Chile suits winter. Just think about Brazilians, people who invade Santiago every year in search of the ski resorts around the Chilean capital. Of course, this isn’t a problem – I’ve also joined this Brazilian pilgrimage through the snow. This was in the winter of 2012, when I visited Chile for the first time. Although the snow (and the cold) was there, when I left I swore I would return to the country, but the next visit would be in the summer. Or at least in a warmer season.
If you follow 360’s Instagram, then you already know that I recently returned from Chile, a five-day trip, at the invitation of Valle Nevado. As I imagined, traveling in a warmer season – I went at the end of March – guaranteed a completely different experience, almost another trip. Why? Several reasons.
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1- It’s much cooler to visit wineries
After snow, Chile’s second biggest attraction is wine. Not just the one bought in the supermarket (which can be cheaper than milk), but visit one of the many Chilean wineries, or Viñas. The tour of Concha y Toro, one of the largest wineries in the world, is traditional, but there are hundreds of options. In all of them, summer is much better than winter. This is how the Viñas were when I was in Chile for the first time, in July 2012. Ó:
No grapes, no leaves, no leaves. The visit is still cool, but it gets much more beautiful (and photogenic) like this:
Viña Santa Rita, March 2015
Viña Montes, March 2015
I was able to follow the process of separating the grapes, which made the tour much better. The wine tasting, of course, continued as good as always.
Viña Montes, March 2015
2 – The Pacific Ocean is right there
Viña del Mar, a city two hours from Santiago, is another favorite among Brazilians. The most famous resort in Chile conquers the Pacific Ocean, something as real for Brazilian tourists as snow: we even know it exists, but we spend most of our lives without seeing it.
Now, imagine running to the mountains, I mean, to Viña del Mar, but finding temperatures that are not very inviting to set foot in the Pacific? It happened to me, I observed the Ocean completely covered up. Happy, but no beach.
Viña del Mar, in the winter of 2012
3 – Brazilian temperatures
28 degrees during the day and 15 at night. That’s how the days were during my second visit to Chile. Great weather.
On the other hand, when I was there in winter, I faced temperatures close to freezing. Bad? Of course. In reality, the cold can be good, something new, especially for those who live in a tropical country. But the truth is that it is much easier to travel in the summer. You don’t need to buy winter clothes. You don’t need to think too much about what to take. No need to fill suitcases and suitcases with warm clothes. There is no need to have any doubts: use what you would use in Brazil. Ready.
And you will also be greeted by cities full of people on the streets, enjoying the trees, squares, public areas and other places, all due to the more pleasant temperature.
Streets of Santiago, March 2015
Streets of Santiago, March 2015
4 – Less polluted city
Santiago is one of the cities with the most polluted air in the world. In addition to the six million Chileans who live in the region, the country’s main postcard plays a role in this: the Andes Mountains.
Santiago is in a valley, about 500 meters above sea level. On one side of the city are the (often snow-capped) peaks of the Andes Mountains. And the other? More mountains!
Did you notice how the city is surrounded by mountains, a fact that makes air circulation difficult? Now think about a phenomenon that affects all large cities during a dry winter: thermal inversion. This is much worse in Santiago, precisely because of the mountains.
For example, see photos of the city, all taken from the same place, Cerro San Cristóbal.
Santiago in July 2012
Santiago in March 2015
Santiago in March 2015
5 – Adventure sports
There is no snow in the summer. When there is, it’s only the one at the top of the mountains, which looks good in the photo, but is really far away. But who said that the mountain range has fewer attractions in the heat? It is at this time that the region starts to welcome sports such as mountain biking, trekking and horseback riding.
Valle Nevado, a ski resort at 3,000 meters above sea level, has a program with these activities. And an even more interesting one, at least for those who haven’t been overcome by a sedentary lifestyle: the hike to Cerro El Plomo, at 5,424 meters. It’s a three-day walk, with fantastic views as a reward.
Valle Nevado: altitude of 3 thousand meters
