75 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.

Panguipulli, Chile

Montana Magica 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.

Panguipulli, Chile

Termas Geometricas

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

Hand of the Desert

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

Punta Pite

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

Villarrica, Chile

Caves of the Villarrica Volcano

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

Valparaiso, Chile

Elevators of Valparaiso

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

See All 75 Things to Do in Chile See All 75 Places

Unique Food & Drink in Chile

Coquito Nuts

Chile is home to very, very small coconuts.

Purén White Strawberry

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

Fog Beer at Atrapaniebla Brewery

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

Mote con Huesillos

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

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Stories About Chile

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.

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

The corona is most visible during a total solar eclipse, like this one, captured on August 21, 2017.

How Do You Do Color Commentary for an Eclipse?

Live from space, it’s a grand celestial phenomenon!

by Jessica Leigh Hester

David Ebmer uses his lice comb to gather samples from Valdivia's famous sea lions.

Scientists Invented a Lice Comb for Urban Sea Lions in Chile

The utensil helps researchers study marine mammals in the least disruptive way possible.

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 7, 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

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