Latin America - Chile - Country Information

Chile is truly a land of contrasts occupying a long coastal strip from the high and arid Atacama Desert in the north to the wild and windswept region of Patagonia in the far south, a distance of about 2,500 miles in length. Chile has everything for lovers of spectacular natural sights: - deserts, volcanoes, rivers, mountains, glaciers, forests and at night clear star-filled skies. A destination to explore in its own right or easily combined with Argentina. We invite you to discover Chile with us.

Key Facts
Full Country Name	Republic of Chile
Area	748,800 sq km
Population	15.5 million
Capital	Santiago
Time Difference	4 Hours Behind GMT
Visa	A visa is not required
Currency	Peso
People	95% European descent & mestizo, 5% Indian
Language	Spanish, Rapanui, Aymara
Dialling Code	00 56
Electricity	220V 50 Hz

Visas:

A visa is not required

Health risks:

Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Polio, TB, Tetanus, Typhoid

When to Go:

The best time to visit Chile is in our winter (their summer) months. Chile is a very long and thin country extending over 2600 miles, yet has an average breadth of only 100-200 miles. Much of Chile has a mountain climate with perpetual snow and glaciers in higher parts. The lowlands of northern Chile, from the border of Peru southwards are one of the driest regions in the world, despite heavy cloud cover from April to December. In Chilean Patagonia there can be frequent rain, even in summer and the strong winds are especially noticeable in spring.  In Santiago, the climate is Mediterranean with days that are generally hot in spring and summer and nights that are cool by comparison.