Chile

With windswept deserts in the north and forests and glaciers in the south, there's no debate that Chile has breathtaking landscapes. Generally road quality is good, and one can find all the comforts of a developed country. Chile is a bit more pricey than other Latin American countries, but the fun, safe cycling makes it all worth it.


Click here for all our blog posts from our time in Chile.

Golden sunlight on the world famous Torres del Paine

Our Route 

We love mountains, and since the mountains form the border between Chile and Argentina, the route we took crossed back and forth many times. Northern Chile is hot and dry with many high altitude regions.  South of Santiago the landscape become much more verdant with lush forests and plenty of natural water sources. Tierra del Fuego is primarily windswept grasslands with occasional groups of trees.
See the map below and specific blog posts for more details. 

 

The Basics: Food, Water, Shelter 

Food 

A delicious sopapilla

Chileans, like Argentinians, love their meat. Grilled meat and seafood along the coast are classic eating-out options. As vegetarians we mostly avoided eating out, as we did in most of South America, but we did frequently spend money on tasty empanadas.


Supermarkets in Chile have a decent selection of international food and tend to be more reasonably priced than those in Argentina. Unfortunately there are no chaotic, open-air markets like in Bolivia and Peru, but because of the high amount of imports, we frequently found such delicacies as couscous, (look for cuscús) peanut butter, refried beans, and Mexican style tortillas. Supermarkets also have a selection of pre-prepared foods, like ready-to-eat beans in small cardboard boxes.

Our menu:

Breakfast
Bread with olive oil and tomato sauce dip

Lunch
Tortillas with beans and cheese, or instant mashed potatoes with cheese, nuts, and powdered milk

Dinner

Couscous with nuts, seeds, and veggies or pickled veggies (common in Chile)

Our favorite food in Chile wasn't a food at all, but a spice. Merkén, made from smoked chili peppers, is ubiquitous throughout Chilean Patagonia, and we found it added a tasty zing to any food.

Hot cocoa is even better than water 

Water 

Water is always potable in towns or cities and people often seemed offended when we asked about it.

We always purified water we got from streams unless we could see the glacier it was coming from.

In the Puna de Atacama in the north, water is extremely scarce. Plan carefully. We once carried 12 liters each for a 3 day period without water. South of Santiago, natural water availability is no longer an issue, as there are rivers and lakes everywhere, although the pampas of southern Patagonia necessitate some water planning if you're not moving quickly.






Shelter 

There are lots of wild camping opportunities in Chile. We were informed by a police officer that all rivers in Chile are public property and therefore it is legal to camp on the shore even if you have to cross someone's private property to get there. We found many great riverside camp spots, usually not involving private property.

In the extreme north and south of the country, strong wind becomes a factor when camping. Refuge in the north often came in the form of an abandoned building. In the south, trees can help provide adequate shelter. In southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, look for estancias (large estates), municipal refugios, or abandoned buildings, as the wind is absolutely nuts. Everyone we asked for a roof or windbreak was more than friendly.

A lot of Chile is fenced, and we always tried to ask for permission or to hide our tent. Private property signs are more common than in other places in Latin America.

Abandoned buildings can be great campsites. 

As of 2016, we found that established campsites go for around 4,000 to 5,000 pesos (about US$7.50) per person, often with wifi and kitchen included.

The best prices we found for a double room with a queen bed were 18,000-20,000, with hostel dorm beds costing 8,000-10,000.

Siesta
Not quite as relaxed as Argentinians, Chileans usually close their businesses to take a lunch break from 1-3 pm.

Altitude

It's obvious which way the wind blows

In the north of the country many of the roads and mountains are at extremely high elevation. Be sure to acclimatize correctly.

See our Peru or Bolivia pages for more details.

Wind

When planning a route, take into account that prevailing winds almost always blow from the west. Chile has an advantage over Argentina in that there are more trees (except in Tierra del Fuego) which can help block the wind.


Carretera Austral

Many people's cycling journey consists just of this one famous road. Although beautiful, it is trafficked and extremely touristy. We felt that other, more remote areas gave us a better taste of Chilean Patagonia.

Why ride the Carretera Austral when you could be here?