Thousands of miles long, the narrow strip of land that makes up Chile is one of the most diverse countries in the world. The most stable and wealthy of the South American democracies, the north has the dramatic moonscapes of the Atacama desert, with huge salt lakes, the world’s highest geyser field, and the clearest skies on earth, making it a natural home of several of the world’s finest observatories.  There are huge petroglyphs on the mountainsides, abandoned nitrate mining towns and the huge still working copper mines  of Chuquicamata.

The centre of the capital has the pristine volcanic peaks of the Lake District, south of the capital and the main coastal sites of the recent earthquake. The south has the dramatic peaks and glaciers of Torres del Paine National Park. Once you have covered the mainland, if you have any time left a five hour flight takes you to one of the most remote places on earth – Easter Island – home to the mysterious giant stone heads, one of the classic mysteries of archaeology.