Chile: 6 Things I Learned
by Robyn DeVoe | Explorer X Travel Designer
“Wait, What?! You have no idea where you’re going … and you’re leaving tomorrow?!”
This is generally how conversations leading up to this trip went. After planning many Destination: Unknown adventures for my own clients, it was time that I experienced the process for myself, so my husband and I decided to embark on our own D:U journey in October.
The anticipation was just as exciting as previous trips I’d planned, but in an entirely different way, like a Christmas Eve kind of way. Leaving the planning in the hands of our expert team had me feeling at ease as I carried on with my life, leaving the logistics to the team and simply being told the dates and what to pack.
Over dinner the night before our flight, my husband and I opened our reveal package to learn we were being sent all the way down to the southern tip of Chile, a country neither of us had visited before. We were ecstatic!
I once heard something that stuck with me: To travel well, it’s never really about the destination, it’s about the “why” behind the journey and lessons to be learned along the way.
As a travel designer and someone who believes deeply in slow and mindful travel experiences, I couldn't agree more. Here are 6 things that I learned during our time in Chile.
Don’t sleep on Santiago.
When excitement at the start of the trip is high, and you’re looking to stretch your legs after lots of flight time, the Lastarria District of the big city of Santiago is a great starting point. This area is sprinkled with parks, pedestrian-only streets, graffiti art reminiscent of Cartagena, and lots of cute places for a bite to eat. If you spend a full day here, take your pick from a number of museums to gain an understanding of the history of the country, stop for a pisco at CHPE Libre, and be sure to check out Santa Lucia Park, which has arguably better 360 degree views of the city than the famous funicular, as long as you’re willing to climb ~200 stairs to get there. And a quick note: The airport at Puerto Natales will be your gateway to Patagonia from Santiago (choose a seat on the left side of the plane for Torres del Paine views!).
Puerto Varas: Watersports Wonder
If you want to vacation where the Chileans vacation, head to Puerto Varas in the Lake District. This cute little town on the shores of massive Lago Llanquihue is in striking distance to two volcanoes, a national park with endangered 4,000 year old alerce trees, and turquoise rivers. This is the perfect spot for those looking for any and all waterpsorts pursuits: Whitewater rafting, kayaking the fjords, paddleboarding, and more. More of a land-lover? Not to worry: There’s plenty of opportunities for road cycling, skiing, and hiking. This is a place I could have happily stayed for quite a while; there’s no lack of adventures to be had here.
Explore Torres del Paine off the beaten path.
When someone mentions Chilean Patagonia, what comes to mind? Let me guess: It’s the iconic towering peaks of Torres del Paine, a place on many a bucket list and Instagram account. The popularity is well-deserved with landscapes that feel out-of-this world, as dramatic granite towers stretch sky-high with a backdrop of frosty blue water. We spent our first few nights here, and it was well worth it, but we were grateful to have the chance to head out of the area into Estancia Cerro Guido. This vast swath of private land has been turned into a conservation area, a playground you can have all to yourselves. Here you can hike without seeing another soul, gallop across the open steppe knee-to-knee with the local gauchos stirring up vast herds of wild guanaco, take early morning wildlife safaris to track resident pumas, and/or participate in a sheep shearing. You get the picture; this is a great compliment to other properties in the area, because here you get a real sense of the history, culture, and wildlife of Chile.
October is a special time to be in Chile.
Chile is beautiful no matter when you’re there, and offers unique highlights depending on the season. For example, puma tracking is best on those short winter days when you can follow their movements in the snow. But October/November is the locals’ favorite as this is springtime in Patagonia. It's quieter as properties are just coming out of winter and the staff is energized and excited to greet the new season’s arrivals. Adorable little lambs are frolicking about, flamingos and other birds begin to pass through, and the flowers are blooming. Being there in October myself, it did feel like quite a sacred and special time, a re-awakening of the land, covered with the bright orange and red hues of the neneo plant, spread across the hills like wildfire, one of the first signs of the arrival of spring.
Chile is a land of extreme contrasts.
There is a breathtaking diversity of landscapes on offer that seem to span entire worlds, so plan ahead if you want to experience them all. In the north lies the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, where salt flats meet volcanic peaks and clear night skies that are perfect for stargazing. Heading south, you’ll find lush wine valleys like Casablanca and Colchagua with rolling vineyards and some of the best wine in the world. In the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, find a 30-meter high glacier on a trek through Torres del Paine.
Keep in mind that Chile is a lo00000000ng country, so if you are planning on exploring several of these places, be sure to allocate plenty of travel time to get from one to another. (Of course, your Explorer X Travel Designer knows all of that and will plan accordingly.)
Be open to embracing the unexpected with Destination: Unknown.
The D:U process offered a unique lesson unlike other trips I've taken in the past (and with a career in travel, that's saying something!). In particular, it was a true lesson in letting go. As a travel designer myself, I have the tendency to plan every last detail, so this was quite a stretch for me to give up that control and put our fate in the hands of someone else. Luckily, I know those hands are my colleagues’ and they are more than capable; that level of trust in the collective expertise here at Explorer X and with our team members around the world was important for me to be able to surrender to the process.
Destination: Unknown truly gets straight to the heart of travel: To travel well, know that every place has something to teach us. The gift is in discovering why we travel and how we choose to be open and present to embrace the unexpected joys of whatever comes our way. Ultimately, we become better people as a result, and that’s what you get on a deeper level with the D:U experience. My husband and I were sent places that we wouldn't have otherwise gone, and thrown into experiences we wouldn't have otherwise had. We are so grateful for the challenge!
On that note: Muchas gracias to the team at Explorer X for pulling this off and managing to keep it all under wraps, and to Chile for filling us with awe and wonder every step of the way. Turns out, I love surprises, and we will have to go back for more. Until then, ciao!
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