Chile

Chile is a land of extremes where you can hike the driest desert on Earth in the Atacama, kayak through Patagonian fjords, and ski the Andes in the same trip—its narrow strip of geography packs every climate from Moon-like altiplano to ancient temperate rainforests. The country’s silent, star-struck skies and the otherworldly shapes of the Rapa Nui moai give it a palpable sense of mystery that still feels remote and unpolished, even as Santiago hums with a smart wine-bar culture.