There’s no ‘best time’ to visit Chile. That may not make sense, but it does.
You could be in a T-shirt and shorts in the Atacama Desert, under a bright blue sky, and at the same time, someone’s putting on a rain jacket in Patagonia. Same country, same day. Now add to that the Andes, the Pacific coast, central valleys, volcanoes, lakes, snow, and some of the clearest skies you’ll see anywhere on Earth, and you can see how trying to find the best time is… Well, useless.
What do you do, then? Wing it and hope you came at a good time? You can’t do that, especially if you plan on spending most of your time outside.
So the question here isn’t, “When’s the best time to visit?” but, “What do you plan on doing there, and where are you doing it?”
Disclosure: Contributed post.
Chile Doesn’t Have One Outdoor Travel Season
What you should know about Chile (in terms of weather) is that the country has several regionsclimates. There’s more than 4,000 miles from north to south. Traveling over this distance of 6437.38 km takes you thru some very different conditions. That’s why what you would think is the best month in one part of the country might be the worst one in another.
Atacama Desert Climate and Weather
For instance, you can travel thru the Atacama Desert in the north almost anytime.
Dry air and clear skies make this desert a great place for people who want to spend time outside. However, keep in mind that not every day is warm. Furthermore, temperatures drop after sunset. In the mountains, strong winds and cold mornings can occur.
Central Chile Climate and Weather
Central Chile has more familiar seasons to those in mid-latitudes. Summers are warm and dry (for the most part), and winters are cooler and wetter. If you want to hike and be outside, spring and fall are your best options.
The weather of the south is a different story. Yet again. The Lake District is cooler and wetter, and by the time you get to Patagonia, wind, rain, and just the weather changing all the time can really put a damper on what you can do. Days are longer in the summer (roughly December to February). If you’re interested in hiking, you’ll get better conditions then.
Lican Ray Lake District, Chile. Typically, the mist vanishes as the Sun ascend higher in the sky during the duirnal cycle, and may return as it gets cooler at night. Photo source: depositphotos.com.
Of course, there’s no guarantee of pleasant weather.
Match the Season to What You Plan on Doing
This is the only way to know you’ll really be able to do the activities you’re interested in, so let’s see which times are best for which activities.
Hiking and Trekking
If you plan on hiking, you’re probably thinking of Patagonia.
October thru March is your best bet weather-wise, especially around places like Torres del Paine. The temperatures are comfortable, and the days are long. Nevertheless, the weather of Patagonia can throw some surprises at you even during summer. December thru February is especially busy. Consequently, if you want to avoid the crowds, you may want to skip that window.
Stargazing in the Deserts (also, Exploring!)
The Atacama isn’t really tied to one short travel season. Thus, it’s very different from Patagonia in that sense.
You can go to San Pedro de Atacama and the surrounding desert anytime, but just keep in mind that April thru June is somewhat more comfortable because the weather’s stabler after all the summer rains. If you go between December and March, the altiplanic winter can make the weather stormy and block some routes here and there.
Look into Atacama Desert guided experiences to make planning easier, especially if this is your first time going.
Publisher’s note: NASA’s planetary observatory is located in the Atacama Desert because of its exceptionally clear and dry skies perfect for astronamical observations. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Area (ALMA) consisting of 66 high-precision antenna is close by. The Vera C. Rubin observatory – currently under construction will have an 8.4 m telescope for optical astronomy.
Skiing and Snow Sports
The ski season in Chile starts between late May and June and ends around early October. The onset depends on snowfall and temperatures at higher elevations, so those dates vary.
The good thing is that you don’t have to go all the way to deep southern Chile to ski. Several big ski areas are close to Santiago. If snow sports are your priority, then visit Chile during winter.
But if you plan on squeezing in both hiking and skiing on the same trip, well… Good luck with that.
Conclusions on the Best Time to Visit Chile for Outdoor Travel
And there you have it. Chile doesn’t have the best time to visit because of it many climate zones. Thus, the weather can be all over the place, so the smartest thing you can do is decide what you want your trip to look like, then plan around that.
The great thing about Chile is that it offers plenty of options, so you’ll never be bored.
References
Beck, H.E., Zimmermann, N.E., McVicar, T.R., Vergopolan, N., Berg, A., Wood, E.F., 2018. Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution. Nature Scientific Data. DOI:10.1038/sdata.2018.214
Featured photo El Tatio geyser field in the Atacama desert Andes of northern Chile. Photo source: depositphotos.com
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