Chile Family Holidays – Top 10 Activities with Kids

Top 10 activities with kids on our Chile family holidays

Starting with the jewel in the Patagonian crown, the famous Torres del Paine National Park is a must on any Chile family holiday. Offering everything from glacier-sightseeing cruises on turquoise lakes (‘Lake Grey’ has to be the ultimate misnomer) to gentle walks in search of guanaco and condor. Active families can opt for challenging multi-day hikes. Any fit teenager could tackle the renowned 5-day W-Walk which takes in all the highlights of the park (see our Family Trekking Holidays post for more details). Or enjoy it as a series of day treks – our favourite is the hike to the base of the Torres del Paine themselves. Woolly hats and down jackets are also ‘musts’ in this notoriously windy part of Patagonia.

The charming and colourful harbour of Valparaiso, just over an hour from Santiago, provides a delightfully quirky contrast to the high rises and traffic-laden streets of the Chilean capital. Take a graffiti tour through its winding lanes and explore the multi-cultural corners of this historic melting point for immigrants. Boutique hotels make the perfect base to enjoy the convivial street-life and artisan shops and galleries. Perfect for souvenir shopping.

Prepare yourself for the (literally) breathtaking wonders of the driest desert on earth. The stark lunar landscape surrounds you as you head off on mountain bikes to Moon Valley. Meander the great Salar de Atacama, an endless white salt flat with flamingos nesting in its lagoons. Visit the petroglyphs of Yerbas Buenas and be mesmerised by the mountains of colours in Rainbow Valley. But it is the early morning journey to the amazing El Tatio Geysers that will leave you with an explosive memory, as boiling steam bursts up to 40m into the freezing air. A truly unique setting for breakfast on your Chile family holiday.

Santiago can be a challenge for families on a Chile family holiday with its busy highways and modern city centre. However, its proximity to the Winelands means that within an hour of flying in, you could be sipping on a delicate sauvignon blanc in the Casablanca Valley or quaffing a meaty malbec in the Maipo Valley, surrounded by gorgeous rural scenery ready to be explored on foot or by bike. Top tip – try the local Carmenere red whilst the kids splash in the pool. The perfect antidote to any jetlag.

Chile is huge, with very few people. There are vast tracts of wilderness without settlements. Here you can really go off-grid. There are mountain lodges in northern Patagonia accessible by seaplanes, remote working estancias (cattle ranches) in southern Patagonia with hundreds of thousands of acres to explore on horseback, and even a fjord-based, boat access-only spa off the famous Carretera Austral where you can truly disconnect. In Chile, it is usually the journey as well as the destination that makes for special family holiday memories. Check out our post on activities in neighbouring Argentina’s share of this spectacular region, Patagonia with Kids. 

The historic island of Chiloe is a paradise for penguin lovers. It is the only place in the world where both Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins nest next to each other. The island also has a huge cultural significance with villages dating back to Spanish colonial times, fascinating artisan markets, colourful stilted communities and delicious seafood restaurants. Discover a land of myths, legends and ancestral traditions – and penguins.

The mysterious island of Rapa Nui is well known for its iconic stone statues or Moai. But this fabulously alluring destination, the most remote inhabited island in the world, has so much more to offer. A five-hour flight from the mainland and you are surrounded by jaw-dropping volcanic scenery, blue skies (pollution-free so perfect for nighttime star-gazing), aquamarine seas where you can swim with turtles and sunbathe on picture-perfect idyllic sandy beaches. Just kick back and relax as you absorb the vibe of this ‘barefoot’ piece of Pacific heaven. The Moai are a constant presence, creating a very spiritual, peaceful feeling (check out our Top 10 bucket list destinations). This is the place to chillax, reconnect as a family and enjoy endless stunning sunsets.

OK so we know you don’t technically ‘cook’ ceviche which is of course raw fish marinated in citric juices thus virtually ‘cooking’ itself. It is the freshest and healthiest way to enjoy a smorgasbord of delicious local seafood in a country packed with all sorts of mouth-watering culinary delights. If your teens are likely to make pained faces at the mention of ‘raw fish’ then play it safe with an empanada cookery class instead. Think Cornish pasties – but with a Chilean twist.

It’s not just about lakes! The Patagonian Lake District is split between Argentina and Chile (with the famous Lakes Crossing linking the two). But it is more than just about stunning lake scenery. Volcanoes dominate the landscape here – tackle Osorno (2660m) or toboggan down Villarrica and re-discover your inner child. Head to Perez Rosales National Park to raft the flowing turquoise waters of the Petrohue River, or soak in the many hot springs around Puyehue. Adventure, adrenalin and some ‘after-activity relaxation’. See our Best of Argentina and Chile family itinerary

Think beyond snowmen and tobogganing… The Andes is a heartland for snowy activities at all times of year.  Ascend the snow-capped summit of a volcano in the Lake District or have fun snow-shoeing in Puyehue National Park. In the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn, Torres del Paine is still accessible (and quieter) so you can crunch the trails beneath these famous mountain spires – without the crowds. Or if you fancy fitting in a bit of downhill then there are numerous ski resorts close to Santiago that make day trips easily possible. A family holiday to Chile could combine both desert, Pacific coast beaches and skiing!

Chile family holidays next step

Chile also offers some fantastic combination options if you are looking for that really special family holiday. Crossing into Argentina is the obvious choice or why not combine Chile with the iconic Inca site of Machu Picchu? Travel overland from the Atacama to the famed Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia. Or fly across the Andes to end in Rio and the mighty Iguazu Falls. It is even possible to fly to Antarctica from here, thus avoiding the stomach-churning crossing of the Drake Passage. A family holiday to Chile really can take you to the ‘End of the World’!

If our blog has inspired you to find out more about a trip to Chile – or if you like the idea of combining Chile with a neighbouring South American country – ring us on 01728 752751 during office hours or get in touch using our website contact form.