55 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Chile - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Chile

Puerto Río Tranquilo, Chile

Marble Caves of Chile Chico

Mother Nature outdoes herself with this stunningly beautiful set of caves carved into marble.

TrevorShawnElia

Added by TrevorShawnElia

Panguipulli, Chile

Montana Magica Lodge

This odd Chilean waterfall-cano hotel must be entered via a rope bridge.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Easter Island, Chile

"El Gigante" and the Stone Moai of Easter Island

The largest stone Moai on Easter Island.

Added by LongNow

Panguipulli, Chile

Termas Geometricas

This Japanese-inspired labyrinth of hot springs is hidden in a Chilean forest.

woodruff

Added by woodruff

Hand of the Desert

A sculpture of a giant hand reaches for the stars in the middle of the Atacama desert.

stanestane

Added by stanestane

Punta Pite

A fantastical group of cliffside stairways, bridges, and twisting paths carved out of stone provide a surreal coastal hike.

Added by RoseRGalloway

Valparaiso, Chile

Elevators of Valparaiso

What was once a unique system of urban elevators is turning into a mechanical ruin.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Villarrica, Chile

Caves of the Villarrica Volcano

One of Chile's most active volcanoes is riddled with beautiful caves.

Dylan

See All 55 Things to Do in Chile See All 55 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Chile

Purén White Strawberry

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Purén White Strawberry

The Chilean specialty smells like a flower and tastes less tart than its red relatives.

Gastro Obscura

cecilyannwong

Added by cecilyannwong

Coquito Nuts

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Coquito Nuts

Chile is home to very, very small coconuts.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Chilean Fog Beer

Gastro Obscura

Chilean Fog Beer

In the Atacama Desert, brewers trap fog moisture to make crisp ales.

Gastro Obscura

Zoe Baillargeon

Added by Zoe Baillargeon

Mote con Huesillos

Gastro Obscura

Mote con Huesillos

A syrupy cup of peaches and wheat kernels is a customary reward after a Santiago mountain hike.

Gastro Obscura

Zoe Baillargeon

Added by Zoe Baillargeon

See all 13 things to eat in Chile See all 13 things to eat in Chile

Explore Chile

Launch Map

Recent Chile Activity

jeskovajana wants to go to The VLT - Very Large Telescope

TammyBouteiller wants to go to Marble Caves of Chile Chico

ckmex wants to go to Bahá’í Temple of South America

ckmex wants to go to Punta Pite

ckmex wants to go to Sewell Ghost Town

Stories
About Chile

Lithium in various stages of dehydration.

See the Pixelated Desert That Powers Your Phone Battery

A lithium lakebed in Chile from above.

by Noor Al-Samarrai

February 19, 2019

Droege dubbed this unknown species, part of the <em>Mourecotelles</em> genus, "Bee cute furry face."

How Close-Up Glamour Shots Are Generating Buzz for Bees

The pictures were taken for science, but found a wider audience because they're gorgeous and a little trippy.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

November 27, 2018

European Southern Observatories in Chile.

Where on Earth Can You Put a Giant Telescope?

Why astronomers keep putting them in the same places.

by Sarah Laskow

November 07, 2018

The Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile is "magnificently desolate," according to astronomer Scott Sheppard.

How a Desert Mountain Telescope Revealed Jupiter's Odd New Moon

Meet Valetudo, a moon that doesn't just go with the flow.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

A chromolithograph of <em>Fragaria ananassa</em>.

The 18th-Century Spy Who Gave Us Big Strawberries

Two American strawberries reunited in Europe, and gave us the fruit we love today.

November 16, 2017

The ROV that captured footage of the wreck of <em>SS Itata</em>, 650 feet down.

Found: The Wreck of Chile's 'Titanic'

After decades of searching, the site where 400 lost their lives has been identified.

by Vittoria Traverso

November 13, 2017

Moving a house on Chiloe Island, known as a <em>minga</em>.

On This Chilean Island, the Whole Community Helps Move Your House

The actual building. Sometimes across water.

by Zoe Baillargeon

August 16, 2017

The perfect place for a Mars practice run.

Practicing Looking for Life on Mars in Chile's Atacama Desert

A test run on Earth is a whole lot cheaper.

by Kelsey Kennedy