All Chile

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Chile

94 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Chile

Updated September 21, 2026
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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Antofagasta
  2. Arica
  3. Concepción
  4. Copiapó
  5. Natales
  6. Panguipulli
  7. Punta Arenas
  8. Rapa Nui
  9. San Pedro De Atacama
  10. Santiago
  11. Valdivia
  12. Valparaiso
  13. Viña Del Mar

Unusual Attractions in Chile

Places

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Chile

Museums 11
Geology 9
History 8
Architecture 8
Nature 8
Natural Wonders 7
Art 6
Ruins 6

Chile Leaderboard

Recent Chile Activity

Stories About Chile

GPS-tagging whimbrels on Chiloé Island in southern Chile.

Wings of Survival

A world-first race with nature
by Timm Döbert, Community Contributor

Podcast: A Rogue Trip with Amir Siraj

Travel with us to the Atacama Desert in search of a unique observatory.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Beyond the Moai

by AO Puzzles, Atlas Obscura
A bathymetric map shows the Solito Seamount off the coast of Chile. Scientists on a recent expedition found isolated seamounts like these to hold distinct ecosystems, including thriving deep-sea coral reefs and sponge gardens.

Every Time They're Found, Underwater Volcanoes Just Burst With Life

New discoveries off the Chilean coast include dozens of species new to science.
by Robin George Andrews, Atlas Obscura
Leopardus guigna, or kodkod, is the smallest wild cat in the Americas, and is often smaller than an average house cat.

The Smallest Wild Cat in the Americas Is Also the Cutest Bad Omen

In rural Chile, the kodkod, or güiña, has a bad rep for stealing chickens—and as a portent of death and disaster.
by Roxanne Hoorn, Atlas Obscura
NASA satellites captured this ephemeral moment as open- and closed-cell marine stratocumulus clouds formed and dispersed over the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 miles west of Chile, in August 2022.

Marine Stratocumulus Clouds May Be the Most Important Clouds on Earth

These common formations create abstract designs and reveal important patterns of environmental change, big and small.
by Gemma Tarlach, Atlas Obscura
Navarino Island, in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the southern tip of South America, where people have thrived since the end of the last ice age. Archaeologists scouring the landscape are bringing the past to life—and it’s richer and more complex than has been imagined.

The Rise of the Yaghan, Indigenous People of Tierra del Fuego Once Declared 'Extinct'

Long relegated to historical oblivion, this reinvigorated community is now pursuing deeper stories about their ancestors.
by Jude Isabella, Atlas Obscura
In Chile, the Alerce Milenario may be more than 5,000 years old, making it the oldest known tree in the world.

Is the World's Oldest Tree This Stately Cypress in Chile?

The towering Alerce Milenario may be more than 5,000 years old, but it's just one of several contenders for the title.
by Eden Arielle Gordon, Atlas Obscura

Lists Featuring Chile

ALMA.
The observatory.
Ulugh Beg Observatory.

20 Out-of-This-World Stargazing Spots

These observatories boast truly stellar views.

20

Including Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), National Observatory of Colombia, and Pic du Midi Observatory

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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