My first visit to the Chilean countryside
Because of the Easter holiday I was lucky enough to enjoy a day off and my cousin took me to a Valley of the Andes, the Cajón de Maipo. It seemed like nearly everyone, who lives in Santiago had left for a weekend at the beach, so we had a clear way through the city. I really was impressed how big Santiago is – especially how long it took to get to the city limits.

But the further we drove out of the city, the more you could see the difference between poor and the middle class districts. The big contrasts of the modern apartment houses and the modest small houses made me think. A bit further to the south on the main road through the valley we passed little villages, paddocks with lots of horses and small “roadhouses”. We stopped at a typical restaurant, which claims to serve the best Chilean “empanadas” around Santiago. I´m not sure yet if they where the best ones, but they were my first Chilean “empanadas” and they tasted absolutely great! So I am quite sure that I will try a lot more “empanadas” during my stay in this fascinating country.

After this short break for a typical Chilean snack, we got back on the road. My cousin wanted to show me a really beautiful place at the shores of the river Maipo. I was really impressed to see the wonderful landscape with the river, the mountains and the sun shining on them. It was great to leave the trouble of the city behind and to enjoy the calmness and beauty of the nature for a day.

Our way back was impressive, too. There were lots of little waterfalls and the mountain chain looked awesome with the different colours painted by the setting sun. The radio played some typical Chilean music and I felt like my little Chilean adventure had truly begun.

After this little getaway from the capital Santiago, after getting to know a different side of Chile I am pretty sure that Chile has a lot more to offer than the dynamic metropolis – I am very eager to explore it soon…

During the night from Monday to Tuesday, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Chilean Central Region at 00:50 am. The seismological shocks lasted almost one minute. According to information from the Chilean emergency office ONEMI (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia), the offshore epicenter was located 44 kilometers northeast of the harbor city Valparaíso.

ONEMI director Benjamín Chacana reported minor material damages. The inhabitants of the affected coast region that had been evacuated for security reasons could return to their homes after two hours. Temporary electrical power outages in the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana and El Maule were reported.

travelArt passengers are not affected by the earthquake. If you have any doubts or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@travelart.com.

More and more tourists are making it a priority to get to know the indigenous culture of the country they are visiting, and nowhere in Chile is this better experienced than in the southern Araucanía region. Visitors to this area have the opportunity, if they wish, to immerse themselves in the culture, art, and spiritual qualities of the indigenous Mapuche people, who long resisted European incursion.

travelArt offers its clients two exciting options to meet this objective. The “Contemporary Mapuche Culture at Lake Budi” excursion brings visitors to the village of Llaguepulli, on Lake Budi, where they are welcomed by Mapuche from the Lafkenche tribe. This indigenous group makes up over 80% of the area’s population, who keep their Mapuche heritage alive and visible in many aspects of their lives. On their arrival at Llaguepulli, visitors first stop at a small restaurant with views of Lake Budi, to be served a lunch of traditional Mapuche dishes with locally grown ingredients. After this meal, they are received at the village ruca, an example of a traditionally-constructed Mapuche dwelling-place, and are given a thorough introduction to the native culture and world view. A selection of fascinating Mapuche musical instruments and domestic tools are also included in the presentation. Afterwards, the tour continues to the village’s herb garden, where visitors learn about the Mapuches’ use of medicinal plants, and the peoples’ traditional healing methods.

The second excursion offered by travelArt takes visitors to Kila-Leufu (“House between Three Rivers”), a Mapuche family farm located about 25 km east of Pucón, between Lanin and Villarríca Volcanoes. A day at Kila-Leufu offers the opportunity to plunge into the indigenous Mapuche culture in a relaxing, low-key manner. Guests lunch on typical Mapuche fare, with organic ingredients right from the farm, fresh bread, and an outdoor “asado.” Later, there’s an opportunity to wander through the working farm surrounding the ruca, and to appreciate the beautiful scenery.

For more information about our ethno-tourism programmes, please contact your travelArt sales representative.

Situated in a spectacular location near Lake O’Higgins and the Southern Ice Field, the Robinson Crusoe Deep Patagonia Lodge has recently opened for business. The lodge is in such a remote and unspoiled spot that the name ‘Robinson Crusoe’ is entirely appropriate; but it has been established with high standards of comfort in mind. With 12 rooms and a spacious club house, the lodge is spread over 5000 m², and offers guests the opportunity to relax in front of a wood stove inside or in a delightful hot tub out in the open air. There are countless excursions available using the lodge as a starting point; these include trekking through the spectacular, untouched Patagonian wilderness, trips to the classic O’Higgins glacier, explorations of Lake O’Higgins aboard the ship “Quetru,” and outings along the old colonial route to Argentina.

This elegant lodge, beautifully constructed using local timber, is oriented toward the tourist who appreciates comfort, security, and efficiency, but who is also looking for an unforgettable experience well off the beaten track.

Please contact your travelArt sales executive for more information on the Robinson Crusoe Deep Patagonia Lodge.

At the “Llamas del Sur” breeding farm near Temuco, visitors can enjoy the rare opportunity to observe Llamas, Alpacas and Guanacos in their native habitat. Since 1989, the von Baer family has enlarged their herds to create one of the most important international breeding gene pools for these distinctive South American animals. Today they are sold throughout the world, and their luxuriant wool is used to create unique clothing and jewellery. A tour of the “Llamas del Sur” estate begins with an introduction to the main characteristics of Lamas, Alpacas and Guanacos, before guests head out on a walk to explore the grounds and meet some of the 350+ animals up close. A snack or picnic is available to replenish visitors’ energy along the way.

This excursion can easily be combined with a visit to a Mapuche “ruca,” the typical round-shaped house of the indigenous Mapuche people.

Your travelArt sales executive will be happy to provide further information on “Llamas del Sur.”

Recently, the German tourism magazine fvw tested several different country tourism homepages, including the official website of Turismo Chile, using a so-called “mystery shopper”. Turismo Chile received very high test results and distinguished itself ahead of strong competitors Peru and Ecuador, with only Colombia achieving a better position. Check out the website of Turismo Chile and learn more about the country’s unique and exciting travel opportunities at www.chile.travel.

After heavy rainfalls in San Pedro de Atacama in mid-February more touristic excursions are operating again. The rainbow valley (Valle del Arcoiris) as well as the Salar de Tara and the Salar de Pujsa are again fully accessible. Access to the village Matancilla is open for two-hour trekking tours (total).

The following excursions are currently still unavailable:

-   Puritama Thermal Baths

-   Kari-Canyon

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by sending a message to info@travelart.com.

On our website, our facebook page and our twitter channel we will keep you informed about the current developments.

Update 28.03.2012

Currarehue, a small village nestled amongst woods and mountains close to the Argentinean border about 40km from Pucón, has been an insider’s secret till now. Wild, untouched landscapes and the potential to learn about time-honoured customs of the indigenous Mapuche have brought only small numbers of visitors to this corner of Chile, mainly due to the lack accommodation options. A new hotel, which will open in December, will improve this situation significantly while adding a new attraction to Currarehue. The Ruka Pillan Hotel is designed to resemble a typical Mapuche home (“ruca”), a round structure with a pitched straw roof, but unlike a traditional “ruca” the hotel will include three floors with common areas, event rooms, and 16 guest rooms. It will be owned by a cooperative of small businesses from the region, and promises finally to put Currarehue squarely on the map.

If you would like to receive further information on the soon-to-open Ruka Pillan or the Currarehue area, please contact your travelArt sales executive.

Yesterday, Sunday evening, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Central region of Chile. The seismological shocks lasted about one minute. According to information from the Chilean emergency office ONEMI (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia), the offshore epicenter was located south of Santiago, 24 km northeast of the city Constitución.

The Chilean Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Hinzpeter reported several lightly injured persons and minor material. Only on Saturday morning a light earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 woke up the inhabitants of the Chilean central region.

travelArt passengers are not affected by the earthquake. If you have any doubts or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@travelart.com.

After the strong rainfalls in Punta Arenas 10 days ago, the situation returned almost to normality. Currently only some streets in the lower part of the city (Costanera) as well as some close streets around the bridges at the river Las Minas are still closed due to cleaning works. At the weekend, the new mechanical bridge in the Magallanes Street will be opened. A substitution of the old one had become necessary due to the damages caused by the inundations.

The following hotels are still affected by the inundations:

Hotel Diego de Almagro

Hotel Dreams

travelArt passengers are not affected in their travel plans by the after-effects of the precipitations. If you have any doubts or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@travelart.com.