The weak dollar has made Chile more expensive than in previous years. In 2003, the peso hit a high of 720 to the dollar, but by 2004 it dropped to a low of 560. This book has converted prices at 600 pesos to the dollar; this is the rate at the time of publication.
The Chilean tourism industry lost a lot of business to neighboring Argentina when prices there hit rock bottom, but now most upscale Argentine hotels list their rates in dollars, meaning lodging prices in Chile are now more or less comparable. Also, Chile's pristine landscapes and adventure-travel opportunities are incomparable to those of its Andean neighbor -- the reason Chile has grown wildly in popularity over the past five years. As a result, the country's tourism infrastructure continues to improve with new hotels, a focus on refining service, and easier trip planning.
The entry fee at Customs has remained at $100 per traveler, regardless of age, but it's good for the life of the visitor's passport and travelers can now pay the fee with a credit card instead of U.S. dollars only. This fee is intended as a reciprocity fee for the U.S. government's $100 visa application fee for Chileans.
It's comical how fast telephone numbers in Chile change and how these telephone numbers are immediately reassigned to a residence. All numbers in this book have been meticulously updated; however, do not be surprised if, occasionally, a Juan Doe answers without any idea of what you're talking about. Have your hotel help you find any updated numbers. Thankfully, nearly every business in tourism now has an e-mail address and/or website, and really there are only a few hotels mentioned in the book that still do not have a reservation system via the Internet. The Internet has proven invaluable to travelers planning their trip, especially in getting around the language barrier.
Lan Airlines (tel. 866/435-9526 in the U.S., or 600/526-2000 in Chile; www.lan.com), which recently upgraded its image by dropping the "Chile" from its title and designing a new logo, is no longer the only airline to offer domestic service. The Chilean-owned Sky Airlines (tel. 2/353-3169; www.skyairline.cl) now offers daily service to all major cities at cheaper prices; however, their website is largely useless (though this should change soon). Another airline new to the scene is the Argentine-owned Aerolineas del Sur (tel. 2/210-9000) with daily service from Santiago to Punta Arenas, and flight packages for multiple destinations within Patagonia. New competition for Lan means the company has lowered its prices slightly.
Santiago
Clean streets, a stable economy, and a modern infrastructure have recently put Santiago in the number two spot in Latin America for business travel. Nevertheless, competition has kept hotel rates constant over the past few years. When searching for a hotel room, don't be afraid to investigate rates for hotels that might seem well beyond your budget, as these hotels often advertise incredible bargains, especially for multiple-day stays.
South America's first Ritz-Carlton hotel, at El Alcalde 15 (tel. 800/241-3333 from the U.S., or 2/470-8500; www.ritzcarlton.com), which opened in 2003, is now generally considered the finest hotel Santiago has to offer for its bountiful amenities and the hotel chain's trademark service. It has also benefited from a more central location than the previous favorite, the Hyatt Regency.
Dining out in Santiago has never been so enjoyable. The capital city's culinary revolution seemingly sees no end, with the dozens of new hip, innovative eateries and improvements in food quality and atmosphere in classic restaurants. Diners now find wonderful updates on Chilean cuisine and international options from Czech to sushi, to Mexican. Now if only the rest of the country would follow suit.
Valparaíso
Valparaíso's recent UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site, and the success of the nonprofit Fundación Valparaíso (which is leading renovation projects of the city's historical buildings), has sparked a renewed interest in this port town. In years past, only backpackers and the more bohemian travelers could stomach the city's hostels and seedy hotels (choosing Viña del Mar for lodging instead), but the recent inauguration of two new boutique hotels has turned Valparaíso into an exciting overnight destination. The trendy design hotel Ultramar, Calle Pérez 173 (tel. 32/210000) and its hip, postmodern design suits younger tastes, and the antique splendor of the Hotel Casa Thomas Somerscales, San Enrique 446 (tel. 32/331006; www.hotelsomerscales.cl), provides discriminating travelers with elegant interiors and personalized service. Now it seems that every antique-home owner has converted his or her property into a "hostel" or "residencial," but be forewarned that a pretty exterior often belies shabby conditions within. On the restaurant scene, traditional restaurants such as the Café Turri are losing clout to new bistros such as the divine Pasta e Vino (tel. 32/496187), Templeman 352.
The Central Valley
Chile's wine industry is mushrooming, and as a result, many wineries have banded together to offer "wine routes" led by a tour guide or open to independent travelers with their own vehicle. But what's really news is that most top wineries have opened proper wine-tasting facilities for the public; just five years ago, it was next to impossible to set up a tour of a winery. There are five wine routes, though only a few, such as the tour through the Napa/Sonoma-like Colchagua Valley (tel. 72/823199; www.colchaguavalley.cl), have worked out the bugs. You're probably better off with a tour of these wine routes (try Liz Caskey, Inc., tours at tel. 2/681-1799; www.lizcaskey.com), but adventurous travelers should have no difficulty renting a vehicle and setting a tasting date with any of the major wineries.
Several new gourmet restaurants have opened in wine country, too, making this a hot destination for travelers to Chile. Two new standout restaurants, both on the road to Valparaíso in the Casablanca Valley, are the House of Morandé, just off Highway 68, Km 61 (tel. 2/270-8900; www.morande.cl), a stylish eatery with reinvented Chilean dishes, and Restaurante Indómita, Ruta 68, Km 63 (tel. 32/743869; www.indomita.cl), a sophisticated eatery with a renowned chef who lends a modern flair to Chilean dishes.
Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego
Explora (tel. 2/395-2533; www.explora.com) has added 20 new guest rooms to its hotel in Torres del Paine National Park. The good news is that it is far easier to get a reservation here during the high season; the bad news is that the ambience is slightly less intimate than it was previously. The Hotel Altiplanico, a cheaper alternative to Explora Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, will open a new hotel in Puerto Natales in September 2005, and it is expected to be one of the town's top hotels. The Hotel Altiplanico will be located just outside of town. Feeling the onset of competition, the Hotel CostAustralis (tel. 61/412000; www.australis.com), Pedro Montt 262, the finest hotel in Puerto Natales, has completely renovated its waterfront lobby and restaurant. For a slightly more economical stay, the midrange Aquaterra hotel (tel. 61/412239; www.aquaterrapatagonia.com), Av. Bulnes 299, opened in 2004, filling the need for cozy, contemporary accommodations that are a step above the town's plethora of low-cost hostels.
The luxury small cruise company Skorpios (tel. 2/231-1030; www.skorpios.cl) has expanded with a base in Puerto Natales and now offers multiple-day journeys to the largest glacier in the Southern Hemisphere, the Pio XI, and a sailing path that takes passengers through the southern fjords with a stop in the remote village of Puerto Eden. Skorpios also sails to Chiloé and the Carretera Austral area from their other base in Puerto Montt.
Also in 2005, the old road from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine will reopen, shaving more than an hour off the journey to the park's administration center.
Good news for travelers to Torres del Paine who can't or don't want to hike yet would like to see Glacier Grey up close: The Hostería Lago Grey (tel. 61/229512; www.austrohoteles.cl) now offers half-day boat rides to the face of the glacier and past the lake's floating icebergs, and their summer schedule allows enough time for travelers to take part in Bigfoot Expeditions Glacier Walk (tel. 61/414611; www.bigfootpatagonia.com) without having to spend the night at the Refugio Grey or hike 4 hours to the commencement site. This also means visitors can cross Lake Pehoé by catamaran, walk the 4 hours to the glacier lookout point, and then return by the hostería boat.
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