Home to the driest desert in the world - the Atacama - as well as some stunning beaches, thriving metropolises and of course, part of Patagonia, Chile is a place of extremes. We were lucky enough to spend a week there - checking out the dry coast, and dreaming of adventures within its borders. 

Chile was not on our travel itinerary when we first headed down to Peru, but because of a visa mix up when we arrived in Lima, we found ourselves having to leave the country for a bit - and Chile seemed like a good place to spend a week. While we didn't get to see much of the country - only about the first 30 miles of the northern coast - we left with a strong desire to explore the area more (especially the Atacama desert, and the Patagonia region down south). 

CURRENCY

Chilean Peso (CLP); 1 USD = 758 pesos

TIME ZONE

Chilean Standard Time (GMT-4); same as NYC, -5 for London

BEST TIME TO VISIT

October-March for Patagonia, and shoulder seasons (April-June & September-December) for Buenos Aires.