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• Chile is the southernmost country in the world and is the closest to Antarctica.  It lies between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.  It is 2,653 miles long and 110 miles wide.  That is nearly as long as the continental U.S. is wide from east to west (only 150 miles shorter).  It is divided into 16 regions. 
• Chile’s terrain diversity makes it one of the most geographically varied countries on Earth.  It has one of the driest places on Earth, the Atacama Desert.  Cliffs, beaches and bays run along the rugged Pacific coastline.  There are fertile valleys in the country’s agricultural heartland.  The Lake District includes lush forests, rivers, lakes and volcanic mountains.  Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego have rugged mountains, fjords, and glaciers.  The highest peak is Ojos del Salado, which stands at 22,615.  It is the highest active volcano in the world. 
• Patagonia (which is the reason Chile was on our top 20 countries to visit) is approximately 1,000 miles north to south.  We saw sheep, guanaco, and cattle in this region.  The area reminded us of Milford Sound in New Zealand, as well as parts of Canada and Alaska.  The southern Antarctic winds are chilly!  The biggest concern in Punta Arenas is not crime but wind gusts up to 80 mph in summer – they string rope between buildings to help people walk. Many of the buildings in this area have sheet metal siding to protect from fires that spread embers easily in the high winds.  There are lots of colorful houses.  We saw as many cyclists as cars when we traveled the Carretera Austral.  Porta potties on the side of the road serve as waysides in this area.  Stone fences catch rocks rolling down hills to prevent them from causing roadblocks.     

• Chile’s population is around 17.5 million.  The largest city is Santiago with about 40% of the country’s population (7 million). 
• The indigenous were driven out or killed by European immigrants.  Mauricio (one of our tour guides) is a descendant from one of the indigenous tribes that remain in Chile – the Mapuche.  He said you can tell if someone is indigenous if they are born with the Mongol spot.  Babies of Asian, Indigenous American, Hispanic/Latino, African, and Pacific Islander descent are born with a spot on their back that usually disappears by age 5.   
• As of 2023, approximately 1.92 million immigrants reside in Chile, constituting about 10% of the total population, with Venezuelans representing the largest group among immigrants.
• I read that the public perception of race in Chile is often shaped by a Eurocentric ideal, leading to the marginalization of non-white populations. Educational curricula have historically omitted the contributions and histories of Afro-descendants and Indigenous peoples, perpetuating stereotypes and ignorance.
• The 1960 Valdivia earthquake is the strongest earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of 9.5 (it may have been stronger but 9.5 was the highest the equipment could measure).  The earthquake triggered the worst tsunami in Chile’s history.  Waves reached up to 82 feet high along parts of the southern coast.  The tsunami was felt in Hawaii, Japan, Philippines, New Zealand and California.  The 2010 Maule earthquake had a magnitude of 8.8 and we were in areas where we were told the land is still settling from this earthquake.  The 2015 Illapel earthquake had a magnitude of 8.3. 

• The official language is Spanish.  Not many people speak English. 
• About 60% of the population identifies as Roman Catholic religion.
• Chile has a mixed health care system, combining both public and private health services. It is often considered one of the best health care systems in Latin America.
• Chile has a well-developed education system with strong academic performance, but it faces significant challenges related to inequality, access, and funding.  School uniforms are common across the country and are seen as a way to promote equality and reduce social distinctions between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The school year in Chile typically runs from March to December, with a summer break in January and February.
• The legal drinking age is 18.  The legal driving age is 18.
• In Chile, there are several national holidays when employers are not allowed to make employees work, unless specific arrangements are made. These holidays are legally protected, and employees are generally entitled to paid time off. However, for certain essential services or industries (such as healthcare, hospitality, or retail), employees might be required to work, but they must be compensated accordingly, usually with additional pay.  The holidays are: New Year’s Day (January 1), Good Friday (date varies), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (September 18), Army Day (September 19), All Saints Day (November 1), and Christmas Day (December 25).
• The conversion rate varies daily but was around 1 USD = 929.61 CLP.  Grocery and restaurant prices were slightly less than at home (we definitely aren’t in Nepal, Mongolia or Bhutan anymore!).  Movie popcorn is as ridiculously expensive as it is in the U.S. 
• Mining is Chile’s economic backbone – world’s largest copper producer, second largest producer of lithium.  Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of farmed salmon (Norway is the largest). Approximately 67.1% work in Services, 23.7% in Industry, and 9.2% in Agriculture. 
• A local told us a wage of about $1,000 US per month will pay the bills.  This person’s rent was $425 per month in Santiago.  In Vina Del Mar, about one hour from Santiago (the city we loved and could see ourselves living there) had a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment we liked listed for sale for $145,000 US.  In the same town, a local told us rent cost in the hills was about $260 US a month, $425 US in the city center, and $650 US by the beach.
• The road infrastructure is good and maintained throughout the country.  There is an effective bus system for traveling around the country easily.  City buses have “assistants” along the route that get paid by the bus driver for helping to get people to take the bus (we teased it was the “bus mafia”).  Some cities post street signs on corners of houses.  Cars were mostly brands we see in the U.S. – Suzuki, Chevy, Ford, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda.  We saw lots of cars parked on streets in disrepair.

• The converted gas prices from liters/pesos to gallons/$US is about $5.18 US per gallon.
• Domestic flight security is easy and fast. 
• There was a country-wide power outage while we were there on 2/25/25.  14 of the 16 regions were impacted; 98% of the population was without power for about 24 hours.  We were not impacted in Puerto Natales.
• The US STEP program notified us of several demonstrations that were taking place while we were here.  Nothing impacted us directly. 
• Single-use plastics were outlawed in 2022.  Paper or metal straws are provided.  Take out is packed in paper products with wooden utensils.  No bags at stores.  People often carry items as is and at grocery stores wheel the grocery cart to their car and unpack each item individually into their car. 
• Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere.  A 10% tip for servers is included on the bill (which you can choose to pay or not pay). 
• They decorate grave sites.

• DOGS! DOGS! DOGS! Dogs are running loose all over the mainland and Easter Island.  They are cared for, people put out food and water.  We saw several dog houses in towns with blankets.  The dogs love to get together and bark all night outside your bedroom window!

• We saw Burger King, Subway, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Papa John’s, Taco Bell, Little Caesars and McDonalds.   
• Grocery stores stock a lot of the types of products that we have in the U.S.  We couldn’t find any soups though – only dry packets that you mix with water. 
• We saw a lot of “Mall Chinos” in larger cities around Chile.  We learned that they are retail centers typically managed by Chilean operators but owned by Chinese entrepreneurs. They sell household items, clothing, electronics, and beauty products.
• Most stores (especially grocery stores) have security guards at the entrance. 
• People entertain drivers at traffic light corners, hoping to receive money.  Common entertainment includes hula hooping and juggling.  Sidewalks often look like garage sales with blankets filled with used clothing, shoes, and toys for sale.  Many cities have metal basket garbage cans that are raised off the ground and positioned in different areas of the sidewalk, all shapes and sizes, some have covers (seems like a nightmare for the garbage collection companies!).

• You can just tell from various signage and safety precautions that people’s well-being is placed as a high value throughout Chile.  Drivers are extremely courteous to pedestrians.  Cities encourage fitness by providing lots of playgrounds and fitness equipment. 

• Many menus are written on chalkboards in smaller towns. Bread is served with meals (some areas include fresh salsas or sauces).  They don’t provide appetizer or bread plates in most restaurants (so I challenge my husband’s obsession with a spotless, crumb free table by inadvertently leaving bread crumbs). Delicious desserts are everywhere! The country produces tasty wine and excellent craft beer (one of our favorites is Volcanes Del Sur orange chocolate – who knew!)!   Empanadas are everywhere with lots of different fillings.  People eat empanadas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 
• The people are so nice and helpful.  All ages thank bus drivers when getting off buses.  Everyone greets you in the elevator.  People would often ask us if we wanted help finding something.  Several people warned us of areas to avoid and where to be extra careful of crime. 
• The majority of people say “ciao” instead of “adios”, when saying good-bye. 
• It seems like every town has the big block letters spelling the city name.

• Heard lots of remakes of popular English-speaking songs in the US.
• We asked one of our tour guides, Mauricio, what he thinks of when he hears United States.  He said NBA, Ernest Hemmingway and other authors we didn’t know, Jimmy Hendrix, and The Doors.
• We really like Santiago.  For a city of approximately 7 million, it’s fairly quiet.  There are lots of running/biking trails and things to do outside.  It is surrounded by beautiful mountains (however, that contributes to less than desirable air quality on some days). There is graffiti everywhere.  The city gets rain 20 days out of the year. 

Easter Island, referred to as Rapa Nui by Chileans

• The island is about 10 miles east to west and five miles north to south, with a population of around 8,000 – almost all living in the city of Hanga Roa.  About 45% are identified as indigenous Rapa Nui.   
• Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world.  The closest inhabited land is the Juan Fernández Islands, which belong to Chile and are about 1,150 miles to the east. The nearest continental landmass is central Chile, which is approximately 2,181 miles away.  Going in other directions you find Hawaii, Tahiti, and New Zealand. 
• It is a Polynesian island with a definite vacation vibe.  The rugged coastline, along with the hibiscus and bougainvillea of every color make the island absolutely beautiful. 

• It was humid and warm.  Temps while we were there May 1^st – 9^th were around 68 at night and 77 was the high.  In winter (July & August) they average 64 degrees during the day.  We were told it’s getting colder there; temperatures year-round range from 53 – 110 degrees now.  They get hurricane level 1 (74 – 95 mph) winds in September.    
• The 1960 tsunami caused significant damage to its coastal archaeological sites.
• The primary languages spoken are Spanish and Rapa Nui, the native Polynesian language.  We found more English-speaking locals on the island than on the mainland. 
• Things are pricier than the mainland as everything needs to be shipped to the island, which is a five-hour flight from Santiago.  They grow sweet potatoes, pineapples, bananas, guavas, papayas, avocados, mangoes, and coconuts in family gardens.
• The busiest time on the island is summer (December, January, and February).  Prior to the pandemic the island had about 150,000 visitors in 2019.  That has decreased significantly.
• The National Park covers about 43% of the island.  Rapa Nui is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to over 900 moai statues and numerous archaeological sites. To protect these sacred areas and educate visitors about their significance, the Ma’u Henua Indigenous Community, which manages the park, mandates that all visitors be accompanied by an accredited local guide or a Rapa Nui adult over 18 years of age. This measure helps prevent damage to the sites and ensures that visitors understand their cultural importance. Our tour guide told us another reason for the requirement is that tourists died falling off cliffs.
• We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of restaurants on the island.  We had some amazing meals. 
• I love the ingenuity used by locals to use flattened cardboard as rugs in their businesses.
• Many local people make their money during the tourist season and then travel all over the world during the off season.  Our tour guide Hanga (maybe in his mid-twenties) has been to 21 countries.
• Hanga was a very interesting young man.  He traveled for three months on a boat with eight other people to visit neighboring islands.  He shared with us that his father is a fisherman and one of the times they went fishing they got lost at sea for 24 hours. Hanga grew up on the island and you can tell he assesses risk in everything he does. 
• We talked to a couple of locals.  They told us they love living a simpler life on the island than on the mainland.  They feel like they have more freedom and less pressure…if you need to close your shop for any reason, it’s ok and no one gets upset. 

We arrived in Chile on February 17^th and left on May 11^th.  There are 16 regions.  We traveled from the southernmost region to the north.  We didn’t get to the three northernmost regions.  Temperatures ranged from 32 degrees to 85 degrees.  The food was excellent – lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood. Looking at the calendar our brains were in Spring mode, while the days got shorter and colder during Chile’s Fall season.  We absolutely love Chile – maybe because it feels like the U.S. in a lot of ways.  We could definitely see ourselves living here. 

Our route around Chile is shown below – the country is so long, the map had to be created with the country shown on its side, which was pretty common in places around the country that would show the map.