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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Chile

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

Updated November 1, 2023

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  1. Antofagasta
  2. Arica
  3. Concepción
  4. Copiapó
  5. Easter Island
  6. Panguipulli
  7. Punta Arenas
  8. San Pedro De Atacama
  9. Santiago
  10. Valdivia
  11. Valparaiso
  12. Viña Del Mar

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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
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
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
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
A white Chilean strawberry.

The Fight To Save Chile's Glorious White Strawberry

The ancestor of the big red strawberry is in peril.
by Mark Johanson
Tea-time photos curated by Proyecto Once show fruit crumbles, breads and tasty toppings, and plenty of tea.

How Chileans Turned British Tea Time Into a ‘Fourth Meal’

You might want to try it, too.
by Mark Johanson
Kevin Dzurny, chief cartographer at Replogle Globes, has to keep things up to date—and keep certain countries happy.

How a Globemaker Navigates a Digital World

“It’s kind of a joke, but in some sense, I almost feel like I could start a war.”
by Lauren Vespoli
A statue of Francisco de Paula Santander, a gift from Colombia to Chile in Valparaíso.

How Chilean Protesters Painted a New Story Atop Old National Monuments

Photographer Camilo Vergara has documented color, graffiti, and anger.
by Winnie Lee

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

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