In Review: 12 Days of Backpacking in Chile

This post is part of a series called Chile 2014

Why I Went There?

Patagonia was second destination I most looked forward to visit in South America, Angel Falls in Venezuela being the top one. Parque Nacional Torres del Paine was always going to be a highlight of Patagonia.

Where Did I Go?

Santiago, Valparaiso, Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, and Torres del Paine.

My Other Blog Posts on Chile

Santiago and Valparaiso
Almost at The End of The World in Punta Arenas
Puerto Natales
W-Circuit Trek in Torres del Paine

Expenses

Total Days: 14
Total Expenses: 1,015 USD
Average: 73 USD/day

The average is high because it includes the $250 flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and prices in Patagonia are usually higher compared to other regions. I also traveled pretty fast and that usually piles up the transportation costs.

How Is It to Backpack in Chile?

Chile is a pretty modern country and good transportation service standards. Buses are efficient and on time. I speak Spanish so I don’t know how easy it would be to travel around speaking only English.

I only stayed in one hostel (in Valparaiso) and found the standards to be on par with the rest of South America.

Favorites And Not So Favorites

Favorite Places: Torres del Paine and Valparaiso.
Favorite Moment: Sunrise at Torres del Paine.
Favorite Food or Drink: Piscola (Pisco + Coke).
Most Annoying Thing: 2-tier pricing for airline tickets for nationals and foreigners (more expensive for the latter, of course).

My Recommendations

Casa Cecilia Hotel in Puerto Natales.

Conclusion

Chile really surprised me with it’s beauty, especially Valparaiso and it’s Patagonian region. I was pretty desensitized after so many months of traveling, and it was very nice to be surprised and impressed. I wish I had more time in Chile, maybe 2-3 more weeks so I could have traveling slowly through the lakes region and the Atacama region in the north, but time was tight as my return flight to Los Angeles was approaching fast.