Chile is a country in South America that borders the South Pacific Sea with a population of 19.5 million (2023). Neighboring countries include Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Chile has a strategic location relative to sea lanes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans including the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage. Chile occupies a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Thus, the geography is varied. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. Chile has a market-oriented economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. Chile is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Chile is known for:

• #1: Diverse Landscapes.
• #2: Exquisite Wine & Beer.
• #3: The Mysterious Easter Island.
• #4: Vibrant Street Art.
• #5: The World’s Largest Swimming Pool.
• #6: The Tallest Building in South America.
• #7: Street Food & Seafood.
• #8: Futbol (Soccer for the American)
• #9: An emerging Microbrewery scene.

And many other great things.

Valparaíso is a port city on Chile’s coast. It’s known for its steep funiculars and colorful, clifftop homes. La Sebastiana, the quirky former residence of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, is now a museum with far-reaching Pacific views. During the 19th century, an influx of European immigrants left their mark on the city’s architecture and cultural institutions, many of which congregate around downtown’s Plaza Sotomayor.

Hills surround the port of Valparaiso are the predominant geographical feature of the region.

The hills have communities tied to the name of the specific hills. The hills closer to the bay have Ascensores (Hill elevators or Funicular railways).

Some tourist promotion material claim that the city is formed from 42 hills. Some maps of the lower hills have other named hills identified making a different total.

Santiago is a fine base for tourists with a taste for wine. Many of the country’s best wine-producing valleys and vineyards lie within a 100-mile radius of the Chilean capital, with some just a short ride away.

There’s also an undeniable and appealing sense of history in this New World wine producing region. Vines first came to Chile via Spanish conquistadors and missionaries in the mid-16th century, but it was the French that arguably had the greatest influence on Chilean wine. Wealthy Chilean landowners visited France in the early 1800s and brought back both new techniques and new grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc.

Today, wineries dot the valleys near Santiago. Some are new, some are old, but all are based on the same rich wine-making tradition. Many offer tours and tastings, and a wine enthusiast could spend days — if not weeks — exploring all the bodegas and viñas surrounding the capital.