Since the mid 1990s, tourism in Chile has become one of the main sources of revenue, especially in the most extreme zones of the country. In 2005, tourism grew by 13.6%, generating more than 1,500 million dollars, equivalent to 1.33% of the national GDP. According to the National Service of Tourism (Sernatur), 2 million people a year go to Chile, which is still significantly small compared with the number of tourists who arrive at other countries in the region, like Mexico or Brazil. Most of these visitors come from other countries in the American continent, mainly Argentina; nevertheless, in the last few years there has been significant growth in the number of visitors from Europe, mainly from Spain, Germany and France, with numbers already approaching four hundred thousand annually.
The main attractions for tourists are places of natural beauty situated in the extreme zones of the country: San Pedro de Atacama, in the north, is very popular with foreign tourists who arrive to admire the Incaic architecture and the altiplano lakes of the Valley of the Moon. In Putre, also in the North, there is the Chungará Lake, as well as the Parinacota and the Pomerape volcanoes, with altitudes of 6,348 m and 6,222 m, respectively. Throughout the central Andes there are many ski resorts of international repute, like Portillo and Valle Nevado. In the south, the main tourist sites are the Chiloé island, Patagonia, the San Rafael Lagoon, with its many glaciers, and the Towers of Paine national park. The central port city of Valparaíso, with its unique architecture, is also popular. Finally, Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is probably the main Chilean tourist destination.
For locals, tourism is concentrated mostly in the summer (December to March), and mainly in the coastal beach towns. Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena and Coquimbo are the main summer centres in the north, and Pucón on the shores of Lake Villarrica is the main one in the south. Due to its proximity to Santiago, the coast of the Valparaíso Region, with its many beach resorts, receives the largest amount of tourists. Viña del Mar, Valparaíso's northern affluent neighbor, is popular due to its beaches, casino, and its annual song festival, the most important musical event in Latin America.
In November 2005, the government launched a campaign under the brand "Chile: All Ways Surprising," intended to promote the country internationally for both business and tourism.
CITIES
- Arica
- Iquique
- Antofagasta
- Calama
- La Serena
- Valparaíso
- Vina del Mar
- Santiago
- Rancagua
- Curico
- Talca
- Concepción
- Temuco
- Valdivia
- Puerto Varas
- Puerto Montt
- Ancud
- Quellón
- Punta Arenas
- Chaiten
- Maitencillo
- Reñaca
NATIONAL PARKS
- 1. Lauca
- 2. Volcán Isluga
- 3. Llullaillaco
- 4. Pan de Azúcar
- 5. Llanos de Challes
- 6. Nevado Tres Cruces
- 7. Bosque de Fray Jorge
- 8. La Campana
- 9. Archipiélago Juan Fernández
- 10. Rapa Nui
- 11. Palmas de Cocalán
- 12. Laguna del Laja
- 13. Huerquehue
- 14. Villarrica
- 15. Nahuelbuta
- 16. Tolhuaca
- 17. Conguillio
- 18. Puyehue
- 19. Vicente Pérez Rosales
- 20. Alerce Andino
- 21. Chiloe
- 22. Hornopirén
- 23. Corcovado
- 24. Isla Guamblin
- 25. Laguna San Rafael
- 26. Queulat
- 27. Isla Magdalena
- 28. Bernardo OHiggins
- 29. Torres del Paine National Park
- 30. Pali Aike
- 31. Alberto de Agostini
- 32. Cabo de Hornos
OTHER DESTINATIONS
- Cochamó
- Patagonia - especially the Torres del Paine National Park
- Pucón
- San Pedro de Atacama
SKIING
- El Colorado
- Portillo
ISLANDS
- Chiloe Island
- Easter Island (Isla de Pascua)
- Robinson Crusoe Island
- Isla Sala y Gómez
Popular Chilean destinations
SANTIAGO DE CHILE
Santiago de Chile
Santiago, officially Santiago de Chile, is the capital of Chile and its largest city when viewed as a conurbation (Greater Santiago). It is situated at an elevation of 520 m (1700 ft) in the country's central valley. Although Santiago is the capital, legislative bodies meet in nearby Valparaíso.
Santiago has a mild Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), and minimums of a few degrees above freezing. Occasional snowfall occur on higher suburbs of the city. Mean rainfall is 338 mm per year.
ARICA
Plaza Colon de Arica
Arica is a port city in northern Chile, located only 18 km (11 miles) south of the border with Peru. It is the capital of the Arica Province in the Tarapacá Region and has a population of approximately 200,000, and is also known as the "city of the eternal spring". The city was part of Peru until 1880, when it was invaded by Chilean forces during the War of the Pacific. The taking of the Morro de Arica ("Arica Cape"), one of the war's most famous actions, happened in this city. It will be the capital of Arica-Parinacota Region in october 2007.
IQUIQUE
Playa Cavancha, Iquique
Iquique is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast, just west of the Atacama Desert. It is located at 20°13′S, 70°10′W and had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census. The city's name comes from the Aymara word "Ique-ique", which translates to "laziness", but can also mean "sleep" or "bed."
Iquique has one of the largest commercial port centers (or Zona Franca) of South America and has been traditionally called Zofri. There are around 2.4 km² of warehouses, banking branches, and restaurants.
LA SERENA
La Serena
La Serena ("the serene one") is the second oldest city in Chile. The city, located 471 km north of Santiago, has a population of 147,815, according to the 2002 census. There are also 12,333 inhabitants of the immediately surrounding countryside. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile, witnessing a population increase of 32.6% between 1992 and 2002.
A few of the major sectors are: El Centro ("downtown"), Peñuelas (actually a suburb between La Serena and its sister city Coquimbo), San Joaquín (neighborhood on a hill overlooking the ocean), La Florida, Las Compañías ("the companies"), Cerro Grande ("big hill"), La Antena and the new El Milagro ("the miracle") development.
COQUIMBO
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley 10 km south of La Serena, with which it forms a metropolitan area of more than 300,000 inhabitants. The average temperature in the city lies around 14° C, and it rains is sparse.
The city itself, a gritty industrial and shipping center, is growing quickly, registering a 32.8% growth rate from 1992 to 2002. The population, according to the 2002 Chilean census, was 154,316, with 8,720 people living in the countryside surrounding the city for a total of 163,036 inhabitants of the comuna.
Tourism has started to develop recently. It is a access point for popular beach towns to the south, such as Guanaqueros and Tongoy. The port is still important for shipping, especially fruit. Wine is also grown in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment