recharge your batteries.
Our country continues to lead global rankings, recently being recognized as the best Adventure Tourism destination at the World Travel Awards and as the best destination by the Forbes Travel Awards. April is also one of the most strategic months to travel: the weather is stable, autumn colors begin to paint the landscape, and summer crowds are a thing of the past.
Here are the 12 places in Chile that can’t be missed on your itinerary for this long weekend.
San Pedro de Atacama and Surroundings
San Pedro de Atacama is one of the top tourist destinations in our country, and visiting it during Easter is a great choice. Because, even though we’d love to stay forever surrounded by the wonderful colors of the world’s driest desert, the reality is that it can be perfectly visited in 4 or 5 days.
A cosmopolitan town that reveals a magical atmosphere, full of must-see tourist attractions: Valle de la Luna and Valle de Marte, the highland lagoons, the Tatio geysers, and the salt flats are perfect to visit during April, when the warm weather stabilizes and allows you to peacefully enjoy each of its natural wonders.
Caldera and Bahía Inglesa
April is ideal for visiting beach resorts like Bahía Inglesa, as the low season offers nearly deserted beaches, with turquoise waters and white sands that invite you to enjoy the warm sun rays. You can also take boat trips to visit Isla El Morro and enjoy water activities like kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, flyboarding, surfing, and diving.
Nearby is Caldera, a bright little town (because the sun is always present) that seems lost in the middle of the Atacama Desert, but has plenty of charm. Explore it and enjoy the exotic mix of sea and desert, which offers sparse but globally unique flora.
La Serena and Coquimbo
Cinema, music, and crafts are what La Serena offers, Chile’s second oldest city. It features beautiful architecture and a sublime, extensive coastline crowned by 29 Catholic churches.
Its rich cultural offerings include three iconic landmarks: Centro Cultural Santa Inés, the Municipal Theater, and Plaza Santo Domingo, which open their doors throughout the weekend to welcome families and tourists interested in learning more about the traditions of one of the most charismatic places in Chile to visit during Easter.
Meanwhile, the city of Coquimbo and its imposing Cruz del Tercer Milenio also invite you to enjoy a series of cultural and traditional activities during the holiday.
Viña del Mar and Valparaíso
Just 1.5 hours from Santiago, Viña del Mar and Valparaíso are perfect cities to visit during Easter.
Valparaíso looks like an amphitheater facing the bay and the horizon. The beauty of the port, the colors of its hills, as well as the large and small ships that dock on its shores, make this city a must-see in central Chile.
Meanwhile, in Viña del Mar a unique ritual takes place along its main beach. It’s the massive Via Crucis, which more than a religious celebration, is a beautiful and intimate spectacle that brings together residents and visitors of Reñaca. For a moment, all the city lights are turned off, and the beach fills with lit candles that pass from one end to the other.
Santa Cruz and Colchagua
The vineyards of the Colchagua Valley are magical. The gastronomy, beautiful harvest landscapes, and delicious wines offer an exquisite experience. This, combined with the area’s boutique hotels and variety of countryside activities, invites you to enjoy the surroundings and tranquility of this place.
Its epicenter is Santa Cruz, with a wide range of tourist services and cultural activities such as museums, exhibitions, astronomical tours, and talks.
Puerto Varas and Frutillar
In southern Chile, the snow-capped peaks of Osorno volcano and Calbuco watch over the picturesque city of Puerto Varas and its spectacular Lake Llanquihue. The best way to experience it is on foot, from end to end, exploring its houses with unmistakable German architecture, its modern residential neighborhoods with beautiful gardens, and visiting the impressive and colorful Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Visit Frutillar, known as “The City of Roses” for the abundance of these flowers adorning its streets—you can reach it by following the shore of Lake Llanquihue.
A picturesque and charming town with German reminiscences, it offers walks around its beautiful colonial houses and tours of delightful local shops specializing in sweet preparations, like kuchen and thousand-layer cakes.
Chiloé
The morning mists of Chiloé convey the island’s uniqueness. The typical architecture of this destination is one of the best marks of its distinctiveness: shingles, stilt houses, and wooden churches create a unique landscape.
Chiloé also offers a spiritual richness full of magic and mythology, which blends with the religious traditions celebrated during Easter. The green and humid landscape invites you to explore the island on foot, getting lost in its streets and exotic vegetation.
Choose forest or beach—on Isla Grande you can find it all, making it one of the places in Chile to visit during Easter that you can’t miss. Even more so if you’re a sports enthusiast.
Trekking, kayaking, and flora and fauna observation are some of the activities you can enjoy in Chiloé National Park, with an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean.
