Most foreigners who visit Chile are drawn by its extensive and varied scenery. Attractions include the Atacama desert, the mountains of Patagonia, skiing during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, archaeological sites, ocean beaches and the remote Easter Island. Santiago also is the cultural capital of the country and also features colonial architecture. The most obvious factor in Chile's remarkable slenderness is the massive, virtually impassable wall of the Andes, a mountain range that is still rising and that contains more than fifty active volcanic peaks. The western border is of course the Pacific Ocean, but it is a misconception to picture Chile as nothing more than the steep western slope of the Andean peaks. All along its length Chile is marked by a narrow depression between the mountains and the sea. To the north the land rises and becomes more arid, until one reaches the forbidding Atacama Desert, one of the most inhospitable regions on earth. To the south just the opposite transformation takes place: the land falls away, and the region between mountains and ocean fades into the baffling maze of small islands that terminates in Chilean Patagonia. Chile's southern extremity is marked by Cape Horn, a treacherous headland surrounded by almost continuously storm-tossed seas and passable only through the foggy stillness of the Strait of Magellan. Also part of Chile are two notable Pacific possessions-the Juan Fernandez Islands and the famous Easter Island, both of which are administered as national parks. The Juan Fernandez islands are located about 670 km off the Chilean coast, while Easter Island is situated 3700 km distant. Chile's climate is as diverse as its geography. Aside from the obviously extreme climatic conditions of the Andes an the Atacama, however, the country enjoys a comfortable temperate climate. Today Chile is quickly becoming one of South America's most developed nations. Combine this fact along with a wonderful tradition of hospitality offered by Chileans, and you have an excellent place to visit and to learn Spanish. Most Chileans are mestizos, although you can still find pure blooded Mapuche Indians, and direct German and Swiss descendants for example. As a matter of fact, one of the first things a traveler will notice is that many of the cities, and the manners of many Chileans have a distinctive European feel to them. For the traveler accustomed to places such as Bolivia or Peru, this will come as somewhat of a surprise. As a visitor, you have a wonderful array of options and activities available to you. From a day to day standpoint, cities such as Santiago offer a comfortable place to stay, great nightlife, excellent transportation and services, colonial architecture, shopping, plus much more.

By plane
The most common entry point for oversea visitors is the international airport of the capital Santiago. There are airports in major towns but Santiago offers the best connections. LAN Airlines is Chile's flagship airline.

By bus
If you are already in South America a cheaper and still reliable way is to go by bus to Chile. Chile has borders with Argentina (daily bus from Mendoza), Peru (bus from Arequipa) and Bolivia. Also from Brazil (bus from São Paulo, on Mondays and Thursdays). Be aware that crossing to Chile means that high altitude points might be present (Up to 2000m - 6600ft), also the roads from Peru and Bolivia are a bit poor in quality so be patient.

Currency
Chile's official currency is the Chilean peso, other currencies are not widely accepted everywhere, so try to carry pesos instead of US dollars or Euros. When exchanging currency, try to ask your travel agency or your tour guide where to do it. It's not advisable to do it in the hotel or the airport, the rates are awful. Just be patient. Never exchange money on the streets, even if the "helper" indicates you to follow them. The automatic tellers network in Chile is respectable in size and they're all connected to the same service, so they're all good for usual transactions.

Sleep
Chile has many types of hotels in the cities like Sheraton, Kempinsky, Marriott, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, etc. and a lot of hostels and little hotels of varying qualities. In the backpacker trail a local hostel version can be found in every small city residencial. There is also a variety of accommodation in the mountain ski centers, the world class resort Portillo, 80 km north of Santiago, "Valle Nevado" in the mountain close to Santiago (35 km) or "Termas de Chillan" ski resort and hot springs, about 450 km south of Santiago.

Learn
Along with Mexico and Argentina, Chile continues to grow as a preferred destination for studies abroad. It is not uncommom to find groups of European or North American students taking interdisciplinary studies in Spanish in one of its many reputed universities.

Stay safe
Santiago suffers from a high rate of pickpocketers and muggings. Do not travel in the downtown area wearing expensive-looking jewelry or watches, even during the day. Stay alert and be especially careful in all crowded areas in Santiago. Chilean Carabineros (National Police) are very trustworthy, call 133 if you need assistance. If you have a working GSM mobile phone, call to 112. Some municipalities (such as Santiago or Las Condes) have private guards; however they usually don't speak English.

Diplomatic representation from the US 
embassy: Avenida Andrés Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710

Phone
Chile has an extensive network of communications. Mobile telephony (mostly GSM networks) is ubiquitous in major cities and central and southern Chile. If you stay for a consirable amount of time, you could even buy a prepaid cellular phone. Prepaid cards for mobile phones and landline networks and sold at most newspaper kiosks. A prepaid SIM card from ENTEL costs 5000 pesos. You don't need to show an ID card. It comes without credit though, which you need to buy as well to be able to call. The phone system is not as ridiculously complicated as in Argentina.

Internet
There are cybercafes in every major and midsize city and at all tourist destinations. Some libraries are in a program called Biblioredes, with free computers and Internet (they may be very sensitive if you plug your camera or something like that). In some remote locations, public libraries have internet satellite connections. Also notice if there's a Wi-Fi hotspot around. They're usually in metro stations, airports, malls, public buildings. (Check for the ones that say "gratis" = for free)