Valparaiso

Advantages: AMAZING scenery
Disadvantages: food's a bit boring

...I had was bathing in some hot springs up in the Andes with snow falling around us - an unmissable experience! Up in the north is the Attacama desert (the driest desert in the world, I am told...) which has beautiful sparse scenery. Every so often in the barren desert you come across a huge lake which is quite a sight. The north is good to visit apart from the scenery because it is so Chilean in feel (unlike the more Westernized central region). Valparaiso and Vina del Mar in the centre of the country are lovely coastal resorts, particularly Valparaiso - a charming, higgledy-piggledy place which is a hive of activity and history. I didn't get the chance to visit the south of the country which contains a famously beautiful lake district and some glacial lakes, but I am told it is the best part to visit. The middle and north of the country... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Quiet, luxurious
Disadvantages: Expensive

...... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

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

...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 coastal towns of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar often teem with weekenders during December and January. The impact of several historical figures can still be felt throughout the city. The civic centre is the Plaza De Armas and has a huge monument to the city's founder Pedro De Valdiva. The main thoroughfare Av. Liberator General O'Higgins (more commonly known as Alameda) is named after the first leader of the Chilean Republic in the early 19th century. Bernardo O'Higgins was half Irish and his indelible mark can be seen in Santiago... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: AMAZING scenery
Disadvantages: food's a bit boring

...I had was bathing in some hot springs up in the Andes with snow falling around us - an unmissable experience! Up in the north is the Attacama desert (the driest desert in the world, I am told...) which has beautiful sparse scenery. Every so often in the barren desert you come across a huge lake which is quite a sight. The north is good to visit apart from the scenery because it is so Chilean in feel (unlike the more Westernized central region). Valparaiso and Vina del Mar in the centre of the country are lovely coastal resorts, particularly Valparaiso - a charming, higgledy-piggledy place which is a hive of activity and history. I didn't get the chance to visit the south of the country which contains a famously beautiful lake district and some glacial lakes, but I am told it is the best part to visit. The middle and north of the country... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Quiet, luxurious
Disadvantages: Expensive

...... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

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

...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 coastal towns of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar often teem with weekenders during December and January. The impact of several historical figures can still be felt throughout the city. The civic centre is the Plaza De Armas and has a huge monument to the city's founder Pedro De Valdiva. The main thoroughfare Av. Liberator General O'Higgins (more commonly known as Alameda) is named after the first leader of the Chilean Republic in the early 19th century. Bernardo O'Higgins was half Irish and his indelible mark can be seen in Santiago... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful