A safe and stable country

Chile has taken major steps in recent years to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants through stable and responsible public and private institutions, making it one of the safest destinations to study and travel in Latin America. With a diverse geography that gives life to the most varied landscapes and cultures, Chile offers foreign visitors a perfect blend of natural beauty, social and political stability, increasing human development and modern infrastructure.

Local character

Chilean people are hard-working by nature and, despite the large distances that separate them, they come together to give life to a dynamic society with a youthful spirit, which defends personal freedoms and respects diversity. This love for a land that separates the Andes Mountains from the Pacific Ocean has helped to give rise a local character strongly shaped by the natural environment.

Gastronomy

Chilean cuisine is highly varied, thanks to the country’s more than 4,000 km of coastline and 17 different climates, with each unique preparation reflecting a small part of its identity. Some well-known local dishes include pastel de choclo (corn pie), empanada de pino (ground beef patty) and curanto—a mixture of potato, shellfish and meat steamed on top of an open fire and covered with hot stones and leaves—which originates from the Chiloé Archipelago, as well as the delicious Carmenere wine.

Traditions and customs

Chile preserves and recreates the essence of an ancestral past in festivities that enchant and enthrall their participants, both Chileans and foreigners alike. Traditional costumes and masks shine under the bright sunlight at the Tirana Festival; myths and legends come back to life on Easter Island, located in Polynesia; while in Chiloé, residents gather at mingas to lend each other a hand while enjoying food, drink and music together. In September, the whole country comes to a standstill for almost a week to celebrate its independence day.

Literature and poetry

Inspiration is born at the end of the world, and Chile has been the birthplace of many renowned writers, novelists, poets and antipoets. The landscapes of the Elqui Valley marked the life and work of the first Latin American author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Gabriela Mistral. Pablo Neruda, also a Nobel Prize winner, has consecrated himself as one of the most influential poets of the 20^th century, whose works have been translated into virtually all major languages. Other renowned Chilean poets include Nicanor Parra, Isabel Allende and Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Religion

Historically, Catholicism has been the predominant religion in the country. Its legacy can be seen in the impressive architecture of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago and more than 400 native wood churches in Chiloé, of which 16 were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Catholicism was introduced in Chile by the Spanish conquistadors, but today, a variety of religious beliefs and practices coexist in the country, whose people enjoy extensive freedom of worship.

World-class wines

With their roots in the southernmost part of the Americas, Chilean vineyards maintain the traditions of the Old World and give rise to internationally renowned wines. Its Mediterranean climate, the health of its soils and its natural borders, which protect the quality of the grapes grown in Chile, has facilitated the survival of strains such as Carmenere, which was believed to be extinct and today surprises even the most demanding sommeliers.

Sport

You cannot visit Chile without playing a game of pick-up soccer. In a country where soccer is the national sport, Chile’s achievements on the field unite fans with a single passion. The country’s varied geography also offers huge expanses of territory open to exploration, with an coastline that is ideal for water sports and wild landscapes to experience challenging adventures. It is not surprising that Chile has been chosen for three consecutive years as the World’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination.