Chile

The Spanish Diego de Almagro is considered as the conqueror of the territories currently known as Peru and Chile in 1536, in a joint expedition with Francisco Pizarro. Several battles were fought in Chilean territory for control between Spaniards and indigenous peoples such as the “Mapuche” who presented a strong resistance but finally the Spanish crown managed to take possession of the territory until the year 1818 when finally Chile is declared an independent territory after a revolution led by the military and politician Jose de San Martin, however it was not recognized by the Spanish crown until 1843. During most of the 20th century various radical governments were presented with political figures like Augusto Pinochet and Salvador Allende, for which their socioeconomic context was characterized by political and economic instability. Currently, Chile enjoys one of the fastest growing economies in the region, being the fourth largest economy in Latin America, and a democratic political system.

Chilean culture comes mainly from a construction over time between 2 ethnic groups: Spanish and indigenous, which resulted in the miscegenation between the two. The official language is Spanish, with a strong influence of Andalusian phonetics, and various indigenous words are also incorporated. The “Cueca” is what the traditional Chilean dance is called, which consists of cheerful rhythms, accompanied by a traditional dance. Chile is the cradle of great writers in Latin America such as Pablo Neruda, Isabel Allende, Gabriela Mistral, among many others who have made Chile one of the literary cradles of the region. The most popular sport is soccer, however, there is also a great fanatic of traditional sports such as baseball and rodeo, which is celebrated as a typical activity and involves horses and steers.

In Chile you can find all kinds of climate and landscape, from the driest desert in the world called “Atacama” to the imposing snowy mountains of Patagonia where you can practice sports such as skiing and snowboarding. Also, there are impressive beached such as Vina del Mar, which has a coastal Mediterranean climate with attractive hotels and activities that will make your visit an unforgettable experience. In the Andes mountain range you can take spectacular photos, with unmissable sites such as the “Tatio Geysers” which are the largest group of geysers in the southern hemisphere, and the second largest in America after Yellowstone. We will also be able to appreciate unique animals of the area such as the Chilean lizard, Chilean eagle, Humboldt Penguin, among many others.