Chile: When to Go

Chile always has a region or two ripe for exploration whatever the season. But if your heart is set on one part of the country, pick your trip dates carefully. Santiago and Middle Chile are best in the verdant spring (September through November) or during the fall harvest (late February into April), while Chile's southern charms, Parque Nacional del Paine in Magallanes and the lakes region are best in summer (December through March). The parched Atacama Desert can be explored year-round, although summer days sizzle and nights are bitterly cold at higher altitudes throughout the year. In the northern altiplano, summer is the rainy season, though this usually means only a brief afternoon downpour.

Chile in the winter can be a wonderland for skiers; the country's resorts attract hordes from July through September. Easter Island is cooler, slightly cheaper and much less crowded outside the summer months. The same is true of the Juan Fernández archipelago, which can be inaccessible if winter rains erode the dirt airstrip; March is an ideal time for a visit. Summer is high season.

Many of the country's best festivals, including Semana Musical, Fiesta de Candelario and Carnaval, are held in February, so consider this a good time to come if you want to hang out with the locals.

Weather

Chile's mountainous geography spanning over 30° of latitude makes for some strange climatic variation. Summer and winter in Chile's north are quite restrained with temperatures in the 15-25°C (63-77°F) range throughout the year with only slight seasonal change. Rain is of no concern as this coast-to-desert landscape is one of the driest in the world, despite heavy cloud cover from April to December. Central Chile has far more pronounced seasonal change with average daily highs of 29°C (85°F) from December to February and dropping to around 14°C (58°F) in June. Rainfall is heaviest in the winter months but still only moderate and falling on a few days at this time. Down south rainfall increases dramatically, peaking in June with most days succumbing to the wet. Temperatures in this region are slightly cooler with low 20°C (around 70°F) summer highs and plunging into the single digits (around 42°F) in the middle of the year.