Country guide

Chile

The Atacama's moonscapes, Patagonia's granite towers and Santiago's wine valleys, four thousand kilometres of latitude in one thin country.

Currency

CLP

Language

Spanish

English

Limited

Payment

Cards & cash mixed

Power

Type C / L

230 V, 50 Hz

Dialing

+56

Destinations

Chile

Easter Island (Hanga Roa)

The most remote inhabited island on earth, where a thousand carved stone ancestors still stand with their backs to the Pacific.

✓ best Aug-Mar

Chile

Punta Arenas

The biggest city on the Strait of Magellan, where a boat ride puts you among tens of thousands of nesting penguins.

✓ best Dec-Feb

Chile

Santiago

A capital with the Andes as its back wall - vineyards at the city's edge, ski slopes an hour or two up the road.

✓ best Sep-May

Chile

Torres del Paine (Puerto Natales)

The best trekking in South America: three granite towers, a glacier you can walk to, and wind that never lets up.

✓ best Oct-Mar

Chile

Valparaiso

A port city of steep painted hills, funiculars and murals, and the most bohemian city in Chile.

✓ best all year

The sweet-spot windows

Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.

Where	When	Why it works	Watch out for
Atacama	Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct	Clear skies, mild days, epic stargazing. Good year-round	Cold nights all year
Santiago	Oct-Nov, Mar-Apr	Spring or autumn: warm, dry, wine country at its best	Jun-Aug cold + wet
Torres del Paine	Nov-Dec, Mar	Shoulder of trek season: fewer people, less ferocious wind	Jun-Aug winter, mostly shut

Climate zones, month by month

Chile has 5 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.

Easter Island (Hanga Roa) →

Jan

27°

20°

81mm

10d rain

Feb

28°

21°

69mm

10d rain

Mar

27°

20°

87mm

11d rain

Apr

26°

19°

123mm

12d rain

May

23°

18°

117mm

12d rain

Jun

22°

17°

109mm

12d rain

Jul

21°

16°

113mm

12d rain

Aug

21°

16°

97mm

11d rain

Sep

22°

16°

97mm

10d rain

Oct

23°

16°

91mm

9d rain

Nov

24°

18°

75mm

9d rain

Dec

26°

19°

70mm

9d rain

✓ Best Aug-Mar

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Punta Arenas Patagonia →

Jan

15°

7°

38mm

8d rain

Feb

15°

7°

32mm

7d rain

Mar

13°

5°

43mm

8d rain

Apr

10°

4°

45mm

9d rain

May

7°

2°

37mm

8d rain

Jun

4°

0°

31mm

7d rain

Jul

4°

-1°

31mm

7d rain

Aug

6°

0°

30mm

7d rain

Sep

8°

1°

25mm

6d rain

Oct

11°

3°

25mm

6d rain

Nov

13°

5°

23mm

6d rain

Dec

14°

6°

32mm

8d rain

✓ Best Dec-Feb · ✗ Avoid May-Aug

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Santiago →

Jan

30°

14°

1mm

0d rain

Feb

30°

13°

1mm

0d rain

Mar

28°

12°

4mm

0d rain

Apr

23°

9°

18mm

2d rain

May

19°

7°

43mm

4d rain

Jun

16°

5°

80mm

5d rain

Jul

16°

4°

50mm

4d rain

Aug

18°

5°

44mm

3d rain

Sep

20°

7°

25mm

3d rain

Oct

23°

9°

12mm

1d rain

Nov

27°

10°

5mm

0d rain

Dec

29°

12°

3mm

0d rain

✓ Best Sep-May

Conditions Jan-Feb Hot & dry · Mar Warm autumn · Apr Mild · May Cool & wet · Jun Cold & wet · Jul Coldest, wet · Aug Cool · Sep Spring · Oct Warm spring · Nov Warm

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Torres del Paine (Puerto Natales) Patagonia →

Jan

17°

6°

35mm

25d rain

Feb

16°

6°

35mm

21d rain

Mar

14°

4°

40mm

23d rain

Apr

10°

2°

45mm

22d rain

May

6°

0°

40mm

21d rain

Jun

4°

-2°

30mm

20d rain

Jul

4°

-3°

25mm

21d rain

Aug

5°

-2°

30mm

21d rain

Sep

9°

0°

30mm

20d rain

Oct

12°

2°

30mm

21d rain

Nov

14°

4°

35mm

24d rain

Dec

16°

5°

40mm

26d rain

✓ Best Oct-Mar · ✗ Avoid Jun-Aug

Conditions Jan Peak trek, windy · Feb Peak trek · Mar Autumn color · Apr Cool autumn · May Cold, closing · Jun Winter · Jul Coldest · Aug Cold · Sep Spring starts · Oct Spring, windy · Nov Mild, windy

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Valparaiso Central Coast →

Jan

22°

14°

0mm

0d rain

Feb

22°

14°

0mm

0d rain

Mar

22°

13°

7mm

1d rain

Apr

20°

11°

17mm

2d rain

May

19°

10°

93mm

6d rain

Jun

17°

9°

81mm

7d rain

Jul

16°

8°

92mm

6d rain

Aug

17°

8°

52mm

5d rain

Sep

17°

10°

21mm

3d rain

Oct

19°

10°

9mm

2d rain

Nov

20°

11°

6mm

1d rain

Dec

22°

12°

0mm

0d rain

✓ Best all year

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions