The Best Time to Visit Chile: By Region and Season
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Loading... - David Green
- 05 Apr 2023
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Chile is such a long, geographically diverse country that it is difficult to pin down one top time to go. The best time to visit Chile depends a lot on which part you’re headed to and what you want to do there.
Whether you plan to unleash your inner explorer in the Atacama Desert, spot wild cats in Patagonia’s national parks, or ski the slopes overlooking Santiago, read on for a tailor-made guide to when to go to Chile.
El Norte Grande: the Atacama Desert and Beyond
The Atacama, the world’s driest desert with an average of six days of rainfall a year, is a pretty solid year-round destination.
It’s hard to pick a time to visit that isn’t a good time for eyeballing its Martian landscapes and flamingo-dotted lakes.
San Pedro de Atacama and the Atacama Desert in November through March
November to mid-March offers the best weather for sunbathing. Rain, while unlikely, makes token Atacama activities such as visiting the salt flats a no-go as the landscape and infrastructure are – unsurprisingly – poorly adapted to deal with downpours.
To cut the (albeit very slim at 5%) risk of a dampener on your adventure, visit the Atacama Desert outside of January, the month when most rain usually falls.
The summer months are also the best time for star gazing in the north of Chile, as it’s when you get the best views of the milkyway – just make sure you avoid the days around and of the full moon.
Peak season in San Pedro de Atacama and in other popular destinations in the region, such as the cities of Antofagasta and Iquique, runs from December to April.
As always, visit off-peak for fewer tourists and cheaper prices, or head to protected areas like Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas and Parque Nacional Lauca where there are rarely many other visitors.
San Pedro de Atacama and the Atacama Desert in July
Another month to watch out for is July, when snowfall (as unlikely as it sounds in the desert) can close off a number of popular attractions including the Geysers del Tatio, Piedras Rojas and the Salar de Talar.
For cultural flare, time your visit to coincide with regional festivals such as el Carnavalón, celebrated in the regions of Putre, Socoroma and San Miguel de Azapa (near to the city of Arica) 40 days before Lent begins, and the famous Fiesta de la Tirana, celebrated in the Tarapacá region on July 12th through 18th, in which locals don masks and dance la diablada, the ‘dance of the devil’. Read More…
