In Chile, there are plenty of amazing places to visit—and sometimes getting there is half the fun. If you’re going to Constitución from Talca, you can take the Ramal Talca-Constitución train, also called the “Buscarril”. This is one of the few remaining narrow-gauge railways in Chile; its route mainly follows the Maule river west until it reaches the Pacific, which is where Constitución is situated. The train takes you through the mountains and forests as it follows the river; you’ll see several remote communities as the train stops to take on passengers at tiny stations and even at the gates of peoples’ houses. As the train gets closer to its final destination, there will be more and more p
Chile has many national reserves scattered along the whole length of the country, taking up a total of 19% of the country’s landmass. Altos de Lircay National Reserve, established in 1996, is one of the better-known reserves. Located in the Maule region and taking up 121.6 square kilometers, it contains a huge variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, insects and small mammals. Some of the animals are endangered or rare, such as the Tricahue parrot or Molina’s hog-nosed skunk, and the reserve contains large areas of native forest which are now no longer common in Chile. When you enter the park, you must register with CONAF and pay the entrance fee. This is a very simple process—just fill out
The town of Curanipe is right on the Pacific Coast, about 400 km southwest of Santiago. It is a very small town, but very proud of itself. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami of 2010 destroyed much of the town, but the residents used the money given to them by the Chilean government not only to rebuild the town, but to develop the economy as well. It is known mainly by surfers, but it’s worth going to for more than the surf breaks. Ask someone for directions to the road that takes you inland along the Río Cholleven. As you follow the road along the river, you’ll find rare native trees as well as wild berry bushes and various kinds of flowers. If you go in February, you’ll find a lot more t
