Tak's Travel Tips & When to VisitChile.....
Best Time to Visit Chile
Short Answer: November through March
Longer Answer: For Patagonia, which is a major crowd draw, the high season is December through February. If you want to get away from the high-season crowds and are okay with cooler temperatures, check out the Autumn (March, April, early May) which gets more chilly as you get closer towards Winter. March and April can be great.
Winter (June, July, August) is good for skiing but not so great for hiking, with it being quite cold. September through November starts getting things warmer and is a nice time to visit if you are okay with cooler temperatures and unsettled spring weather.
In general, it is windy in Patagonia and the weather whipsaws.
If you are only hanging out in Santiago, then you can show up to Chile anytime of the year, with October through April being best. Summer (reverse of northern hemiphere – so December, January, February) is a good time to hang out in Santiago but it is also the windiest and most populated.
If it were me, I’d visit Santiago in mid-October to early December, and March through early May. I’d visit Patagonia in November to early December and March to early April, preferring March and early April as the foliage changes colours. Further, wine harvests in Chile are in the autumn (March and April).
Easter Island is best sometime between October and March. The best weather, which is the high season, is the time between December and February. If you are looking to avoid crowds, reduce expense and still get good weather, October, November and March are nice times to go. The rest of the year is fine for hiking but its too cool for swimming. Further, expect a little more rain. Generally I find Easter Island to be a lot of expense and travel time for a one-trick pony, but as you wish…
The Atacama you can do any time of year. It gets very hot December, January & February. It is great for star-gazing April through September .
Miscellaneous Travel Tips for Chile
In the Salar de Atacama (Atacama Salt Flats), check out a spot like Laguna Chaxa to see Flamingos. Flamingos feed at sunrise.
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