Travel journals · Chile

Alright, this year, we're heading back to South America!

The initial plan was to retrace the route we imagined in the summer of 2020: a trip to northern Argentina starting from Córdoba.

Unfortunately, the flight to Córdoba no longer exists, and airfares to Javier Milei’s country are both outrageously priced and involve multiple layovers.

So, I tweaked Google Flights every which way and finally found a flight within my budget—departing from Clermont-Ferrand!

Not to Argentina, though...

Our transatlantic flight will cross the snow-capped Andes, landing in Santiago, Chile, with a return from Lima!

In between, two domestic flights and a big road trip loop starting from the coastal city of Arica to explore the treasures of northern Chile.

Our mode of transport: a pseudo 4x4 that won’t take us through sand dunes or devilish tracks but will let us tackle the entire secondary network, including unpaved main roads, while still being insured.

Is the suitcase packed with all-season clothes?

Are the driver’s license and passport ready?

Bank cards and a few euros too?

Off we go for just over 3 weeks of southern wanderings!



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To keep all my esteemed readers on track, here are a few maps outlining the Arica-Arica loop!

1- From Arica to San Pedro de Atacama via Pica and the Salar de Huasco

2- Around San Pedro



3- From San Pedro to Cariquima



4- From Cariquima to Putre



5 - From Putre to Arica



Gas stations in this part of Chile are located in Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Pica, Calama, and San Pedro de Atacama.

This travel journal summarizes a trip I took in March to Argentine and Chilean Patagonia. It starts in El Calafate and ends in Ushuaia. During my planning, I considered looking into the Australis cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, as well as the W trek in Torres del Paine National Park. In both cases, I was put off by the prices. Instead of the cruise, I found two interesting wildlife excursions from Punta Arenas: whale watching in the Strait of Magellan and observing king penguins in Tierra del Fuego. The journey to Ushuaia was by bus. For Torres del Paine, things were a bit confusing, so I reached out to two agencies. In the end, I went with a rental car option, overnight stays on-site, and day hikes. I shared my full itinerary with the agency and ended up being taken care of by a local Argentine agency and a Chilean one. So, here we go...

A little recap of my 28-day solo trip from mid-November to mid-December 2024. CDG to Santiago with Air France, first night near the airport at City Express by Marriott Airport. No shuttle as planned, but I expected it, so on the advice of a kind Chilean, I took Trans Vip at the airport counter. It was great—I’ll download the app—easy, cheap, and on time. The hotel arranged the return trip to the airport the next morning for my flight to Easter Island. I booked my flight with Latam via Booking, as well as my accommodation: Hare o Koro (formerly Vai Kapua, French spoken). Warm welcome with a flower lei and a quick city tour with Marieta and her husband. The place was clean, well-located, and included breakfast. All the tours were done with the family for a very reasonable price (personalized service with fun anecdotes!!). They even gave me souvenirs for the trip back—a great place to recommend! 🙂.

Back to Santiago for a night at Quinta by Wyndham. Again, no shuttle, the room was very comfortable, but no hot water or breakfast due to an early departure. The airport shuttle was fine, but I won’t stay here again. Off to Ushuaia with Aerolíneas Argentinas—I booked the flight directly on their site with a longer layover due to a plane change (tip from a fellow traveler). Took a taxi to Isla Bella, which included lunch. The place was clean, heated, and a nice surprise—Monica speaks French! It’s 15 minutes from the center, but the way back is a steep climb. I booked 3 excursions with the agency Brasileiros em—great experience! Next door, there’s a clothing store where I rented waterproof shoes for the Laguna Esmeralda trek, and I’m glad I did!! After 4 nights, back to Santiago for 1 night at Happy Hostel (breakfast included).

For the experience, I took the Bus Ciktur to Calama—a 22h30 semi-cama ride with a toilet, movies, and TV in the evening, then a 1h30 bus to San Pedro de Atacama. Stayed at Hotel Sonchek, well-located, no breakfast but a shared kitchen with coffee and tea available. Moïssa speaks French and recommended the agency Gato Andino for my excursions—great choice! I ended with the Geysers del Tatio without taking altitude meds, just coca leaf tea! Spent 4 nights there, then back to Santiago with Sky Airlines. Returned to Happy Hostel since it’s well-located in the historic center.

Took the Turistik bus for 2 days (48 €), including the teleferico for Cerro San Cristóbal (the funicular wasn’t working). Valparaíso and Viña del Mar with the same agency—Valparaíso is stunning, but the guide wasn’t great. SKY COSTANERA had an impressive view (18 €). Near the hotel in the Brazil neighborhood, you can eat local and cheap at Foxtim Burger.

All in all, great encounters—the Chileans are friendly and helpful!!!!