Must- See: 12 places to go in Chile during Easter Weekend

Are you looking for a romantic adventure?  Would you like to escape from the routine of the office? Or are you looking for a place to share an adventure with friends? Adventure lovers, any excuse works for exploring unknown parts of the world during the holidays, even more so if one desires to discover places in Chile during Easter.

Chile is a world-renowned place to visit that’s in vogue.  Not only has Chile been distinguished by Lonely Planet as a Must-See destination in 2018, but also it has been named the World’s Best Adventure Tourism Destination, for the third year in a row, by the World Travel Awards.

These are awards that travelers know and trust, especially when it’s time to plan ahead for a weekend vacation. In order to make the most of those dates marked red on the calendar and take full advantage of the long weekend, read the following list of the best places to go in Chile this upcoming Easter.

Since Chile.Travel knows that holidays are equal to time for relaxing and having fun, we have selected 12 places in Chile to go for Easter vacation. If you’re looking to have a fun adventure or more than a few memorable experiences, what follows are the12 Must-See places we recommend for the coming holiday. As an added extra: be on the lookout for the Eater Bunny and his delicious chocolate eggs.

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA AND PLACES NEAR-BY

San Pedro de Atacama is one of the top tourist places in our country. Being able to visit it during Easter week is a great choice. One might want to spend an entire lifetime in San Pedro, surrounded by the wonderous colors of the driest desert on Earth, but still there’s plenty to be seen and done here in only  4 or 5 days.

San Pedro can be described as a cosmopolitan village that possesses a magic aura, full to the brim with appealing tourist sites like: Valle de la Luna, Valle de Marte, the lagoons in the Altiplano, the Tatio geysers, the salt flats and many other attractions in this extraordinary place that are perfect for visiting during April, when there’s nice weather. It’s still warm but not too hot, allowing visitors to enjoy the peace and quiet of San Pedro’s natural surroundings.

 CALDERA AND BAHÍA INGLESA

April is the month when Catholics celebrate the resurrection of Christ and it’s an ideal time to visit the beach town of Bahía Inglesa. Good weather and lower temperatures attract visitors to an almost deserted white beach surrounded by turquoise waters.

Furthermore, we suggest Bahia Inglesa as one of the top places in Chile to visit during Easter weekend because of the amount of possibilities for enjoying aquatic sports like kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, flyboarding, surfing and diving, and also there’s the option to take a boat ride to visit Isla El Morro.

Caldera is another great option for a weekend escapade. It’s a bright city, sunny almost every day of the year, and somewhat lost in the middle of the enchanting Atacama Desert.  To get there, you’ll have to travel through an exotic combination of sea and desert. Those who love flowers will be delighted to find species that can only be seen here and nowhere else on the planet.  It’s quite the unique spot in the world.

LA SERENA AND COQUIMBO

Cinema, music and crafts are all part of the panoramas offered in the “city of churches” during Easter Weekend. La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile with some of the most beautiful and well-preserved architecture in the country and a sublime and endless coastline, crowned by 29 Catholic churches.

The city has three iconic places which must be visited: the Centro Cultural Santa Inés, the Teatro Municipal and the Plaza Santo Domingo, which are open all week to receive families and tourists interested in knowing more about the traditions  of one of the most charismatic places in Chile to visit during Easter Week.

Coquimbo and its iconic Cruz del Tercer Milenio, also offers several traditional cultural activities during the Holy Week.

Sign up for a tour to visit the bell towers, spend time in the markets, taste the local seafood-based cuisine, much loved by tourists, and discover the mysteries of the universe at one of the astronomical observatories surrounding Coquimbo, a region also known as the “Star Region” in honor of its clear skies.

VIÑA DEL MAR AND VALPARAÍSO

After the hustle and bustle of the summer, visitors can finally relax and enjoy a long weekend in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, especially during the beginning of the fall season. These cities have so much to do and enjoy but are even nicer when one doesn’t have to wait in endless lines in order to get a table at one’s favorite restaurant.

Valparaíso looks something like an amphitheater, a viewpoint to see both the bay and the horizon.  The beauty of the port, the colors of the hills, the large cruisers and small fishing boats along the coast, make this city a Must-See in Chile’s central zone.

An unescapable city activity is to overlook the bay from one of Valparaiso’s viewpoints or hills. One of the most interesting ways to spend a day in Valparaiso is walking up and down its winding staircases, many of which display paintings, graffiti and street art made by local artists in creative and colorful motifs, that are all over the city, converting it into an open-air museum.  Do not miss this creative outpouring of talent, apt for the entire family.

On Good Friday, a singular ritual is performed in Reñaca, one of Viña’s biggest and most popular beaches. It is the massive Way of the Cross, the only occasion during the year when all the lights of the city are turned off and the beach is filled with burning candles that go from one end to the other. More than a religious celebration, it’s a beautiful spectacle that brings together the residents and visitors of Reñaca and Viña.

Candles are carried by the faithful who follow the procession with pride and recollection.

SANTA CRUZ AND COLCHAGUA

The vineyards of the Colchagua Valley are another one of the places in Chile to visit during Easter Weekend that should not be missed by any avid traveler. There are things to do from the mountains to the coast.  The Wine route offers a variety of wining and dining, as well as excursions and tours, all year round.

The beautiful landscapes, the gastronomy, the vineyards and their delicious wines are all major players in this very special place.   There are also boutique hotels and a variety of outdoor activities that entice one to enjoy the surroundings and tranquility of these cities.

Santa Cruz is an excellent alternative to learn more about the great wines of the world. There’s an endless list of tourist services and cultural activities such as museums, expositions, astronomical tours and conferences.

In addition to the diverse offer of wine tastings and the grand variety of wine strains, guided visits through wine cellars, horse riding through vineyards and open-air picnics area all wonderful options, or one can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city at sunset.

PUERTO VARAS AND FRUTILLAR

The snowy peaks of the Osorno and Calbuco volcanos stand guard over the picturesque city of Puerto Varas and its spectacular Llanquihue lake.  The best way to see it is to walk around, taking a look at the houses with their unmistakable German architecture, modern residential neighborhoods, gorgeous gardens and the impressive and colorful Sagrado Corazón de Jesús church.

Visit Frutillar, a town known as “The city of Roses” because of the great number of flowers of this kind that decorate its streets. You can get there bordering the Llanquihue Lake.

Walk around these charming villages of German reminiscences with their beautiful colonial houses. These places are also very well known in Chile for being experts in sweet preparations, so be sure to go in a few coffee shops and bakeries to taste some typical delicacies, such as kuchens, marmalades, manjar and thousand-leaf cakes, among others.

Buy a ticket to enjoy a classical music concert at the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, a construction on the shores of the lake that has become the cultural epicenter of the region.

CHILOE 

The morning mist in Chiloé lets you feel the uniqueness of this island. The typical architecture of Chiloe is one of the best examples of its distinctiveness: tiles, stilts and wooden churches design a unique landscape.

Chiloé offers a wealth of magic, spirituality and mythology that is fused with the local religious traditions celebrated during the Holy Week of Easter. The green and humid landscape invites you to explore the island on foot, getting lost in its streets and being surrounded by its exotic vegetation.

You can choose forest or beach, because on the “Big Island” you can find al most everything, which is why it is one of the best places in Chile to visit during Easter. More so if you are a sports fan. Trekking, kayaking and observation of flora and fauna are some of the activities you can do in the Chiloé National Park, with an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean.

But if you’re searching for something a bit more romantic for these holidays, take a walk up the hills of Chiloe to the mythical bridge called “Puente de las Almas” (“Bridge of Souls”), where the wind seems to hug you tight, we promise you that it will be unforgettable. The finishing touch to make this visit even more perfect is to let yourself surrender to the pleasures of a great meal, the “Curanto Chilote”, a tasty combination of seafood and vegetables, that will give your Easter Weekend a happy ending.