Chile

Patagonia is the end of the world — and it's breathtaking. Torres del Paine's granite spires, Perito Moreno's thundering glacier, and vast windswept steppes define one of the planet's last truly wild frontiers. Shared between Chile and Argentina, the region rewards serious hikers and nature lovers willing to brave the elements.

Chile's capital sits in a valley framed by the snow-capped Andes. A modern, walkable city with excellent wine bars, the bohemian Barrio Bellavista, world-class seafood, and ski resorts just an hour away. The gateway to Patagonia and the Atacama.

Chile's bohemian port city — UNESCO-listed hillside neighborhoods blanketed in street art, connected by century-old funiculars, and buzzing with poets, galleries, and seafood.

The driest non-polar desert on Earth — a high-altitude moonscape of volcanoes, geysers, salt flats, and altiplano lagoons centered on the adobe village of San Pedro de Atacama (2,400m). El Tatio's dawn geysers, Valle de la Luna's sunset, the Salar de Atacama's flamingos, and the Miscanti & Miñiques lakes round out the standard week. ALMA observatory tours and the world's clearest night skies make it a stargazer's pilgrimage. Connects overland to Uyuni.

Rapa Nui — one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth, 3,500 km from continental Chile. Home to nearly 1,000 moai stone statues including the 15-moai row at Ahu Tongariki, the quarry at Rano Raraku, the sea-facing Ahu Akivi, and the Birdman cult ceremonial village at Orongo. UNESCO Rapa Nui National Park covers 40% of the island. Sole air link is LATAM from Santiago (5.5 hr); the island's only town is Hanga Roa (~8,000 people). National park pass ~$80 USD.