CHILE

Santiago is an efficient and modern city within easy striking distance of the Pacific beaches. Nearby on the coast is Valparaiso, a very attractive port built on the slopes of the surrounding hills, which can be explored by funicular railways.

In the far north is the Atacama Desert, parts of which haven't seen rain for decades. It is an area of stark but stunning scenery. Sunset over the moonscape of the Valle de Luna is one of the highlights of a visit to the area. The town of San Pedro de Atacama is home to one of the best archaeological museums in the country.

Six hundred miles south of Santiago is the Lake District, a huge area of stunning mountain and lakeland scenery. Snow capped volcanoes with verdant wooded slopes tower over a chain of freshwater lakes. This area has a huge variety of activities available from the adventurous, such as white water to the more sedate such a trout fishing.

The large island of Chiloe, adjacent to Puerto Montt, has its own character and culture. It is well worth spending a day or two here admiring the local architectural styles and adjusting to the slow pace of island life.

The Camino Austral stretches from Puerto Montt over 600 miles to the south. It passes through wild mountain and forest landscape, over torrential rivers and through some of the country's most stunning national parks.

Situated in Chilean Patagonia, the stunning Torres del Paine national park is a must see for anyone who loves wild and dramatic scenery. A trekking Mecca, the park is centred around the vast granite towers that give the park its name.

Thousands of miles from the Chilean coast, in the middle of the Pacific, is Easter Island. Now believed to have been populated by Polynesians, the island is home to the extraordinary and unique statues know as 'moai'. To reach the island you fly from Santiago and can explore the small island in a couple of days.