Antofagasta and Valle Nevado, Chile

Antofagasta

Sprawled on the Pacific coast of Chile, the large city of Antofangasta has long been an attractive tourist attraction. It also plays into his hands the proximity to the Atacama Desert, where tourists tend to admire the scenery of the Moon Valley. Due to the arid climate, the city stretches for 20 km along the coast, so the climate is significantly affected by monsoons and ocean coolness.

5 things to do in Antofagasta:

1. Travel to the nearby Atacama Desertto see the famous Moon Valley and a monument depicting a huge hand sinking in the desert.
2. Dial in the central market, which is located near Arturo Prata Boulevard, tropical fruits grown in oases and charming handicrafts.
3. Taste sea urchin soup at a local ethnic restaurant.
4. Take a picture against the backdrop of La Portada – an amazingly picturesque cliff, in the form of an arch, rising into the sea.
5. Arrange a sortie to the shore of Ornithos.

Entertainment and attractions of Antofagasta

The northern part of the city is a powerful industrial sector. Nearby is the largest open-air mine in the world – Chuquicamata. Walking along the Arturo Prata pedestrian boulevard, tourists are immersed in the multilingual hubbub and noise of the crowd. The center of the city is Columbus Square, and it is customary to arrange meetings near the Clock Tower, built in 1877 in a style that mixed Gothic and Moorish motifs. Since 1987, the tower has been declared a national monument of Chile. The small pretty port of Mejillones, located in the northern part of the peninsula of the same name, also attracts attention.

Hotels

The hotel line stretches along the beaches of Playa el Uscar, Playa Hornitos and Playa de Mejillones, which attract a huge number of tourists with their comfort and abundance of diving clubs. The resort of Juan Lopez is a cozy place with clean beaches and a breathtaking panorama.

Cuisine of Antofagasta

Of course, local seafood (mariscos) is the freshest product in restaurants, but Chileans also respect meat and poultry. Be sure to try casuela de ave, a traditional chicken soup with spices, potatoes and noodles. Curanto is a dish common in the south of the country and especially on Easter Island. This is the so-called earthen shish kebab: the meat is buried in the ground and a fire is lit over it. Appetizing empanadas – pies with a variety of fillings. And, of course, a bottle of Chilean wine will become the pearl of any table.

Valle Nevado

Valle Nevado is a developing ski resort 60 km from Santiago. Charming, French-style resort offers a huge skiing area, with heli-skiing and paragliding. This is potentially one of the top resorts in the world.

The company that was involved in the construction of Valle Nevado is also known for another of its offspring – the Les Arcs resort.

The season at the resort lasts from June to September. Ski pass for a week – from 170,000 CLP, heli-ski – from 400 USD in a group of 4 people for the whole day.

Trails of Valle Nevado

There are more than 30 tracks, and some of the “black” ones lie at a colossal height (up to 4 thousand meters). Those who wish can get to the tops of mountain glaciers by helicopter, there are many slopes for snowboarding and flat tracks (there is a half-pipe and boardercross). Valle Nevado is the only place in Latin America that has hosted the FIS Snowboard World Cup.

And thanks to access to the El Colorado complex, this area is the largest ski resort in South America.

Here is the “International Ski School” (Escuela Internacional de Esqui), which employs 60 professional instructors. The “mini-school” accepts children from 4 to 7 years old. Classes are both group and individual.

The Chilean Valle Nevado is potentially one of the top resorts in the world.

Popular hotels in Valle Nevado

Attractions and attractions of Valle Nevado

Eight restaurants with international cuisine, shops, pubs, discos, theme parties, dance lessons, shows, children’s programs. And also: snowmobiling and an outdoor heated swimming pool. They say that Valle Nevado has a very vibrant nightlife: they drink and dance in bars until 6 in the morning, and at night they enjoy the views of the stars in the outdoor pool.

Weather in Valle Nevado

Blizzards are not uncommon in the Nevada Valley, and are notorious for starting extremely suddenly. In this case, all distant lifts are closed, since getting out of the slopes near them with dubious visibility is a pleasure for extreme people. As soon as the weather turns clear and sunny, and a blizzard leaves a good layer of powder from fresh snow, it’s time to jump into a helicopter and go heli-skiing. By European standards, this is not only ultra-classy, ​​but also extremely budget-friendly. See citypopulationreview.com for weather information.

Due to the fact that almost all ski areas are at quite tangible heights, it is worth going to Valle Nevado for at least 10-14 days so that acclimatization does not kill all the pleasure of skiing.