Best Time To Visit Chile

Chile always has a region or two ripe for exploration whatever the season. But if your heart is set on one part of the country, pick your trip dates carefully. Santiago and Middle Chile are best in the verdant spring (September through November) or during the fall harvest (late February into April), while Chile's southern charms, Parque Nacional del Paine in Magallanes and the lakes region are best in summer (December through March). The parched Atacama Desert can be explored year-round, although summer days sizzle and nights are bitterly cold at higher altitudes throughout the year. In the northern altiplano, summer is the rainy season, though this usually means only a brief afternoon downpour.

Chile in the winter can be a wonderland for skiers; the country's resorts attract hordes from July through September. Easter Island is cooler, slightly cheaper and much less crowded outside the summer months. The same is true of the Juan Fernández archipelago, which can be inaccessible if winter rains erode the dirt airstrip; March is an ideal time for a visit. Summer is high season.

Many of the country's best festivals, including Semana Musical, Fiesta de Candelario and Carnaval, are held in February, so consider this a good time to come if you want to hang out with the locals.