MAIN Travel South America Chile

Birds-eye view of Santiago from San Cristóbal hill. Chile Travel Fast Facts Getting there: regular international flights from major world cities to the capital city of Santiago. Currency: Chilean Peso (CLP) Official language(s): Spanish What to see: Santiago and Vina del Mar, Chilean wineries, world class mountain skiing, Valparaiso, La Serena, Easter Island

Although just a sliver of the South American continent, Chile is big enough to offer its millions of visitors a year a chance to ski its mountains, laze along its sunny beaches, or trek the glaciers that lace the Chile's southern Antarctic coast.

The country's diversity is nowhere more evident that in its capital, Santiago, where it is easily possible to go skiing in the Andes in the morning, and then swimming or snorkeling in the afternoon along the shores of the Vina del Mar.

(Also don't miss the funicular ride up to Parque Metropolitano to see the zoo, botanical gardens, and one breathtaking view of the city.)

For a pleasant trip out to the countryside, spend the day at any one of more than 100 Chilean wineries and see why the country's wines have begun to win top prizes at international competitions.

More must-sees lie along the coast at Valparaiso, a UNESCO World Heritage site, simply to roam the steep streets and take in incredible Paciic ocean views -- via rides aboard the ascensores, or elevators that connect the harbor to the hills.

Further north along the coast, visitors can discover the country's top vacation spots for Chileans looking for their day in the sun at La Serena with some of the longest stretches of beaches in the country.

Seeing Easter Island

With those with extra time and money to spare, the expensive journey to Easter Island off the West coast is also one to remember.

Due to its remoteness out in the middle of the Pacific, flights from Santiago take almost six hours to Easter Island, but for many it's well worth the trip. Here, the colossal volcanic rock sculptures of human heads (who made them? how did they get there?) and other mysterious pictographs along the coast have survived since before recorded time.

DID YOU KNOW? Chile Travel Fun Facts

Valparaiso, New Year's Eve.

• The largest annual fireworks show in all of South America happens in the city of Valparaiso during its New Year’s Pyrotechnic Festival.

• Chile observes more UFOs than any other country, and is one of the few on earth that has a government-supported UFO research organization.

• Chile boasts the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool, located at the San Alfonso del Mar Resort. It is larger than 20 Olympic swimming pools and holds 66 million gallons of water.

• The world's only ski resort located on an oceanfront is located near Punta Arenas.

• You can feel safe while traveling throughout Chile which boasts the overall lowest crime rate in South America.

More about Chile travel & tourism around the Web:

Chile Tourism Guide - Browse for travel tips by region including articles and practical information on travel visas, mobile phone & Internet services, currency calculator, maps.

Chile - Wikitravel - The whole country explained, with side trips to Santiago, Valparaiso, La Serena and more with photos, insider travel tips and related resources.