option is to opt for a taxi, with an approximate price of 16,000 CPL, although from what we have read, in the arrivals hall to an aggressive mafia, which sometimes try to capture tourists, trying to charge more.
- Private Transfer: It is the one we have chosen considering that we arrive at 9 in the morning, after a 15-hour flight and then we have all day to tour the city. We have hired a service from the airport to the hotel for 26 euros to change for two people with tolls and tips included with Transvip making the reservation directly through Booking that offers the service after booking the hotel.
Money exchange in Chile and Easter Island:
There are several options to change money in Chile, according to our needs:
- Banks or exchange houses: In this case you have to carry cash and directly make the change in a bank or exchange house. It is advisable to take into account schedules and location, especially if you arrive on the weekend.
- Change in country of origin: According to our experience this would be the least recommended option, since commissions and currency exchange in general is much worse than any other option, in addition to having to carry all the cash during the travel.
- ATM: For us this would be the best option after putting it into practice in several countries. The commission that your bank will charge can be negotiated before leaving, in addition to being much more favorable than the commissions or currency exchange offered by the exchange houses of the country of destination. In Chile, the only thing we have to keep in mind is that the ATMs of the Santiago de Chile Airport only leave 150000CLP with a commission of 5000CLP something that also happens in most banks in the rest of the city and cities of Chile.
After testing in several banks, at the end of the Plaza de la Moneda we test at the State Bank and we verify that in this ATM we can take the limit we want from cash, without any restriction being a foreigner, and with a commission of 4000CLP This is something to keep in mind since if you do not need cash upon arrival, it would be best to wait to get to Santiago de Chile and get money at any ATM in this entity.
Keep in mind that when you enter your card and your pin number at the ATM, then you have to select the option "Foreign"If it is not impossible to get money.
Based on our experience, if you do not want to pay commissions and always have the current exchange, we recommend using the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
Entrance of the State Bank in Easter Island
SIM card in Chile: You can purchase a SIM card in Chile in several companies: Claro, Movistar and Entel. We chose Claro in Santiago, Chile, but after our experience and counting that the only one that works in both Chile and Easter Island is Entel, we would opt for this option, to avoid having to buy 2 cards on the same trip.
In Claro you have several options, we opt for the most complete one in which we buy a SIM card for 1000CLP plus a 15000CLP package that included 1000 minutes in local calls, 6GB of navigation + 4GB of navigation in RRSS, to consume in 30 days .
The process to activate it is to first buy the free card for 1000CLP, make a recharge of the money you want, that can be done in specific pharmacies or stores and once you have this recharge you only have to call the indicated number (* 103 #) and select the package you want.
Everything was managed by us in the Claro Store itself, but if we wanted to have made an extra recharge, we would have had to follow this procedure (excluding the purchase of the SIM card we already had). Holafly prepaid SIM card: Another option is to buy a Holafly SIM card being in Spain, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, saving you all the time of the negotiations and making the whole process to have internet much more comfortable, fast and easy.
In this case, with the Holafly SIM you will have several Gb to surf the Internet (depending on the option you choose), they will send it to you for free at home, you will keep your WhatsApp number and you will have assistance service in Spanish. You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader
More information on the Holafly post, the best prepaid SIM card for travel
Tips in Chile:
This is a somewhat controversial issue, especially for low-budget travelers. In Chile there is a kind of unwritten rule in which in the vast majority of restaurants, whether restaurants, bars or cafes, a tip of at least 10% of the bill is added directly to the final account, which is usually the usual percentage and is marked as "suggested tip"With the ticket. This tip is at your discretion to accept it or not, but in general terms and from what we could see it is accepted by the majority of customers. In our case and taking into account that the service has always been excellent, the We have always included in the total of the account, both when we have paid in cash and by card.
Comment that also, in most cases, the waiter, before making the payment, asks if you want to include it or not in the payment.
How to get from Santiago de Chile to Valparaíso:
- From the Alameda Terminal in Santiago, Chile, two bus companies leave for Valparaíso: Pullman and Turbus
- Both leave every few minutes and although not in principle it is not necessary to book, if you are going to travel on the weekend and / or high season, as it has happened to us, it is best to book the tickets, especially the return. As an example we will tell you that at 8 in the morning we find that there were only three seats left in the 8 pm bus.
- The price is 3000CLP per person and route.
- We finally decided on the Pullman company that have very comfortable and fully equipped buses.
- The journey is approximately 1:30 hours and the bus leaves you on the Roparaviario de Valparaíso, a kilometer and a half from the city center.
- From there you can walk to the most central area of Valparaíso, 15 minutes away or take one of the many micro buses in the area.
- If for any reason at the end you better change the schedule of the return, if there are places, you will have no problem. You just have to go to the box office and they will change it for the one you want without paying any extra.
Color in the streets of Valparaíso
Security in Valparaíso: While we were planning the planning of what to see in Valparaíso in one day, one of the things that caught our attention was the amount of warnings we read about showing valuables on the streets of the city, especially in the hills and less touristy places. After the experience we have to say that we are not insecure at any time, although it is also true that we were warned on a couple of occasions to keep the cameras and in the Artillery Elevator, directly the girl who charges the ticket told us that He did not recommend us to climb either to this or any of the following hills, as there had been enough tourist robberies.
We believe that the best thing in these cases is to follow the warnings and above all, act with common sense to avoid surprises afterwards: try not to bring valuables in sight, carry documentation and money in a pocket of clothing and try to walk around areas more frequented and tourist, avoiding the less visited areas.
Although we by organization only dedicate one day to Valparaíso, if you have the opportunity, it is best to stay one night in the city and thus be able to spend a couple of days in this incredible city, being able to enjoy this way with more tranquility.
Open Sky Museum in Valparaíso: If you want to see some of the best works of Valparaíso, we recommend you follow this incredible itinerary. Also following it until the end, you will arrive at Bellavista Hill, where you will also find La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda's house and another one of the essential visits in Valparaíso.
Plan of the Valparaíso Open Sky Museum of //www.pucv.cl/
From Santiago de Chile to Calama (Atacama Desert) we had the flight at 6:40 in the morning, so we had to leave the Hotel Sommelier Express early enough to be able to check in and board, so in this case we return to hire Transvip services, directly through its website for 21 euros total transfer for two people, a service that after the experience, we can not less than recommend.
Another of the tips for traveling to Chile is about the position that is best to have on the flight from Santiago de Chile to Calama, to enter the Atacama Desert. The best option is to sit on the right side of the plane, as you will have unique views of the mountain range in addition to the landscapes of the Atacama Desert area as the flight progresses. Keep in mind that this area of Chile is known for being one of the ones with some of the clearest skies in the world so it is practically assured to have unique views.
Recommendations for Altitude sickness in the Atacama Desert:
- Medications: In our case we took the same as when we were in the Colca Valley in Peru: Edemox, a medication that help to avoid and / or alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness. In our case, take them one day before reaching height, one in the morning and one at night and we will continue them for 2 more days after reaching maximum height. You have to take into account that this is a personal experience and that you have to ALWAYS discuss it with a doctor.
- One of the things we were warned of is that altitude sickness is caused, in large part, by psychological factors. Arriving at the place with fear, giving great importance to the height you are in or controlling the symptoms of your body every minute does not help at all in this situation.
- Another recommendation is not to eat too much or drink alcohol.
- It is also advisable to sleep the necessary hours and not make extra efforts such as running or exaggerated gestures.
- Apart from these recommendations, during the days that we have been in the Atacama Desert, we have chewed coca leaves. The procedure is simple: you put about 5 sheets and the chews for about 3-4 minutes, then you get about 4 or 5 more and do the same, until you finish with another 4-5 more leaves. You should chew 12-15 sheets for about 10 minutes, to take effect, at which point you will notice that the lips are numb a little.
In Chile, coca leaves are much smaller than those you can find in Peru and we also don't find catalysts, so the sensation of numbness in the mouth is practically nil.
Along with the leaves we have also taken coca candies and drank coca tea during the days we were in San Pedro de Atacama.
- Another of the things we can do is bring coca tea on excursions. In your accommodation you can ask for water to be heated in a jar, put enough coca leaves or sachets in case you want to do so and let it slowly temper. Once at room temperature, you pass the mate to a large bottle of water and drink throughout the tour. We did it and the truth is that it is going well.
- Despite all these recommendations and tips to avoid altitude sickness in the Atacama Desert, in our case and on this occasion, in Peru it did not happen, we suffered some effects of altitude sickness such as headache, fatigue and fatigue.
Preparing for altitude sickness in Chile
Something that we must take into account in a trip to Chile that includes the Atacama Desert is that on many occasions we will be above 3000 meters of altitude, so we must have a travel insurance that covers any setback or need that We can have at this point.
This is something you don't always think about, since most insurances don't cover over this height. Booking here with Mondo, an insurance brokerage that after making an exhaustive analysis of the market and negotiating with the best companies puts at your disposal the best offer, adapting perfectly to the type of trip you are going to make, you can also contract your travel insurance, this supplement that for a super tight price, will allow you to travel safely even if you are more than 3000 meters away.
Also, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.
While organizing the planning for the days we were at Atacama Desert One of the big questions we had was whether to book all the tours we wanted to do online or do it directly in San Pedro de Atacama. After reading several opinions, we decided to take the itinerary that we wanted to follow the 5 days we had in the area and on December 20, that we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama in the morning, to dedicate part of the afternoon to visit several agencies and decide on one of them according to impressions and opinions.
This was the first option, but after seeing that some agencies had packs that included the transfer from the airport of Calama to San Pedro de Atacama, we decided to manage it by email, in order to take advantage of these offers in addition to carrying everything tied.
Now, after the experience, we have to say that we would do it again without hesitation, since in this way you can read opinions on the internet and not rely solely on the first impression once in the place.
Something to keep in mind is that due to tourism, many agencies have been opened in the area and not all of them are "trustworthy" or give good service, so it is worth asking other travelers, reading on the internet or directly getting information on the Tourist Office not to take unpleasant surprises.
Atacama Desert Tours: There are hundreds of companies in San Pedro de Atacama with which to compare and manage the different tours that can be done in the area. In our case we have opted for the company Desert Adventure, highly recommended on the internet and in the guide of Chile and Easter Island of Lonely Planet.
With them we hire the most important tours you can do in this area of Chile:
- Tour Valley of the Moon and Death Valley (half day - afternoon as you will see the sunset)
- Altiplanic Lagoons Tour (all day)
- Salar del Tara Tour (all day)
- Tour Géiseres del Tatio (half day - tomorrow leaves at dawn)
The price of these tours plus the transfer to / from Calama airport to San Pedro de Atacama is 150000CLP per person plus the price of tickets that are not included in the price and are paid once at destination and are specified in the corresponding day of the trip guide to Chile and Easter Island.
Red Stones Tours in San Pedro de Atacama
The Salar de Tara Tour from San Pedro de Atacama is the highest altitude tour, reaching 4900 meters and throughout the day it is over 4600 meters, so it is advisable to do it on the last day or when the body is a bit adapted to height.
Keep in mind that although all tours from San Pedro de Atacama can be done for free, renting a tourism car or 4 × 4, in the case of the Monks of the Pecan and the Salar de Tara, you have to pay special attention since they are in a location, in which there is no type of Signage or trails in sight, so it is practically impossible to get your bearings and where it would not be the first time tourists have been lost and had to be rescued. With this in mind, we believe it is worth being aware of how dangerous it can be to avoid unnecessary risks.
Tara salt
Initially the transfer from Santiago de Chile to Puerto Montt, to base in Castro and to know the Island of Chiloé we propose it by moving from Calama (Atacama Desert) to Santiago de Chile by plane, then go to the bus station and take a night bus, 12 hours to Puerto Montt and Once there, pick up a rental car that in about 4 hours would take us to Castro. After several laps of this itinerary we saw that although feasible, it really would be a couple of days complicated from the logistic point of view and for our body, so after giving several turns to the possibilities we decided to make the first flight Calama-Santiago de Chile, sleep in Santiago de Chile, near the airport and the next day, at 7 in the morning, catch a flight with Sky Airline for 70 euros per person, which in 1 hour and a half would leave us in Puerto Montt, from where in Rental car go to Chiloé.
In this way we believe that, even if it means taking one more flight, the journey is much more comfortable and quiet.
If you want to visit the National Park of Chiloé, you have to consider several things:
The park is located about 50 kilometers from Castro, entering through Cucao, the entrance area of the Chiloé National Park.
Something to keep in mind is that the Chiloé National Park has 3 distinct zones:
- Chepu: The northernmost area of the three, in which there is a sea lion colony located on the Metalqui Island, which is very difficult to access, in addition to requiring special permits.
- Abtao: Located in the middle area of the park, it currently has restricted access, unless you do an 18-kilometer trek from Pichihué.
- Chanquín: This is the most accessible area, which most tourists access and where the beginning of the eight trails you can do inside the park.
Chiloé National Park Map
Of the 8 trails we mentioned earlier there are four that are the most tourist:
- El Tepual Trail: 1 kilometer trail, which enters a forest through different walkways. Highly recommended for what they told us and we have read.
- Cucao Dunes Trail: This is one of the trails we made. Go through a forest until you reach a viewpoint, the beach and the ocean.
- Cucao Beach Trail: Perfect complement to the Dunas de Cucao Trail, which we also do. This trail is a small 1.5 kilometer hike that shows another area of the Chiloé National Park.
- Canquin-Cole Cole Trail: The park's best known trail but also the longest and most difficult to walk. There are 25 kilometers, about 6 hours of one-way hiking, which is done along the coast and reaches the Cole River, passing through Lake Huelde.
Keep in mind that the weather in Chiloé is quite changing, in addition to being quite rainy, so it is worth bringing clothes and shoes suitable for rain, in addition to bringing water and food, especially if you want to do some long path, since within the National Park there are no places to be able to stock up.
At the entrance of the Chiloé National Park there is a small information booth of CONAF where in addition to buying tickets, 2000CLP per person, you can pick up a map where you can see the different trails.
After having enjoyed Castro, the Route of the Chiloé Churches and the Chiloé National Park and the Muelle de las Almas, we have to say that we love this area of Chile.
We recommend that you spend at least 3 or 4 days in Chiloé to enjoy Castro, a route through the Chiloé Churches One or two days, to take you through the most interesting and another to know the National Park, another of the essentials of this area of Chile.
Church of Our Lady of Nercón
Pier of Souls
If you decide to fly from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas we advise you to choose a seat on the left side of the plane. The views of continental Chiloé, snow-capped mountains, volcanoes and glaciers are really spectacular and make the 1:45 hours of flight pass as if it had been a minute.
Glaciers on the flight from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas
One of the main reasons we have stopped at Punta Arenas is, in addition to being the gateway to Torres del Paine, for doing one of the most famous tours in this area of the country: the Magdalena Island and Marta Tour, in which can be seen, accessing by boat Magellan penguins, sea lions, sea elephants, sheep tonines, cormorants, seagulls, skua, petrels, Antarctic seagulls and Antarctic pigeons, in addition to landing on Magdalena Island and walking among penguins.
The most common option is to hire this tour through an agency, in the afternoon, in which the trip is done on a larger ship. We have had an inconvenience and it is that our stay between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales included the day January 1, day in which no tour is done and in which we had initially scheduled to navigate to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers from Puerto Natales Having to advance this tour to December 31 (a unique way to say goodbye to the year), we had to advance the Tour to Magdalena Island and Marta to the 30th in the morning, since in the evening we had to take a bus that took us from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales.
That said and having to be available in the afternoon for the transfer to Puerto Natales, we had no choice but to look for an alternative in the morning, which we found in the company Solo Expediciones, which operates with fast rigid boats, also adding Marta to the Magdalena Island and offering this tour for $ 90 per person, but with which we make sure we are around 1 noon again in Punta Arenas.
This tour leaves at 7 in the morning from its offices at C / Jose Nogueira 1255 (the meeting time is at 6: 45h) and returns to Punta Arenas at 12:30 noon.
Magdalena Island Tour
The route from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, which has an approximate duration of 3 hours and a quarter we have done it with Bus Sur (here you can see the schedules and make the reservation online) for 7000 CLP per person ($ 11.70 per person). The bus leaves from the South Bus Terminal of Punta Arenas and arrives at the Puerto Natales Rodoviario Terminal.
One of the tours that you cannot miss if you are in Puerto Natales is the Balmaceda and Serrano Glacier Tour. We did it with the company Agunsa Patagonia on a 10-hour tour, which included lunch.
On this tour you can get close to the Balmaceda Glacier, from which you will have stunning views from the boat and from the Serrano Glacier, where you can arrive after a short walk.
Balmaceda Glacier
In our case, for Go from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine We opted for the Bus-Sur company that has two departures a day, one of them at 7 in the morning and another at 2 in the afternoon for $ 15 per person each way.
They indicate that from their website you can make the reservation online, but when you try to do so, the system failed, so we sent an email and they asked us for all personal data by email and then they sent us an invoice by Paypal to make the payment . Fast and very comfortable, although the reception of the tickets cost us "life and miracles", since once the payment was made, several days passed and not receiving the tickets and sending a few emails without response, we had to get in touch through social networks, having the luck to find a girl who attended us in at all times and he took care to manage the problem and send us, after several days the tickets.
The days we are in Torres del Paine we will stay at the Hotel Las Torres, all inclusive, something that also includes the transfer from the airport of Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales to the same hotel, in the area of Laguna Amarga. These transfers have a fixed time and we, being in Puerto Natales have preferred to opt for the bus to arrive before the hotel and thus be able to take advantage of almost the whole day. On the day of departure, we went to Santiago de Chile, and then linked to the flight to Easter Island, we did use the transfer service offered by the hotel.
Depending on which area of the Torres del Paine National Park you want to go, you must go down in one area or another of the park.
If your idea is to make the Trekking to the Base of the Torres del Paine you must get off at the Laguna Amarga stop and from there walk, about 7 kilometers to the Hotel Las Torres, from where the actual trekking begins or take another bus that It will take you directly there for about $ 4 or so.
Once you arrive at Laguna Amarga or any of the stops of the National Park Torres del Paine, you must access the corresponding kindergarten where you must register using a form to then pay 21000CLP per person. According to what they tell us, you can pay by credit card, although sometimes the connection can fail as it happened to us, so we advise you to take cash since if there is a problem in the park there are no ATMs, and to enter the National Park Torres del Paine It is totally necessary to have paid the entrance fee.
Trekking Base Torres del Paine
Another of the Practical suggestions for Chile and Easter Island is that, on the flight from Santiago de Chile to Easter Island, you choose the right part on the way out and the left part on the way back.
These positions will give you incredible views of the island, which we are sure, will not disappoint you.
If you want to buy one SIM card in Easter Island, you should keep in mind that the only company that exists on the island is Entel, so if you have bought a card with another company in continental Chile, as we did, it will not work for you and you will have to buy another one from Entel.
The 1GB package costs 7500CLP and 1150CLP the SIM with 1000CLP in calls and the store is located on Kiri Reva Street, just in front of the State Bank.
One of the first tips for traveling to Easter Island is that you buy, if you can, the book Discovering Easter Island, a book that they sell in the majority of Hanga Roa stores, and that describes in a very explicit and simple way, all the tourist attractions of the island and that will allow you to know it much more, especially if you are going to visit it for free.
Discovering Easter Island
To access the Rapa Nui National Park You have to pay a ticket, which although some time ago, only requested in Orongo and Rano Raraku, today they ask for it in almost 99% of the park's locations, so we recommend that you buy the ticket the first day you You want to start visiting the island to avoid surprises.
El ticket para acceder al Parque Nacional Rapa Nui tiene una validez de 10 días a partir del primer control que pases y tiene un precio de 80$ (adultos) y 40$ (niños).
Puedes adquirirlo en el puesto que está en la zona de acceso del Aeropuerto Mataveri durante el horario de llegada de los vuelos, en la Oficina Central ubicada en la calle Atamu Tekena o en la Oficina Provincial de la CONAF de Mataveri.
Hay que tener en cuenta que en la gran mayoría de puntos de interés de Isla de Pascua no hay infraestructuras como baños, ni posibilidades de comprar agua o comida. Únicamente encontrarás estos servicios en Orongo, Rano Raraku y Anakena, por lo que merece la pena tenerlo en cuenta y preveer las necesidades del día antes de salir de Hanga Roa para poder comprar todo lo necesario y no tener que volver.
Rano Kau
Si viajas a Isla de Pascua estamos seguros que alguno de los días irás a disfrutar del amanecer en Ahu Tongariki. Ten en cuenta que la salida del sol es aproximadamente a las 7:30 de la mañana en el mes de enero, pero lo ideal es estar aproximadamente una hora antes para ver las primeras luces del sol. Desde el Hangaroa Eco Village Spa, donde nos alojamos nosotros hay aproximadamente 20 kilómetros hasta Ahu Tangariki y unos 30 minutos. El estado de la carretera, aunque es bueno, hay bastantes baches por lo que merece la pena contar con unos minutos extra, sobre todo si vienes a ver el amanecer, ya que conducir de noche no es lo mismo que hacerlo de día. Merece la pena contar con unos 30-45 minutos para llegar de Hanga Roa a Ahu Tongariki.
Amanecer en Ahu Tongariki
Inicialmente preparar un itinerario por la Isla de Pascua puede parecer algo dificultoso, por la cantidad de lugares que hay que ver en la isla. Después de leer la guía y tener bastante claro los lugares que queríamos visitar en los 8 días que íbamos a pasar en la isla, decidimos que lo mejor era dividir la isla en cuatro, centrándonos en las localizaciones según estuviesen ubicadas en el norte, sur, este u oeste.
Esta clasificación nos permitiría tener 4 días completos de visitas o 8 medio días, que podríamos mover si algún día llovía o hacía mal tiempo, y nos daría el margen de tener dos días extra, en los que repetir las localizaciones que más nos gustasen o relajarnos en uno de los lugares con más magia del mundo.
Además contaríamos con la tarde de nuestro día de llegada y la mañana del día de despedida, que los dedicaríamos por completo a disfrutar del Hotel Hangaroa Eco Village Spa, o disfrutar del pueblo, que tampoco hemos querido perdernos.
Aquí puedes encontrar el detalle con los lugares que ver en Isla de Pascua, con los correspondientes mapas y explicaciones.
Rano Raraku
Si tu visita a Isla de Pascua coincide con algún domingo, no dejes de asistir a la misa que tiene lugar en la Iglesia de Hanga Roa.
The alquiler de coche en Isla de Pascua para nosotros era imprescindible, por lo que después de consultar varias webs, vimos que hay tres compañías principales que se dedican al alquiler de 4×4, furgonetas e incluso bicicletas. Estas son:
- Insular Rent a Car
- Mahinatur
- Oceanic Rapa Nui Rent a Car
Después de escribir a las tres empresas y recibir los mismos precios por parte de todas ellas, optamos por reservar con Oceanic Rapa Nui, ya que vimos buenas opiniones en internet de la empresa y fueron los primeros en contestar. El precio por día por un Suzuki Jimmy, el más pequeño, es de 45000CLP, que podían traernos sin coste adicional al hotel o lo podíamos ir a buscar nosotros mismos a la oficina.
Nuestro coche de alquiler en Isla de Pascua
Another of the consejos para Isla de Pascua es que debés tener en cuenta que los domingos cierra todo el comercio, a excepción de algunos bares y restaurantes. Merece la pena contar con ello para así poder planificar las visitas en torno al día festivo de la semana.
Calles de Hanga Roa
We cannot finish this series of sugerencias para viajar a Chile y la Isla de Pascua sin dar las gracias a Bea y Roger, que nos dieron muchísimos consejos sobre la zona de Atacama y el sur de Chile. A Alan x el Mundo por sus vídeos, que como siempre nos ayudaron muchísimo con la planificación del viaje a Chile y la Isla de Pascua y nos animan a seguir viajando y persiguiendo nuestros sueños. A Lowcosteros, por la información que tienen de la zona del Desierto de Atacama, que nos ayudó a decidirnos qué tours hacer. a Enric y Celia de Quaderns de Bitàcola, por todos los consejos que nos dieron para Isla de Pascua, donde han estado un par de veces. A Carles y Cris, de Wetravel.cat, por ese día que no olvidaremos en Chiloé, compartiendo un terremoto, una alerta de tsunami y una merluza austral que estaba para chuparse los dedos y por los momentos que compartimos en Isla de Pascua.
Y como no, a todos y cada uno de los viajeros que nos dejaron comentarios en Facebook, Twitter e Instagram, con infinidad de consejos, que nos fueron de perlas para este viaje. A todos, ¡MUCHÍSIMAS GRACIAS!
Queremos dar las gracias de manera especial a Martina, jefa de Marketing del Hotel Las Torres, donde nos alojamos los días que estuvimos en Torres del Paine, tanto por su amabilidad como su paciencia ayudándonos y orientándonos para la reserva del vuelo de Punta Arenas a Santiago de Chile, para que pudiésemos disfrutar de una mañana más en Torres del Paine, su compañía durante nuestra estancia y sobre todo, por ser la mejor guía y compañera en el Trekking a la Base de las Torres del Paine, uno de los momentos más increíbles del viaje.
Dónde comer en Chile y la Isla de Pascua
En Santiago de Chile, en la zona de la Plaza de Armas os recomendamos el Restaurante El Fogón, de gastronomía peruana. Nosotros pedimos un plato de arroz con marisco, más unos chicharrones mixtos, 2 jugos de mango y dos cafés por 20000CLP.
Comiendo en el Restaurante El Fogón
En el Barrio Bellavista, en la parte trasera del Patio Bellavista, está el restaurante Ciudad Vieja una de las sangucherías más recomendadas de Santiago de Chile.
Nosotros pedimos un sandwich de carne empanada y otro de atún, más refresco y una cerveza artesanal 25000CLP que tenemos que decir, están inmejorables. Otra cosa a destacar es la exquisita atención por parte de los camareros que te aconsejan qué tipo de bebida tomar, qué sandwich escoger o incluso el tipo de pan que es mejor para cada uno de ellos.
Sandwich de atún en el restaurante Ciudad Vieja
Si vienes a Valparaíso no puedes perderte probar la famosa chorrillana (una auténtica bomba calórica) y el lugar idóneo para hacerlo es en el Casino Social J.Cruz, el lugar en el que dicen, se inventó este plato.
Hay que tener en cuenta que únicamente sirven este plato y refrescos o varias variedades de vino.
Nosotros pedimos una chorrillana para dos, más una coca cola y un vino con frutilla por 14600CLP. A tener en cuenta que no sirven café.
Chorrillana at the J.Cruz Social Casino
Si buscas al different en San Pedro de Atacama no puedes perderte la Pizzería El Charrua, el italiano más recomendado del pueblo donde tanto la pasta como las pizzas están espectaculares.
Además de por muchos otros platos, os recomendamos ir al Sol Inti Restaurant, un restaurante muy recomendado en el que podrás comer unas ensaladas increíbles a unos precios muy ajustados.
Ensalada César en el Sol Inti Restaurant
No tendrás problemas para encontrar restaurantes en Castro en Chiloé de calidad. Aunque nosotros te recomendamos algunos, que después de nuestra experiencia, creemos, destacan sobre el resto.
Mercadito en Castro
El primero es Mercadito, ubicado en la Avenida Puerto Montt, donde comemos ceviche de atún, un atún con costra de sésamo, unos palitos de merluza y unas manchas a la parmesana, típicas de la zona, más una cerveza, un refresco y un expreso por 42000CLP.
Cena en Mercadito en Castro
Otro de los restaurantes que te recomendamos en Castro es el Restaurante Nueva Galicia, uno de los más recomendados de la ciudad, donde nosotros pedimos un congrio con patatas al vapor, unas ostras y pulpo al pil pil con un par de refrescos, dos postres y dos cafés por 52000CLP.
El precio de media docena de ostras es de 6000CLP, por lo que si te gustan, merece la pena aprovechar esta zona de Chile para degustar, ya que además de los precios ajustados, están buenísimas.
Restaurante Nueva Galicia
Restaurante Nueva Galicia
Otro de los restaurantes recomendados en Castro es Mar&Canela, ubicado en un palafito. Es recomendable reservar ya que suele estar lleno, sobre todo por las noches. Nosotros pedimos un plato de machas, un plato de carne y uno de una butifarra de la casa, más una copa de vino y agua por 46000CLP. Totalmente recomendable.
Machas en Mar&Canela
Cena en Mar&Canela
Si vas al Parque Nacional de Chiloé no dejes de acercarte a Tradiciones Morelia un restaurante ubicado en el kilómetro 25 de la carretera w850, especializado en las empanadas.
Tradiciones Morelia
Nosotros pedimos dos empanadas por persona, dos de carne, una de queso y una de machas más refresco y cerveza , dos porciones de tata de frambuesa y dos cafés de grano por 12500CLP. Todo espectacular.
Tradiciones Morelia
Tradiciones Morelia
Si estás en Punta Arenas no puedes perderte ir al Kiosko Roca, uno de los lugares más recomendados de la ciudad y todo un emblema.
Nosotros pedimos 5 choriquesos, más una coca cola y una leche con plátano por 4600CLP que nos confirman el motivo por el que este es uno de los locales de restauración más nombrados de la ciudad.
Kiosko Roca en Punta Arenas
El funcionamiento es un tanto curioso y que se debe tener en cuenta, sobre todo si no quieres esperar más de lo necesario, ya que suele estar siempre lleno.
Una vez dentro, tienes dos opciones:
- Quedarte de pie, esperando tu turno para hacer tu pedido para llevar.
- Sentarte en uno de los taburetes que hay en la barra y esperar que te sirvan tu pedido para comer allí. Esta opción es la más rápida ya que además de tener preferencia, la mayoría de clientes se llevan la comida.
Nosotros optamos por la segunda opción y podemos decirte que en menos de 20 minutos estábamos sentados frente a unos choripanes deliciosos.
Comiendo en el Kiosko Roca en Punta Arenas
Si quieres comer pescado, o cualquier otro plato, en Punta Arenas te recomendamos que no te pierdas La Marmita.
Nosotros pedimos un salmón ahumado con ensalada, un plato de salmón a la plancha y una merluza austral más cerveza, refresco y de postre un cramble de manzana acompañado por dos expresos por 39800CLP. Todo impresionante.
Comiendo en La Marmita
Postre en La Marmita
En Puerto Natales no puedes dejar de probar Afrigonia un restaurante de comida afrochilena que es espectacular.
Nosotros pedimos un salmón y también un plato de filete silvestre más dos postres, una copa de vino y un agua por 40000CLP. Totalmente recomendable y casi imprescindible reservar ya que suele estar lleno.
Cena Afrigonia
En Isla de Pascua, además de en Hanga Roa, pocos lugares encontrarás en los que poder comer y encima bien, ya que únicamente hay infraestructuras en Rano Raraku y Anakena.
En Rano Raraku no comimos, por lo que no podríamos recomendarlo, pero en Anakena comimos unas empanadas y unos zumos naturales, en el restaurante que hay mirando al parking a mano derecha y podemos decirte que es totalmente recomendable.
Nosotros pedimos un par de empanadas, con una para una persona ya está bien, más dos zumos de fruta natural y dos cafés por 28600CLP.
Eating in Anakena
