When to visit Chile

The climate in Chile varies dependent on location. The country stretches from glaciers to tropics, coast to mountaintops; impossible to ignore when considering when to travel.

The south is best visited in the summer months (late-November to March) when temperatures are more pleasant and longer days add a magical feel to the lakes and plains. Long days also allow travellers extra time for outdoor pursuits. The shoulder seasons, spring and autumn, are also pleasant, but heavy weather in the winter isolates some towns and villages and makes some roads impassable.

By contrast, the north and the Atacama Desert are best during winter, spring and autumn and though summer is also fine, be wary of high temperatures, which often break into the 40s. Night time temperatures in the Atacama Desert are bitterly cold year round. In the far north, a regular afternoon downpour occurs in the summer months and though this rarely scuppers plans, it's easy to avoid by travelling in the shoulder seasons.

Predictably perhaps, Middle Chile is best during those middle seasons - spring and autumn, September to late-November, February to early-May respectively.