We have finished our travels in Chile, and so it’s only right to sum up our thoughts on the country in a summary blog post. Because we are now experts.
Impressions are presented without filter, so don’t be offended.
The Good
Sarah
Scenery on drives – the country has perhaps the most varied scenery on the planet. From the windswept guanaco covered Patagonian steppe in Tierra del Fuego, to the otherworldly desert landscapes of the Atacama. Or the rolling green hills of Chiloé, towering peaks of Torres del Paine and the snow capped volcanoes of the Chilean Lake District. This country felt like it genuinely had it all.
Chiloé – it’s like home from home, apart from everyone speaks Spanish really fast and mumbly. But then again, that is just like the English language spoken at home. Rolling hills with fields and countryside roads. We were gifted some of the best eggs I ever ever had by a very friendly campsite owner, an incredible view with seals and dolphins overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and the best tea and cake we’ve had all trip, even if I did have to beg for cold milk with my tea.
Safety and ease of driving around solo – safe to say that we don’t fancy driving around most Latin American cities, La Paz was a shock to the system. In Chile drivers were courteous, they respected the rules of the road, stopped at zebra crossings and waited their turn. It was relatively easy to pull up and park outside most places. Leaving the van parked wasn’t a worry (99% of the time), it’s nice to feel safe.
Mike
Mobile signal – no matter how small or how remote, the tiny little hamlet you’ve just driven into will have four bars of 5G mobile signal. The cost of such a plan? Around 8,000 Chilean for 30 days (£6-7). Given the size of the country, and how expensive e-sim packages were, this was a pleasant surprise. Airalo is a rip off and not necessary here.
Road signs and condition – there are road signs which are a big schematic map of the local road network. This is not limited to Chile, but also found in Argentina too. Although in Chile the roads are in much better condition than in Argentina, so I’ll chalk this up as a win for them.
Volcanos – there’s an impressive chain of volcanos down the spine of Chile. I’ve not ever really seen anything like it. The weather wasn’t great for viewing and less so climbing, but we had a nice view from the plane.
The bad
Mike
Border SAG – the customs officials at the border make everything an enormous hassle. If you don’t offer up a sacrificial apple they will turn your car upside down for any minor breach. The rules are clear as mud – on the posters it says you must declare milk and milk products, and yet when you offer that to them they dismiss you as if you’re an idiot. After five border crossings into Chile, we have found there is no way to avoid being treated like a criminal, you just have to accept it. Chileans have a smug sense of superiority, especially border agents.
Torres del Paine crowds – there are many simple solutions to the bottlenecks on the most popular walks in the Torres del Paine. But as Sarah will discuss, initiative is something that deserts Chilean national park staff. Whilst the scenery is stunning, British and American hiking culture seems to clash terribly. You’re left stewing as the tenth consecutive American barges past without even an acknowledgement that you’ve bent over backward to get out of the way, even if you have right of way. Our European friends had the same experiences. My solution would be to triple the entrance fees for North Americans, failing that build some more paths. There’s no such thing as route choice just overly congested out and back footpaths.
Bread – Chilean bread is terrible. As is most of their food, but a special place in this list is reserved for the undercooked anaemic pockmarked hexagons which are a pitiful excuse for a bread roll. The general rule in Chile is, if it looks good; it isn’t.
Sarah
Useless staff/assistance people – the staff at the entrance of Torres del Paine were an absolute waste of space. They actively ignore you, then do not know the answers to the most simple of questions, such as ‘where can we camp?’, ‘what time does the gate close?’. This was a theme we found existed consistently across the country, alongside the frustratingly bad service you got in most shops/restaurants. You have to wait for their TikTok video to finish before they acknowledge you. This was also common in Argentina, where you’d have thought they happily take your money. Tim Finney would have had a heart attack by now.
Food is rather dull, expensive and not good – when a country’s speciality dish is a burger, or sandwich as they call them here, you know it’s a low bar, looking right at you, USA. Cheese is awful, sadly no Spanish influence there. I don’t understand when you drive through highly productive agricultural areas, and the produce is extortionate. You have the produce Chile, please work with it, and at least add some salt and pepper whilst you’re at it.
Cash withdrawal fees are a joke – the maximum you can withdraw is 200,000 pesos (~£167) in any transaction, and the fee is 8,000 (£6.70!). The worst culprit was Santander. Scotiabank were the best – free withdrawals ftw.
Surprises
Mike
Fire Brigades – the government don’t fund the firefighters in Chile, they are entirely self funded and rely on donations from at home and from abroad. Each fire station seems to have a cheep and cheerful restaurant attached where you can be served by retired firefighters. The serving firefighters are an entirely voluntary force as well. So the state of the “bomberos” in Chile is bad? Far from it. Even the smallest little villages have huge fire stations with two or three appliances, each of which looking almost new. From an outsiders perspective they appear extremely flush with cash, (this might not be reality, but they have way too many fire engines…). The most outrageous example was on the small island of Quinchao. The small town of Curaco de Velez, pop. ~1,000, had two fire stations with 7 firefighting vehicles between then. This town was situated 10km away from the main town on the island Achao with a further two fire stations. The population of the entire small island is less than 10,000.
Green police – the colour of the police is green and not blue. They look like tooled up park rangers. This was a surprise. Nuff said.
Road junctions – in the middle of nowhere (Tierra del Fuego I’m looking at you) there are often the most elaborately constructed road junctions with arrows and slip lanes. All for a small gravel road leading to a tiny hamlet which maybe sees one car an hour at best.
Paying for walks in national parks (paying for everything and lack of choice) – you want to walk up to Cerro Castillo, that’s 16,000 pesos each. Yep that’s right we paid £30 to walk up a mountain. We knew Chile would be the most expensive country in South America, but it was surprising that it was almost on par with the UK. Also you pay for the walk, and there’s only one path, takes the fun out of it really.
You cannot flush your toilet paper – You just put it in the bin. So every loo has a bin full of shitty bog roll. It’s gross, but also standard for South America. So it’s not a surprise to anyone, but Chile likes to think of itself as superior to its neighbours, so this brown mark goes against them. The confusing thing is that Chile is a young country, all of the cities are barely 100 years old, and in most places you’re lucky to find a building older than 20 years old. So why on earth did they not build in adequate plumbing? Chile’s claim to being a developed country can go the same place, down the loo/ in the shitty bog roll bin.
Sarah
Chile really is long – we knew it was, but still nothing prepares you for quite how long it is. We took over a month travel half the length of the country, rushed a good thousand miles of the middle bit, and flew up north because it would have taken too long otherwise. The contrast between the cold windswept Patagonian landscape, to the dry desert landscapes of the north makes it feel like you’ve travelled half the world.
How expensive it is – it’s pretty much on par with Europe. Travelling here is not cheap. Petrol is £1.40 a litre, dinner out can easily be £40, a pint of beer £4. A supermarket shop was potentially more expensive, especially as milk products are costly. If we didn’t have the camper van it would have cost a fortune.
Children’s playgrounds are great – it’s the same in Argentina, but each town has really put effort into their playgrounds. Huge great climbing frames, slides, swings, and all sorts of equipment. There was also an outdoor gym next to the playground too. To Mike’s excitement/envy, each small town also has a great 4G football pitch – even when you’re in the middle of nowhere. It puts the UK to shame really.
Favourite places
Sarah
Chile Chico/Rio Tranquilo Drive – Despite the intense border crossing at a Chile Chico and me nearly grounding the campervan in the roadworks due to those teenage guys; this road is stunning. It hugs the southern side of the lake and has incredible views over a mountain that genuinely looks like a pyramid. You then join the Carretera Austral, which is renowned for being stunning. Plus it wasn’t raining – so, all in all, a fabulous drive.
Mirador Cóndor TdP – What a value for walk climb. 3km round trip. Insane views. You get THE view. Not too many people. I did not complain about this walk at all. Photos do it more justice.
Puñihuil Chiloé – Tbh, Chiloé generally for their friendliness and unique scenery for this side of the world. But, as said, very like the UK. The views from the Punihuil campsite were wonderful, sitting and watching the marine life was a highlight. I don’t really rate the UNESCO churches though.
Mike
King Pingüinos – at the end of a small bay in Tierra del Fuego is a colony of king penguins. It was incredible to see these birds up close, and the only generally accessible place in the world where you can do so.
Laguna Azul – we spent five nights in the Torres del Paine, and it’s a stunning place. However after mirador base Torres we were done with crowds. At 30k a night (£28), camping Kau Azul was pricy, especially compared to our free camping the four nights previously. Boy was it worth it. Incredible views at sunset and sunrise across the lake towards the Torres, and we were almost alone. 100% recommended.
Exploradores valley – the decision was either a boat to the marble cave, or a trip to the exploradores glacier. We made the right choice. The 50km drive down a remote gravel road, with epic alpine scenery either side was a highlight. As was seeing the hummingbird that Sarah didn’t.
General observations
Torres del Paine – the crowded spots are not the best spots. A W or O trek might not yield the best experience, and certainly not the best value for money. Try Mirador Ferrier, or Laguna Cebolla, or even Laguna Verde or Mirador Condor. The views are as good if not better. overlooking the massif rather than in the massif itself, and you won’t go mad passing thousands coming the other way.
Generally Chileans seem to think they are better than everyone else. Which is obviously absurd until they sort out their plumbing. Argentinians were way nicer people all round, and we are British!
Manjar vs dulce de leche – Manjar is Chilean milk jam, and dulce de leche is Argentinian. Milk jam is an absurd concept anyway, but it’s nice to spread on your toast for breakfast. Manjar has a slight bonfire toffee taste to it, Mike prefers it. Sarah is a dulce de leche fan. We’ve not yet come to blows, but it’s been close. (There is obviously a bigger and more nuanced cultural debate around the origins and specifics of Manjar vs Dulce de Leche, we cannot pretend to even start to be educated in the matter, so as with all opinions here; take with a pinch of salt)
Petrol station forecourts gravel (both Chile and Argentina) – both YPF (Argentina) and Copec (Chile) are national petrol companies that seem flush with cash. Everywhere you go there is a brand spanking new petrol station. So why on earth do you have to drive over potholed gravel to get to the forecourt. It makes no sense. Even trying to explain it to you I bet you can’t imagine it. There is no tarmac between the tarmac road, and the concrete forecourt. It’s frankly ridiculous.
Conclusions
It’s absurd, but there’s something about Chile that doesn’t quite capture the imagination in the same way as other south American countries. Blessed with the scenery and infrastructure to be the most unforgettable destination, it’s hard not to feel like Chile is missing a trick. Argentina on the other hand seemed far more welcoming and relaxed, which made for a better trip all round.
Small Holiday Big Dream 
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