Not to miss

Chiloé

Only 180km (112mi) long and 50km (31mi) wide, the Isla Grande de Chiloé is a well-watered, densely forested island of undulating hills, with a temperate maritime climate. Its towns feature distinctive shingled houses and stilt homes, and its weather is known for precipitation and fog. When visible, however, a majestic panorama across the gulf to the snow-capped volcanoes of the mainland are revealed. Ancud and Castro are the only two sizeable towns, but there are over 150 picturesque wooden churches servicing the island's small villages. Parque Nacional Chiloé protects extensive stands of native coniferous and evergreen forest and a long, pristine coastline. The rare pudú also lives here.

Pucón

Pucón is famous for three things: a divine blue lake, a perfectly conical volcano - which billows smoke and gives off an eerie red glow on clear nights, and access to every kind of adventure sport imaginable. Tourism might be rife, but this small town boasts great restaurants and even a casino.

Isla Negra

Even more outlandish than La Chascona in Santiago, Pablo Neruda's favorite house sits atop a rocky headland between Valparaíso and Cartagena. Now a museum, it houses the poet's collections of ships in bottles and nautical instruments, as well as other memorabilia. His tomb is also located here. By the way, Isla Negra is not - despite its name - an island. Reservations are imperative for the half-hour tours.

Palacio Cousiño

Originally of Portuguese descent, the prominent Cousiño-Goyenechea family amassed a huge fortune from wine-making, and coal and silver mining. It enabled them to build this spectacular palace, Santiago's most glorious mansion, dating from 1871. It is embellished with French-style artwork and features one of the country's first elevators. The palacio is south of the Alameda. The admission price includes excellent guided tours in English.

El Tatio Geysers

El Tatio is ringed by volcanoes and fed by over 80 gurgling geysers and a hundred gassy fumaroles. Contrary to popular opinion it is not the world's largest geyser field, but the third largest. The best time to see the geysers is 06:00, so make sure you wipe the sleep from your eyes if you want experience the awesome spectacle.

Watch your step - in some places, visitors have fallen through the thin crust into underlying pools of scalding water and suffered severe burns. Dress in layers: it's toe-numbingly cold at sunbreak but you'll bake in the van on the way back down.