Epic outdoors
Few places turn heads like Patagonia does. This raw and untamed desert spans a huge space that covers both Chile and Argentina. On the Chilean side, the towering pinnacles of Torres del Paine overlook turquoise lakes and grasslands so full of wildlife they’re known as the Serengeti of South America. With a little luck, you’ll spot rare Huemul deer, several species of llama, and the elusive Andean puma.
And then, of course, there’s the Atacama Desert. The driest place on the planet sculpts some weird and wonderful rock formations and this otherworldly landscape is as close as you can come to walking on the moon. If the scenery weren’t already incredible enough, the sheer faces of the Andean Mountains are all around you, including the 6,893-metre peak of Ojos del Salado (Salty Eyes) – the tallest volcano in the world.
The adventures don’t end on the mainland, either. Chile’s Easter Island is home to the moai – huge rock-carved statues of bizarrely-shaped human heads whose purpose have been lost in the mists of time. Experts are still baffled by them today