Discover the culture and travel hotspots of Chile and Argentina
The Geysers of El Tatio in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, is one of the most amazing sites in the world. High-altitude steam-spitting geysers needs to be caught at daybreak for their most dramatic appearance.
Here our Editor Amanda Barnes explores the geysers on a Go Pro and you can see the sun break over this natural beauty spot at 4300 meters above sea level. Don’t get dizzy!
It is not surprising that with a name like ‘Barrio Italia’ (Italian Neighborhood) this corner of Chile is filled with designers and chefs!
Chile has many immigrant influences, and one of the most stylish – and delicious – of those were the Italians. Famed for its Italian roots, excellent cafes and design shops, Barrio Italia in Santiago is an epicurean delight as well as a feast for the eyes…
The origin of the name comes from some of the first settlers here. The Italian Girardi family came to Santiago and opened a hat factory in the area in 1905. As their industry grew, many other Italian families moved in, followed by Spanish families too. The neighborhood grew and the European expats began to set up shops in front of their houses, as they typically did back at home.
The area became known as the ‘Italian neighborhood’ (or barrio in Spanish) and a large street in the middle of the district was named Avenida, Italia alongside the large art-deco theatre, Teatro Italia.
Nowadays the neighborhood has few Italians left, although the legacy remains with unique design shops, many antique stores and cute cafés.
Although the large Girardi hat factory has closed, there are many other places to buy handmade hats in Barrio Italia, and shoes, clothes, jewelry, perfumed soaps, leather goods, handbags… and so much more! The list is endless.
This is the best-known place for small and independent design shops in the city. There are many galleries of shops that are like mini-worlds of design: step through just one door from the street, and it opens up into a dozen shops hidden inside. You’ll find many new and exciting Chilean designers here, and it is a great spot for unique and bespoke design pieces.
Furniture and accessory stores are also important in the neighborhood – both old and new! While Barrio Italia is packed with contemporary designers, it is also full to the brim with antiques. If you visit Caupolicán street (between Girardi and Condell) you will find the road filled with antiques and recycled furniture, as well as vinyl records, old photos and books.
Estacion Italia, Avenida Italia 1439
One of the largest galleries in Barrio Italia, the Estacion Italia has over 50 boutique shops inside selling design wear, jewelry, handmade soaps, stationary and children’s clothes.
Amoble, Avenida Italia 1372
Selling colorful, custom-made pieces of furniture and home decorations, this is one of the most popular contemporary furniture stores in the neighborhood.
The perfect accompaniment to a shopping trip is a café. And Barrio Italia is full of them! When you need a spot to rest your legs tired from shopping, there are many cafes and small restaurants to relax in and refuel. Most cafés have a great assortment of ground coffee and loose-leaf tea, as well as fresh juices made from Chile’s many different types of fruit. But the highlight of visiting a café in Barrio Italia is the sweet treats: pastries, cakes, tarts and ice creams. This neighborhood is ideal for anyone with a sweet tooth!
If you are looking for something more filling, then there are some great restaurants a little further south. There are – of course – Italian restaurants here as well as Spanish-influenced tapas bars, Peruvian cuisine, Sushi bars, and traditional Chilean eateries.
Xoco Por Ti ‘Chocolate Bar’, Avenida Italia 1634
If you are a chocoholic, this is the place for you! This pretty café has 5 daily different hot chocolates from around South America (Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and Bolivia), excellent croissants and indulgent chocolate ice cream.
Ruca Bar, Avenida Condell 868
This restaurant and bar has a long list of cocktails and a short list of imaginative tapas. The menu might be small but the flavor is big! Try pulled pork mini-burgers, or salmon tartar with avocado cream.
Every day of the week is a nice time to visit Barrio Italia. It is a quiet neighborhood that is enjoyable to visit on foot or by bicycle. Weekends are busier with locals meeting for drinks on their days off work, but there is always a buzz in the barrio. At least twice a year (April and July normally) there are different festivals in Barrio Italia with live music, dance, tastings and special activities.
Details:
Barrio Italia is centered around Avenida Italia between the Providencia and Ñuñoa neighborhoods. You can take the metro to Santa Isabel and walk to Avenida Italia, which is 4 blocks away. If you are taking a taxi or car, go to Santa Isabel on the corner of Avenida Italia to start. For more information visit www.barrioitalia.cl
Are you planning your wishlist or bucket list for where to go or travel in 2016? Don’t miss the amazing destinations of Chile & Argentina. Here’s our round up of the Hot List Top 5 travel destinations in the Southern Cone to visit this New Year.
There are many Andean beauties to discover along the spine of each country, but the accessibility and yet remoteness offered by the high Andes in Mendoza is almost unparalleled. Head up via the Uco Valley into the high parts of the Andes where a special micro climate brings a whole different flora and fauna to the valley, and the skies are perfectly clear for star gazing at night, and endless sky views – only interrupted by the ever-so-close Andes mountains – during the day.
Escape for a couple nights in a mountain ranch where you can spend the afternoon on horseback and the evening retiring as a true gaucho with a home cooked meal and penguino of wine (highly recommended are Estancia La Alejandra and Estancia El Puesto). Then drive up via the dusty back road to Potrerillos and up towards Uspallata. If you want to take a peek at Aconcagua (or climb it!) then take the hour detour to Aconcagua Park (Hotel Ayelen is the only choice in Aconcagua). From Uspallata, take the road to Barreal where you will pass salt flats and remote landscapes until you reach the small village with real countryside dwellings to stay in, and a traditional feel. This is the real experience of Andean life: remote and stunning.
Buenos Aires has long been the belle of South America, but it is time to give a bit of elbow room to Santiago – another deserving capital of the Cone. It may well be home to the tallest building in South America, but don’t let that put you off – Santiago is more than high rises and glistening, modern office blocks. It is one of the financial capitals of the continent, but it also has a rich cultural history and a heritage which is finally being unmasked.
The region has had native settlers since at least the 800s, and colonial settlers since Pedro de Valdivia claimed it in 1541. There are heritage sites all over the city, but the main hubs to discover in your trip are:
Barrio Lastarria – A hip and historic neighbourhood with an artisan market on the streets, and delightful eateries, theatres and drinking spots on the sidewalks. Next to the pretty Santa Lucia hill, Parque Forestal and Bellas Artes area, it is the perfect place to lose a lazy afternoon and evening.
Barrio Italia & Providencia – Barrio Italia merged after dozens of Italians moved into the region to help out at the local hat factory. The hat factory is long closed, but the legacy remains with design shops, antique stores and cute cafes. Carry on into Providencia (around Orrego Luco street), where you’ll find a further plethora of top restaurants showcasing Chilean food and wine.
Barrio Bellavista – Pablo Neruda’s old haunt hasn’t lost any of its bohemian and artsy charm. Filled with artists, musicians, students and a spillover from the neighbouring Asian barrio Recoleta, Bellavista is diverse and delicious to visit. Framed with the San Cristobal hill, you’ll find colourful shops, bars and restaurants among one of the oldest – but still brightest – neighbourhoods in Santiago.
While it is no surprise to see this destination on the list, the Atacama is truly worthy of every bucket list. The driest desert in the world, and one of the most spectacular to visit – the list of what to see there is surprisingly endless! From the spitting, steamy geysers, to the bone dry Moon Valley, there is a wide range of landscapes to witness as well as visiting some of the inhabitants – the pink flamencos that stand proud over their salt lagoons, and the centenary cacti that prove that life can withstand years of drought.
This year though, the individual spot on the hot list is a visit to the Altiplano. San Pedro de Atacama was on the ancient Inca route because the vagabond natives would traverse across the Andes between what has now been split into Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. You can retrace some of their steps by visiting the outstanding landscapes of the altiplano high mountains where the landscape changes colour every 40kms and llamas and guanacos rule the roost. Extinct volcanos, strange rock formations and remnants of ancient civilizations make it a fascinating terrain, and if you keep going you can head over the hills towards the other worldly salt flats of Bolivia, or towards Salta in Argentina. If you make it to Salta, visit the museum there that homes the Inca mummies that were found close to San Pedro de Atacama on the altiplano. Child sacrifices that were left to perish on the mountain tops, one was struck by lightening which left their corpse half blackened. A testimony to the extremity of existence on the altiplano.
Iguazu is often the jungle hotspot to visit in Argentina, but there’s a lesser known jungle zone that deserves a place on your bucket list. One of the most unspoilt and remote tropical destinations in Argentina, the Ibera wetlands (or Esteros del Ibera) are a buffet of wildlife for the more adventurous nature-lovers.
It takes a bumpy road trip a few hours out of civilisation but you are rewarded with a series of floating islands and lagoons which boast the largest rodent in the world – the capybara (or carpincho) – as well as the more sinister-looking caiman alligators that float between the islands, basking in the sunshine and spooking wildlife spotters. Other mammals to spot are the local monkeys, marsh deer, otters, bats, wolves and 350 species of bird.
A visit to the wetlands is a trip into the unknown and a step into a rural life you will be hard-pushed to find anywhere else in the world.
It may seem a shoe-in on the list, and it probably is, because nothing beats visiting this outstanding park at the end of the world. Patagonia is one vast area that covers the boot of both Chile and Argentina and stretches down to the tip of the continent. While you could spend months exploring the backlands of Patagonia, if you were to pick one region to focus on – my recommendation is Torres del Paine and El Calafate.
Start in either El Calafate or Puerto Natales, and enjoy the best of both countries with a week visiting glaciers, mountains, wild estancias and fjords. El Calafate’s highlight is the Perito Moreno glacier which you can climb by foot, get up close by boat, or simply stare in awe from the fantastic footbridges in the national park. Listen to it creek and crack as pieces of ice fall to the water below from this steadily moving glacier.
Take the beautiful bus journey across to Puerto Natales in Chile through the wilderness and estancia-land, until you reach the port town where you’ll find all the comfy necessities before you head into Torres del Paine park. A treasure trove of natural beauty, Torres del Paine is simply jaw-dropping. Try and stay in one of the fabulous accommodations in the park (Explora and Tierra are well worth the splurge, or Rio Serrano offers great views and competitive rates) or camp out while en route doing the W walk. The beautiful rock formations, deep forests and starkness of the hanging glaciers and tranquil ice burgs make it one of the most memorable destinations on the planet.
If you have only just wet your appetite for travel destinations to visit in Chile and Argentina, here’s our Top 10 for travel in 2016:
Sometimes the dry heat of the Cuyo region can make its residents itch to go on vacation and Puerto Iguazu is on everyone’s to-do list. Ask many folks if they’ve been to the province of Misiones and they will grin, remembering the time they escaped to Puerto Iguazu, home of Argentina’s World Wonder – the Cataratas (the waterfalls). Snuggled up against the borders of Brazil and Paraguay, Puerto Iguazu is visited by Argentines and foreigners alike.
Most travelers plan about four days for their stay, two days for traveling and two days for the falls and town. However, many younger folks buy one way tickets and stay until they feel that they have had enough.
Transportation
If arriving by plane, the Puerto Iguazu airport offers a $10USD shuttle to different hostels and hotels. There is a blue stand inside the airport where you tell them you’re hotel name and the shuttle drops you off at the front door. If arriving by bus, the terminal is located in the middle of the village of Puerto Iguazu and is within walking distance of most hostels, nicer hotels are located a bit further away.
A $12USD round trip bus ticket will get you from the bus terminal to the entrance of the park.
How to experience the falls
Upon arrival, you have two options. Hop a train or take the Green Trails through the jungle, both will lead to the Cataratas Station. From there, most people will continue by train to The Devil’s Throat (La garganta del diablo) but, if you want to truly get the most out of your experience, you will deviate from the crowd. Local guides suggest first tackling the Superior Circuit, the upper view of the falls. Next, the Inferior Circuit. If you’re feeling daring (or at least willing to be soaking wet), follow the signs for “Iguazu Jungle” down the Inferior Circuit to the boat launch. Aboard the boats, they will supply you with dry bags for your belongings and steer you right into the falls. (Insider tip – trash bags make for great and inexpensive ponchos.)
Boats are also available to take you to San Martin Island so you can get a little cozier with the falls. However, entrance is not always guaranteed; if it recently rained, the island can be closed for safety reasons. Lastly, take the train to the Devil’s Throat and experience the biggest waterfall in the park. To return, you can either take the train back or walk along the train tracks and become engulfed in the resident butterflies.
If you have time (and you’re not too tired), there is one last fall to see. Follow the Macuco trail to the Arrechea Waterfall, the only waterfall where guests are permitted to swim. In this section of the park, guests can find toucans, monkeys, coatis, butterflies and colorful insects. This trail is only accessible by foot and closes at 3pm.
Tips
Three Corners
Located on the far side of town, about a 40 minute walk from the bus terminal, is the meeting of the Three Corners. Walk through the village and arrive at the point where Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina form the banks of the river Iguazu. Local vendors sell their crafts and restaurants offer nice views of the river.
Where to Stay
If you are looking for a hostel, the town is filled with them! The most well-known is called Mango Chill. Located about 100 meters from the bus station, the hostel offers both smaller rooms and larger rooms and offers information sessions about the falls. Although it lacks a kitchen, the hostel offers three course dinners for the guests for $20USD, creating a fun community vibe.
If you’re looking to stay in a hotel, you can have your pick. If you’re looking to stay as close as possible, there is a Sheraton located within the National Park. On the far side of town, the Amerian Portal del Iguazu is located close to the Three Corners and the Grand Crucero Iguazu Hotel sits at the gateway to the town.