Travels in South America

The series
This, the first in a number of basic guides to some of the most exciting long-distance drives in the world, focuses on the route north from Santiago, the capital of Chile, to the borders of Peru and Bolivia, returning via the High Andes and the heart of the Atacama Desert. For this magnificent journey, like others described in this series, travelling by private motor vehicle is the only practical option unless the traveller has unlimited time available.

The stages
Each posting on this blog will cover a different stage in the journey. For example, the next one will look at car rental in Santiago and preparations for the first section of the route up the Panamerican Highway. The following posting will cover the drive north to La Serena, the first major town on the Pacific coast, and so on. In each case, there will be suggestions on which things to take, where to stop, what to see, when to be careful - and much more.

The background
Chile, together with the countries bordering it, is a land of extremes, of superlatives. It has a large chunk of the world's longest and second-highest mountain range, the driest desert on Earth, some of the tallest volcanoes and highest roads anywhere. There are deep fjords and enormous glaciers in the south, massive forests and superb vineyards in the centre, and enormous salt flats and gushing geysers in the north. It extends from the tropics to Cape Horn (next stop: Antarctica), but with a population of just fifteen million there are huge, virtually uninhabited areas for the traveller to discover. And given that most European and North American visitors to the country first arrive at Santiago Airport, that is probably the best place to start your own journey of discovery and adventure.