Santiago

Advantages: A relatively gentle introduction to South America.
Disadvantages: For such a big city it lacks a little in visitor attractions.

Santiago is a little out of sync with the continent in finds itself in. Most South American cities are known for their bustle and ability to scare the living daylights out of freshly arrived travellers, yet Chile's capital has a somewhat restrained and openly friendly atmosphere. Just as well too, because we arrived in the city with barely a word of Spanish and nothing in the way of accommodation booked. Santiago's population of 6 million people ...
...in the city. Santiago is dwarfed by the snow capped climes of the Andes (only 25 miles away) making for some spectacular photos on a clear day. Access to the world renowned Chilean ski fields is easy with the best (Farrelones) only an hours drive from downtown. Its geography means that the climate can be cool and damp during the winter but summertime often brings sapping heat and lung clogging smog. The pacific is only 65 miles away so the nearby ... Read review

Advantages: different unspoiled powder relaxed
Disadvantages: mid-priced

About 2 hours east of Santiago are the ski resorts of La Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado. All 3 resorts are connected (you can ski between them if you have the right pass) and there are plenty of runs and some world-class off-piste. You can make the trip up and down from Santiago in a day but its worth taking two (at least) if you can ski or snowboard. As well as the resorts, there is a small town called Farrellones located next to the resort ...
...daily bus service up from Santiago but its much more common to hitchhike to and from the resorts. Take some warm clothes as you will probably be riding in the back of a pickup. If you want to stay longer, there are a couple of hostels in Farrellones, but you will need to speak spanish to get the best deals. There is also an internet cafe in farellones and a bar in El Colorado, but there is no European-style apres-ski culture in Chile. If you are ... Read review

Advantages: Nice hotel, good steak, skiing
Disadvantages: Very big, no laundrettes

Santiago is a fine city. We stayed in a hostel called the hotal Londres, a huge, elegant building with high ceilings and shutters with ensuite rooms and breakfast, for about 12 dollars a night. We managed to go skiing at a resort only an hour's drive from the city, and had a great day on the slopes. Then we came back to eat the best steak any of us has ever tasted at a huge steak house. We also went to the cinema one rainy afternoon, delighted to ...
...subtitles. Santiago also has a couple of nice parks - one of which has a funicular railway that takes you up to a point from where you can gaze over the city. There are some nice shops too, but we had difficulty finding American Express and a laundrette! ... Read review