Travel ideas for Chile - unique sights, worth Guinness records

In southern Chile, near the ghost town of the same name there is unique Chaiten volcano. For many years the volcano has been considered dormant; its sudden awakening took place in May 2008. As scientists found out later, it was the first volcanic eruption in the last 9,500 years. After its sudden awakening, Chaiten immediately became one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.
The eponymous town was seriously damaged after the accident, some part of it was flooded by lava, and the other suffered severe flooding, as several local rivers have changed their course. After the disaster, 250 people remained to live in the town, which were evacuated later, in 2009. Government decided not to rebuild the ruined town to avoid new human tragedies and victims. Today the ghost town of Chaiten attracts curious tourists only.
Height of the volcano is 1,122 meters and the diameter of the crater is more than 3 kilometers. Amazing tours to the deserted city are arranged for tourists and the most active travelers can make the ascent on the slopes of mountains to admire desert landscapes, which have featured active life only a few years ago. ... Complete sights collection

In Chile, in the picturesque Bio-Bio province there is a beautiful waterfall Salto del Laja (or the Laja Falls). As compared with other famous waterfalls of the planet it seems to be very tiny just about 35 meters in height. However, this does not prevent Salto del Laja to be one of the main natural attractions not only in Chile, but also throughout the continent.
In ancient times the Mapuche tribes lived in the surroundings of the waterfall. They considered these places as sacred and used them for the most important ceremonies. One of the most emblematic initiation was the ceremony of dedication of the youths into “men” if they managed to cross to the other side of the largest fall on foot. That event was incredibly dangerous. According to ancient legends, the waterfall became the last obstacle in the lives of many young Mapuche men. Today a beautiful waterfall, surrounded by high green hills, is one of the most important excursion objects of the country. ... Complete sights collection

Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine, is located in Chile.The Chuquicamata mine has been developed in the Andes at an altitude of 2849 meters above sea level. The unique mine is owned and operated by the Chilean national copper corporation, which has been remaining the leading copper producer for many years. Its scale is simply amazing. The diameter of the Chuquicamata’s crater is 4300 meters in its widest spot and around 3000 meters in the narrowest one. The pit is 850 meters deep. Its development began almost one hundred years ago, in 1915.
Officially, in 1952 more than four million tons of copper was recovered from the quarry, but since 1974 the level of resource extraction has increased to 420 tons per year. According to modern-day scientists, the first to discover rich copper deposits in the Andes were the Incas. Copper mining was carried out here as far back as in the 16 century With the development of industrial equipment people managed to discover and appreciate the wealth of the century-old copper mine. ... Complete sights collection

The Escondida quarry, located in the Atacama Desert, Northern Chile, is a birthplace of huge deposits of copper, which were discovered here in 1990. It is a complex of two quarries, developed at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. In less than 30 years the quarry has grown to impressive proportions. In 2011 Escondida became the world’s largest copper-producing mine, in 2007 more than 1.5 million tons of the precious metal were recovered.
To accurately assess the scale of production, it should be stated that these indexes make approximetely 10 % of the global copper production. Surprising is the fact, that the mine employes only about 6000 people. The size of the industrial area is so great, that only satellite pictures help to appreciate its appearance. ... Complete sights collection

The highest volcano and the highest mountain lake in the world have the same names - Ojos-del-Salado. The highest point The water source is located at the altitude of 6 390 meters above sea level. The tiny lake has formed in one of the crater of Ojos-del-Salado volcano. The size of the lake is quite modest, its maximum diameter is about 100 meters, and the depth reaches only 10 meters. Since the volcano is regarded as more idle, the excursions are regularly carried out on its slopes. Only a few tourists dare to take a long hike to the Vulkankrater.
The Polish mountaineers were the first to conquer the volcano in 1937. Today, only well-trained travelers can climb up to the crater. You can see not only the wonderful sight of the natural origin, but also the ancient sacrificial altars of the Incas found on the volcanic slopes. The volcano is located in Atakama desert, so its peak sets the white hood only in winter. In the summer, the lake does not freeze. Many tourists prefer to graze in these beautiful landscapes during a helicopter excursion. ... Complete sights collection

The beautiful Laguna-Blanca and Laguna Verde lakes, located in Bolivia on the territory of the national park Eduardo Avaroa, are regarded as a uniform sight. They are located at the height of 4 300 meters above sea level and are connected with a narrow. Despite the proximity to each other, the lakes are quite different. Each of them has the unique features.
The name of the mineral lake Lagune-Blanca is due to the unusual white color of the water. The concentration of the minerals in the lake is very high, which is why the water is milk-colored. Everything changes, however, when the wind blows in the mountains - it lifts the copper oxides from the bottom of the flat lake, and the water becomes emerald-green. The name of Lagune Verde is literally translated by the Spanish as 'the Green Lagoon'. Because of the high concentration of the deposits of copper, arsenic, calcium and lead, the water in this lake is always turquoise blue. Together, these two lakes look incredibly impressive.
The lakes are located at the foot of the Likankabur volcano. During the last research, a small lake was discovered in its crater. This lake still has no name, so the wonderful Laguna-Blanca and Laguna Verde are considered to be the highest mountains of Bolivia. The experienced tourists advise visiting the lakes in the period from April to September. Regardless of the time of the year, you have to take the warm things with you. The cold wind blows in the mountains even during the brave Bolivian summer. ... Complete sights collection

In the wonderfully beautiful mountainous region, at the altitude of 4570 meters above sea level is located Chungara Lake. The size of the lake is relatively modest, its area is only 21.5q. Km, and the maximum depth is 33 meters. The lake is surrounded by snowy mountain peaks from all sides. For several years, this quiet area has been the home of many rare bird species. Here you can see the rare species of birds that are on the verge of extinction, as well as the graceful pink flamingos.
In total, more than 130 species of birds and animals live on the territory adjacent to the lake. The flora of this area also contains many rare plant species. The walk to Chungara Lake will give a lot of the impressions to those tourists who are interested in the story. Not far from the lake are the ruins of the ancient castle, as well as the other interesting buildings, whose age is several centuries.
Chungara not only attracts nature and history friends. This area is also popular among professional climbers who come here to conquer the complicated snowy peaks and the idle volcanoes. This area has been popular with the tourists for a long time, so several special houses were built near the lake. In the summer, many travelers take up the tents on the banks of the lake. ... Complete sights collection

The Futaleufu river, located in Chile, fits the athletes of different levels of preparation. This river attracts the guests not only thanks to the various complicated routes, but also thanks to the splendid landscapes. The high concentration of minerals gives the river water the wonderful green color. On some stretches the water is turquoise blue.
The river is located on the territory of the national park Los Aleres, so the landscapes surrounding the river are also very impressive. One way to go through the turquoise waves with the enormous speed and to overcome a series of complicated sleepers, every year attracts thousands of tourists to this area. A few years ago, however, the prospects for the development of the sports infrastructure of the region were in danger.
The Chilean government has decided to use the rushing river to the benefit of civilization and to build up the large hydroelectric power plant on the river. Thanks to the efforts of the numerous environmental organizations, we have succeeded in preventing the beginning of the construction work. The dam on the river would have stopped the free flow. For the town of the same name on the river, whose population is about 2,000 people, the tourists serve as the main means of living. This tiny city attracts guests from all over the world in search of breathtaking entertainment. ... Complete sights collection

The largest logo in the world belongs to the Coca-Cola company. The huge logo, whose width is 50 meters and length 120 meters correspondingly, is located in the northern part of Chile, on the territory of the extensive desert. The logo has been successfully received by the satellites, so one can literally look at the advertising of one of the most popular soft drinks in the world from the cosmos.
The very unusual material for making the logo has been chosen. The logo is composed of the 70 000 empty plastic bottles con Cola. The unusual advertising design was coordinated with the important event - the 100th anniversary of the company. Under the logo you can see the inscription '100 años' - '100 years'.
The formation of the largest logo in the world took a month. Over the course of 30 days, dozens of people were working on the hillside. The logo is located not far from Arica town. Tourists visiting this area have a chance to see one of the largest and most original advertising designs on the planet. If you do not plan to visit Chile you can simply open one of the satellite maps of this site and find the unusual logo on the slope of one of the mountains. ... Complete sights collection

One of the most unique sculptures is in the midst of the lifeless landscapes of the Chilean desert of Atakamas. The author of the monument under the name 'Mano del Desierto' (hand of the desert) is the sculptor from Chile Mario Irarrázabal. The unusual monument is impressively large - the height of the hand forms 11 meters. It looks incredibly impressive and evokes the hand of the giant, who is buried in the boundless sands of the desert. The importance of the monument is very symbolic. It should remind people that they still remain powerless before the element and nature.
The location of the monument is equally symbolic. Atakama is one of the hottest deserts in the world for the most difficult research. The sculpture was opened in 1992 with the support of the Fund Corporacion Pro Antofagasta. The monument, made of reinforced concrete, harmonizes with the surrounding deserts. Despite the difficult to reach location, the sculpture is literally visited every day by the numerous tourists.
The nearest settlement, town of Antofagast, is about 75 km from the sculpture. Since the opening, the monument has attracted graffiti painters who strive to decorate it with the drawings and symbolic inscriptions. With respect to the complicated position of the monument, it is no wonder that there is no guard next door. Thanks to the efforts of the local volunteers, the monument is regularly cleaned of the inscriptions and maintained in the authentic form. It must be noted that the unusual monument has a 'twin'. The small copy of the hand is located on the central beach of the town of Punta-del-Este. This sculpture was also designed by Mario Irarrázabal. ... Complete sights collection