Congrats, you've made it to Chile. There's no doubt you'll enjoy this unique and amazing experience in the coolest country of South America. Now you're here, there are a few things you'll need to learn about Chile before starting this new adventure. This guide will enlighten you about many aspects of our daily life and habits. For example, you might have picked up that Chileans can't drive and park so well. It's also customary for people to replace dinner with a light snack like tea with avocados and eggs. But no worries, once you've read this guide you'll be fully prepared for the Chilean experience.
How could this guide not begin with some pieces of information about Chilean cuisine, we ask you ? First, Chilean dishes are essentially made out of local products such as avocado or corn, grown in the northern regions. When wandering the cities of Chile in search of something to eat, you could as easily stumble upon delicious street food sold by many sidewalk vendors as upon a cute restaurant mostly attended by neighbours and accustomed customers. When it comes to street food, Chile is the best : vendors usually sell sopaipillas, a fried and flat bread served with peppers and tomato, empanadas, a fried or baked turnover filled with as many products as you could imagine, and completos, a hot dog variation with avocado.
When dining in a restaurant, why not ordering a pastel de choclo, a simple corn cake marinated in grape juice or a cazuela, a homemade stew with beef, chicken, corn, rice and potatoes ? As you can see, you will never get bored of the Chilean cuisine. When it comes to food habits, you need to know that quantities and meals' hours can vary a lot comparing to your home country. Chileans usually eat a light snack at noon and may replace your usual dinner with an afternoon tea with some eggs, ham, avocados and hot beverages. But it's much more usual to eat between meals in Chile.
Do you occasionally fancy an alcoholic drink ? Chile is the home of a certain number of extravagant beverages. The most famous one is Pisco (which origins are disputed with Peruvians), often mixed with Coca Cola by young people or with lemon juice and eggs by cocktails' passionates. The melon con vino, is a cocktail made with a whole melon, white wine, and sugar. Its very own existence is celebrated on January 15th in various parks of the capital.
Depending on what part of the year you'll spend in Chile, you might have the opportunity to celebrate a holiday with us. If you're there in September, you might be lucky enough
to spend the National Holidays with us : there isn't a better opportunity to learn about the amazing Chilean way of life. National festivities are celebrated during the third week of September
but you might be invited to fondas (small traditional parties), during the whole month. People dance cueca, a national courtship dance, wear traditional costumes, eat asados (barbecues), and drink terremotos
(earthquakes in English), which are sweet alcoholic beverages.
As in many other countries, Chileans celebrate Christmas. You might not be used to celebrate Christmas in the sun but people in Chile also have their Christmas traditions. Christmas is celebrated on
the 24th, sharing a nice meal with the family. This meal is usually compound of a turkey, salads, Pan de Pascua, a sweet sponge cake flavored with ginger and honey, and seasonal fruits. Gifts are opened on Christmas Eve.
It will come to your attention that Chile's Castilian is not the easiest to understand and speak. Chileans have a very strong accent, a different pronunciation from the ones you may be used to and often employ words you've never heard in your life.
When it comes to greeting, it's customary for Chileans to shake hands in formal situations and to hug/kiss on one cheek in more informal ones. Chileans stand very close when conversing and are used to speak rather loudly.
Do not be surprised if you notice public displays of affection in public, Chileans are very demonstrative !
Chile has a very large number of different landscapes: from desert to mountain, everyone may find his/her happiness in Chile. Indeed, since the country stretches across most of the west coast of South America, it offers a number of beautiful national parks and unique landscapes.
In the South, you may climb the Patagonian mountains. Shared with Argentina, Patagonia is one of the most amazing regions in both countries. Up north, you could come across some penguins in Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, the largest penguin colony in southern Chile, located on the small Magdalena Island. In the same region, you can also see glaciers which are amongst the most impressive natural phenomena in Chile.
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean is located the Easter Island, a Chilean land. The island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, which were created by the early Rapa Nui people.
The metropolitan area, in the center, also offers amazing views. The city of Valparaiso hosts some beautiful street art. It's also famous for its brightly colored houses and the architecture of the historic quarter. In Santiago, the tallest building in Latin America, Gran Torre Santiago towers over the Chilean capital, with beautifully picturesque views over the city and out towards the snowy peaks of the Andes.
Known to be the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert's vast stretch of land, in the North of the country, includes some incredible landscapes along with a surprising amount of wildlife. The desert is also a popular area for conducting astronomical observations.
