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MuCH like tHe disH, CHile HAs Hints of pep, spiCe, deptH And RiCHness in its Cuisine, CultuRe And teRRAin.

The Blessed Virgin Mary statue, which stands nearly a half-mile above sea level atop San Cristobal hill, looks over the sprawling grounds of Santiago, Chile—very similar to how the more popular Christ the

Redeemer statue overlooks Brazil. But Chile is actually seeking to sway that popularity. Whereas Brazil leads the continent in tourists, Chile has experienced rapid growth in tourism numbers—and for good reason. From the wineries to the beaches and from the big city to the arctic adventures, there is never a dull moment.

Melting Pot Nina Hemphill Reeder

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Other great santiago dining

included Mestizo (mestizorestaurant.cl),

a swanky seafood restaurant and bar,

where even the seabass gets all dressed up and

ready to be seen...Since the country spans nearly 3,000

miles—roughly the length of the United States—the climate and terrain seem to be just as diverse, with each region providing a unique lure for everyone.

I started my journey in Santiago, Chile’s bustling capital city, where downtown is affectionately known as “Sanhattan.” As far as its culinary comparison to big cities, Santiago fits the bill. My first Chilean meal was at Linguia (liguria.cl), a fitting introduction to the country’s palate with traditional dishes and drinks such as the pisco sour (a cocktail of Chilean brandy mixed with lime,

egg white and sugar); cherimoya alegre (a dessert in which slivers of cherimoya fruit drown in orange juice); sopapillas (pumpkin fritters); and the ubiquitous bread and butter with merken (a smoked pepper). Other great Santiago dining included Mestizo (mestizorestaurant.cl), a swanky seafood restaurant and bar, where even the seabass gets all dressed up and ready to be seen, and Bocanariz (bocanariz.cl), a wine bar where your multiplate meal is prepared specifically to complement your wine flights.

Nightlife is equally buzzing. The Lastarria neighborhood had a string of restaurants

Valparaiso

Pisco Sour

and bars, where al fresco dinning appears to be the seating of choice—so much so that each restaurant’s patio chairs spill into the common promenade, thus blending the wine patrons with cocktail and beer crowds.

This well-blended composite becomes a theme for Chile’s many diverse regions. Less than three hours from the big city of Santiago, the coastal city of Valparaiso emanates a drastically different vibe—in fact, two different vibes. Right now, it appears to be a sleepy, easy-going waterfront town. But it’s also known for its vivacious alter ego, where New Year’s Eve is reportedly a pen-in for your bucket list. Since their summer season is an inverse to ours, daylight stretches longer into the Eve and crowds occupy the streets for a nearly day-long celebration. But it’s not just a vibrant atmosphere, it’s quite colorful—literally. Houses painted in loud shades such as blood orange and electric blue stack up like crowded stadium seating throughout the hilly and winding streets. And the Palacio Astoreca (hotelpalacioastoreca.com), a newly opened boutique hotel, also keeps up the theme with red clay walls and stark white trim. In the 23-room hotel, each room is uniquely decorated, but all contain the hallmarks of a bold, statement-making wallpaper and caress-worthy throws and pillows knit by local Chilean craftsmen. Its restaurant, Alegre, also dazzles with artistic creations such as flower-shaped cheese crisps and fresh fish carpaccio with creamed foam plated in a sardine tin.

But after all the heavy indulging, I feel the need for some balance. And that’s just what I get further south in the neighboring cities of Puerto Natales and Puerto PA

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Room at the Palacio Astoreca

Alegre restaurant

Spa at The Singular

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Much of the original 1915 structure and even machinery are preserved and designed around, so it feels like you’re

walking through a museum entrance on your way to your rich friend’s loft apartment.

Santiago skyline

Room at The Singular Patagonia

Hallway at The Singular Patagonia

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Bories. Here, adventurers flock to explore the grounds of Patagonia, a geographic fun land between Chile and Argentina marked with fjords (inlets of water), wildlife and the snowy peaks of the Andes Mountains. But since it’s closer to the Antarctic tip of Chile, timing is key. High season is in their summer months (December through March); and in the winter season (June through August), prices are cheaper but daylight hours are fewer, thus cutting short your outdoor adventures—and some hotels are closed.

Here I stay at The Singular Patagonia (thesingular.com/puertobories-en), originally a factory in which sheep were processed for their meat. Much of the original 1915 structure and even machinery are preserved and designed around, so it feels like you’re walking through a museum entrance on your way to your rich friend’s loft apartment. Each bedroom showcases an incredible floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window view of the surrounding fjords.

Almost two hours deeper into Patagonia and inside the Torres del Paine National Park, the barely year-old Tierra Patagonia hotel (tierrapatagonia.com) also features the theme of letting nature become part of the design aesthetic with a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding mountainous landscape. Even down in the comforts of the heated indoor pool and spa area, you can marvel at wilderness, where sheep and other animals wander freely outside on the grounds.

But as nice as the comforts of both hotels are, the

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Excursion transfer to the national park with Tierra Patagoniareal appeal is outside among the natural life. Each hotel offers full-service packages, which include three meals a day and guided excursions. Guests can choose to hike up mountains, trek through the national park, explore prehistoric caves, tour glaciers, mountain bike, kayak, bird watch—and Tierra Patagonia specifically offers hand fishing expeditions. My first day at The Singular, I hike “the condor trail” to the peak of one of the windiest summits, where the vultures are known to soar the favorable gusty winds. The next day, I start off with an easy trek through the national park, relax with an outdoor picnic lunch and conclude the day with a horseback ride in the snowfall.

Scanning through my pictures on my LAN Airlines flight home, it is a wonder that so many special moments came from the same trip. But as they say, whether you’re an outdoorsman or a city slicker, there is a little piece of Chile for everyone to enjoy.

Con Amigos

Exploring a foreign country can be hard, especially if you don’t speak the native language. And even with the most careful planning, you sometimes miss the hidden gems or get suckered into

the tourist traps. A good travel company helps you navigate not only through those problems but also through the best of the land. Santiago Adventures (santiagoadventures.com), a full-service travel company operating tours in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, takes away a large part of the hassle of travel. The company not only provides luxury accommodations for its travelers, transfers to their hotels, airports and attractions and a bilingual tour guide, but also offers exclusive perks such as lunch at the home of former LAN Airlines executive chef Maria Eugenia Terragno and a behind-the-scenes tour and lunch with Maria Luz Marin, the first female vineyard operator and owner of the Casa Marin winery. —N.H.R.

Dining room at Tierra Patagonia

Room at Tierra Patagonia

Kitchen of Maria Eugenia Terragno