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All Chile

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Chile

81 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Chile

Updated May 8, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Santiago
One of the hidden lakes.
San Pedro De Atacama
Valparaiso
Easter Island
Haunting and overgrown.
Concepción
The 1899 frigate, Lord Lonsdale
Punta Arenas
All Cities
  1. Antofagasta
  2. Arica
  3. Concepción
  4. Copiapó
  5. Easter Island
  6. Panguipulli
  7. Punta Arenas
  8. San Pedro De Atacama
  9. Santiago
  10. Valdivia
  11. Valparaiso
  12. Viña Del Mar
Attractions
Food & Drink
Trips
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in Chile

Marble Cathedral

Puerto Río Tranquilo, Chile

Marble Caves of Chile Chico

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

Panguipulli, Chile

Montaña Mágica Lodge

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

Easter Island, Chile

"El Gigante" and the Stone Moai of Easter Island

The largest stone Moai on Easter Island.
Termas Geometricas

Panguipulli, Chile

Termas Geometricas

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

Chile

Hand of the Desert

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

Chile

Punta Pite

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

Santiago, Chile

Parque Quinta Normal Greenhouse

A beautiful deserted greenhouse in the middle of a park.

Valparaiso, Chile

World's Largest Swimming Pool

A record-breaking pool that uses computers to turn ocean water into cleaner, private swimming water.
See All 81 Things To Do in Chile

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Chile

Santiago, Chile

La Picá de Clinton

How a lunch counter in Chile became a shrine to the 42nd president of the United States

Villaseca, Chile

Entre Cordillera Restobar Solar

At this desert restaurant, meals are cooked in solar ovens.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Trips

Chiloé & the Fjords of Northern Patagonia

Encounter an archipelago woven with ancient myths and breathtaking scenery.

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Explore Chile

Nature 8
History 8
Geology 7
Ecosystems 6
Ruins 6
Art 6
Natural Wonders 6
Water 6
Mines 5
Sacred Spaces 5
Telescopes 5
Science 5
Places To Stay 2

Chile Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for CoolCrab
    CoolCrab
    17
  2. Avatar image for Capemarsh
    Capemarsh
    12
  3. Avatar image for Tony Dunnell
    Tony Dunnell
    6
  4. Avatar image for Stephen J Taylor
    Stephen J Taylor
    2
  5. Avatar image for FrustratedFormerContributor
    FrustratedFormerContributor
    2

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for CoolCrab
    CoolCrab
    15
  2. Avatar image for Capemarsh
    Capemarsh
    12
  3. Avatar image for mocchiatto
    mocchiatto
    9
  4. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    7
  5. Avatar image for Molly McBride Jacobson
    Molly McBride Jacobson
    5

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for Sigamme Os Bons Pelo Mundo
    Sigamme Os Bons Pelo Mundo
    50
  2. J
    Juampito
    33
  3. A
    adrianhuy
    31
  4. Avatar image for aaron brown
    aaron brown
    31
  5. Avatar image for latoletole
    latoletole
    28

Recent Chile Activity

  • S

    sandralcoburn

    wants to go to Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)

  • S

    sandralcoburn

    wants to go to Hand of the Desert

  • V

    vintagevelvet

    wants to go to Termas Geometricas

  • V

    vintagevelvet

    wants to go to Hotel Nothofagus

  • V

    vintagevelvet

    wants to go to Montaña Mágica Lodge

Stories About Chile

NASA satellites captured this ephemeral moment as open- and closed-cell marine stratocumulus clouds formed and dispersed over the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 miles west of Chile, in August 2022.

Marine Stratocumulus Clouds May Be the Most Important Clouds on Earth

These common formations create abstract designs and reveal important patterns of environmental change, big and small.
by Gemma Tarlach
March 14, 2023
Navarino Island, in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the southern tip of South America, where people have thrived since the end of the last ice age. Archaeologists scouring the landscape are bringing the past to life—and it’s richer and more complex than has been imagined.

The Rise of the Yaghan, Indigenous People of Tierra del Fuego Once Declared 'Extinct'

Long relegated to historical oblivion, this reinvigorated community is now pursuing deeper stories about their ancestors.
by Jude Isabella
February 21, 2023
In Chile, the Alerce Milenario may be more than 5,000 years old, making it the oldest known tree in the world.

Is the World's Oldest Tree This Stately Cypress in Chile?

The towering Alerce Milenario may be more than 5,000 years old, but it's just one of several contenders for the title.
by Eden Arielle Gordon
July 21, 2022
A white Chilean strawberry.

The Fight To Save Chile's Glorious White Strawberry

The ancestor of the big red strawberry is in peril.
by Mark Johanson
March 3, 2022
Tea-time photos curated by Proyecto Once show fruit crumbles, breads and tasty toppings, and plenty of tea.

How Chileans Turned British Tea Time Into a ‘Fourth Meal’

You might want to try it, too.
by Mark Johanson
May 14, 2020
Kevin Dzurny, chief cartographer at Replogle Globes, has to keep things up to date—and keep certain countries happy.

How a Globemaker Navigates a Digital World

“It’s kind of a joke, but in some sense, I almost feel like I could start a war.”
by Lauren Vespoli
April 6, 2020
A statue of Francisco de Paula Santander, a gift from Colombia to Chile in Valparaíso.

How Chilean Protesters Painted a New Story Atop Old National Monuments

Photographer Camilo Vergara has documented color, graffiti, and anger.
by Winnie Lee
March 19, 2020
A Loa water frog in its stream.

Saving the World’s Last 14 Loa Water Frogs

The endangered amphibians were found camped out in a lonely brown puddle in Chile.
by Sabrina Imbler
August 29, 2019

Lists Featuring Chile

ALMA.
The observatory.
Ulugh Beg Observatory.

20 Out-of-This-World Stargazing Spots

These observatories boast truly stellar views.

20

Including Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), National Observatory of Colombia, and Pic du Midi Observatory

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