Chile: From the Atacama Desert to the Glaciers of Patagonia

Chile is one of the most sought-after destinations for adventurous travelers, and for good reason. Stretching 4,300 km from north to south, it boasts four radically different ecosystems and a concentration of spectacular landscapes found nowhere else on Earth. But there’s a world of difference between “seeing Chile” and “experiencing Chile”—and that difference is a local guide.

The Atacama is the first image that comes to mind when you search for “travel to Chile.” The world’s driest desert is also one of the most colorful, with pink flamingo lagoons, the Tatio geysers spewing steam at -10°C at sunrise, and red sand dunes that no one has yet set foot on. Your Atacama guide knows the exact time to leave for each spot, knows the trails that avoid the crowds, and explains how this seemingly lifeless desert actually harbors an ecosystem of extraordinary richness.

Torres del Paine is one of the most visited national parks in South America, and one of the most beautiful in the world. The three pink granite towers, the blue glaciers calving into turquoise lakes, the condors soaring above your heads. Your Patagonian hiking guide knows the huts where you can sleep to catch the sunrise over the towers before everyone else, the side trails that offer viewpoints the classic route doesn’t, and the exact moment when the Patagonian clouds part to reveal the spectacle.

Valparaíso, Chile’s most creative port city, deserves far more than a day trip from Santiago. With its hills covered in street art, its creaking century-old elevators, and its sailors’ bars turned into art galleries, your local guide will take you to artists’ studios that gentrification hasn’t reached yet, and to ceviche restaurants run by the same families for three generations.

From the desert to the ice, your So-Guide guides will accompany you every step of the way.