Restaurants that serve contemporary cuisine open and close in the blink of an eye in São Paulo. But Carlota has thrived since the 1990s thanks to Chef Carla Pernambuco’s talent for reinvention. Set in an old brick pousada, the restaurant features such globe-spanning dishes as crispy shrimp risotto with ham and sweet pepper chutney.
MERCADO MUNICIPAL: Tel 55/11-3228-0673; www.mercadomunicipal.com.br. D.O.M.: Tel 55/11-3088-0761; www.domrestaurante.com.br. Cost: dinner $95. DALVA E DITO: Tel 55/11-3068-4444; www.dalvaedito.com.br. Cost: dinner $40. BRASIL A GOSTO: Tel 55/11-3086-3565; www.brasilagosto.com.br. Cost: dinner $35. MOCOTÓ: Tel 55/11-2951-3056; www.mocoto.com.br. Cost: lunch $30. MANÍ: Tel 55/11-3085-4148; www.manimanioca.com.br. Cost: dinner $35. FIGUEIRA RUBAIYAT: Tel 55/11-3063-3888; www.rubaiyat.com.br. Cost: lunch $40. FASANO: Tel 55/11-3896-4000; www.fasano.com.br. Cost: dinner $65. CARLOTA: Tel 55/11-3661-8670; www.carlota.com.br. Cost: dinner $35.
At Home with Internationally Acclaimed Vintners
THE WINE ROADS OF CHILE
Central Valley, Chile
Winemaking was brought to Chile by the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, who cultivated the grape for sacramental purposes, but the wines really came into their own when noble French cuttings were planted in the mid-19th century. Chile escaped the plagues that later blighted France’s vines; it is the only country besides Australia still planted with its original rootstock.
The fifth-largest exporter in the world, Chile has plenty of traditional wineries on century-old, hacienda-like properties, such as Cousiño Macul, Errazuriz, and Concha y Toro. But it is home to many boutique wineries too, which produce some of the country’s most exciting varietals, such as Clos Apalta, Altair, Casa Marin, Almaviva, and Neyen. The principal wine regions, from north to south, are the Aconcagua, Casablanca, Maipo, Colchagua, and Maule, which together form the Central Valley, or Valle Central, region. Casablanca, located near the Pacific, is renowned for its chardonnay and sauvignon blanc; Colchagua, for bold reds that include cabernet sauvignon, carmenère, and syrah; and Maipo, Chile’s oldest wine valley, located on the outskirts of Santiago, for its cabernet sauvignons.
It’s easy to visit vineyards on a day trip from Santiago, but anyone with the time should consider spending the night. The earthquake that struck central Chile in 2010 took its toll on wine production here and closed some of the hotels temporarily, but most reopened quickly with refreshed and updated amenities and services.
Colchagua is often compared to the Napa Valley of California. The low, vineyard-covered hills with their traditional finca homesteads boast some 56,700 acres of vines and some of the best wineries in Chile. This area also has the best touring infrastructure and lodging options. For contemporary ambience, Casa Lapostolle is an exclusive getaway set on the grounds of the state-of-the-art Clos Apalta winery. One of the country’s most distinctive hotels, it is composed of four casitas named for the primary red grape varietals on the property. The Colonial-style Hotel Santa Cruz Plaza is located on the attractive main square of that town, the epicenter of the valley’s winemaking and vineyard-touring scene. The Spanish-inspired property, with wrought-iron details and heavy chandeliers, has 116 rooms situated around a large common area, an outdoor swimming pool, a spa with an impressive menu of treatments, and a well-stocked wine cellar. Its owner, Carlos Cardoen, is the force behind the spectacular Colchagua Museum, the largest private museum in Chile.
The grapes grown in Chile’s Valle de Aconcagua replicate French flavors.
WHERE: Santa Cruz is 112 miles/180 km southwest of Santiago. HOW: Santiago Adventures offers custom-planned trips that allow visitors to meet with winemakers in Chile’s various wine regions; it also arranges wine tours by bike. Tel 56/2-244-2750; in the U.S., 802-904-6798; www.santiagoadventures.com. CASA LAPOSTOLLE: Tel 56/7-295-3360; www.casalapostolle.com. Cost: from $1,000, all-inclusive. HOTEL SANTA CRUZ PLAZA: Tel 56/72-209-600; www.hotelsantacruzplaza.cl. Cost: from $330. BEST TIMES: Oct–Apr for nicest weather; mid-Feb–Apr for harvest; Mar for Fiesta de la Vendimia wine festival in Santa Cruz.
The Thousand Mysteries of Rapa Nui
EASTER ISLAND
Chile
The tiny, windswept speck of land called Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island, continues to captivate a curious world long after its “discovery” by the Dutch West India Company on Easter Sunday 1722. It’s the world’s most remote inhabited island—over 1,200 miles from its nearest populated neighbor, Pitcairn Island. Easter Island is best known for its moai, more than 800 huge, elongated stone figures, 50 of them standing like giant chess pieces staring eyeless at the distant horizon. Measuring an average of 14 feet tall and weighing 10 tons apiece, they were carved from the island’s volcanic tufa stone by early Polynesian settlers sometime between the 9th and 17th century, transported for miles by means that have confounded modern-day observers, and raised onto great stone altars.
The best are part of Ahu Tongariki, the largest excavated and restored series of moai on the island. Relatively little is known about their purpose or history, although possible clues are on exhibit at the nearby Museo Antropológico Sebastián Englert and its affiliated library and bookstore.
The mystery—as well as the statues themselves—are so engrossing that few visitors leave enough time to take advantage of the island’s adventure options: biking, trekking, and horseback riding. Not to mention the beaches, which include Anakena, where the white sand lies within view of several moai, and Ovahe, which features pink-tinged sand and dramatic rock formations.
Despite its world renown, 63-square-mile Easter Island retains an old–South Pacific air, with just one main road and a cluster of modest hotels in and around Hanga Roa, the small town where nearly all the island’s population of 4,700 live. The nearby eco-sensitive Explora is the first luxury resort on the island, its spaceshiplike profile gracing a hilltop 4 miles from town. Guests can expect fiery sunsets, staggering views of the mighty Pacific, and memorable meals. The twice-daily excursions led by trained Rapa Nui guides are timed to allow visitors to feel as if they are the only ones on the island. Of the handful of good lodging options in town, the Hotel Taura’a is a popular choice, a simple-but-clean bed-and-breakfast in a converted home.
No written record exists to explain the meaning or history of the moai.
WHERE: 2,350 miles/3,781 km west of Santiago. HOW: U.S.-based Maxim Tours offers 4-day trips. Tel 800-655-0222 or 973-927-0760; www.maximtours.com. Cost: from $550, all-inclusive, air extra. Originates in Santiago. EXPLORA RAPA NUI: Tel 56/2-206-6060; in the U.S., 866-750-6699; www.explora.com. Cost: 3-night packages from $2,385 per person, all-inclusive. HOTEL TAURA’A: Tel: 56/2-255-1310; www.tauraahotel.cl. Cost: from $180. BEST TIMES: Jul–Aug for cool weather and fewer crowds; late Jan or early Feb for Tapati Festival, the island’s largest celebration of local culture.
Filigreed Channels at the End of the World
CRUISING CHILE’S FJORDS
Patagonia, Chile
Two-thirds of the way down its coastline, beyond Puerto Montt, Chile crumples into archipelagos of thousands of islets, covered with flourishing vegetation, that slowly give way to eerie ice fields. This spectacularly filigreed coast is home to icy channels opened by seismic and glacial activity millions of years ago, and its waters are full of elephant seals and sea lions, humpback whales and dolphins. It is best appreciated by ship.
Board one of the red-and-white ships that belong to the Kochifas family, the pioneers who opened the area to international tourism in the late 1970s. The 110-passenger Skorpios III, the most upscale of the fleet, sails from Puerto Natales, a gateway to Torres del Paine National Park (see below). Heading to the southern ice field, it takes in more than a dozen glaciers, including the imposing Glaciar Amalia, which soars as high as 328 feet, and Glaciar Bernal, one of five visible in the Montañas Fjord.
The 130-passenger Skorpios II sails from Puerto Montt to Chiloé, one of only three inhabited islands in a region where humankind has barely left a mark. Among the most photographed s
ites are its peaceful fishing villages and more than 50 reverently maintained wooden churches that date to the 18th and 19th centuries. From Chiloé, the cruise heads south to the breathtaking, neon-blue Glaciar San Rafael, in Chile’s northern Patagonia region. The mile-wide, 9-mile-long glacier, the closest to the equator, rivets the attention as its 200-foot ice spires calve off with thunderous roars.
Alternatively, voyagers may ply the southernmost reaches of Chilean Patagonia and explore the wild scenery and isolated glaciers of Tierra del Fuego, South America’s largest island. Weather permitting, guests can disembark and pay a visit to the end of the world at Cape Horn. Cruceros Australis offers a 4-night journey that leaves from Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in Chile, and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina (see p. 994), and a 3-night journey that does the reverse. Visits to the penguin colonies at Isla Magdalena, with 50,000 breeding pairs, and Seno Otway, a sanctuary for 2,000 breeding pairs, are always a highlight. The line’s two compact ships carry a maximum of 136 passengers and thread waterways that are off-limits to most larger ships. The utter silence of the labyrinthine seas inspires the same awe that must have overcome Magellan when, in 1520, he stumbled upon these as yet uncharted waters; Antarctica (see p. 1053) is just 500 miles away.
WHERE: Puerto Montt is 631 miles/1,016 km south of Santiago; Punta Arenas is 1,360 miles/2,190 km south of Santiago. TURISMO SKORPIOS: Tel: 56/2-477-1900; in the U.S., 305-484-5357; www.skorpios.cl. Cost: 3-night sailings from $1,400 all-inclusive (off-peak), from $1,550 (peak). When: Sep–Apr. CRUCEROS AUSTRALIS: Tel 56/2-442-3115; in the U.S., 877-678-3772; www.australis.com. Cost: 4-night sailings from $1,500 all-inclusive (off-peak), from $1,895 (peak). When: Sep–Apr. BEST TIME: Jan–Feb, when days are long and temperatures are warmest.
Wilderness and Civilization on the Continent’s Tip
TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK
Patagonia, Chile
This remote outpost in the heart of Chilean Patagonia is one of nature’s last virtually untrammeled wildernesses. Unmapped before the 1930s, the Torres del Paine park is a 600,000-acre network of aquamarine lakes, rushing rivers, groaning glaciers, pampas, and fjords. But it is perhaps best known for the Cuernos del Paine, spectacular 10,000-foot “horns” or towers of rose-colored granite that are part of the Cordillera Paine mountains.
This wonderland contains more than 200 species of plants and 25 species of mammals, including the tall, orange-and-white guanaco, a cousin of the llama, and the ever-elusive mountain puma. The Andean condor, with its fabled 10-foot wingspan, occasionally appears against the sky above the surreal landscape; it is but one of some 100 different species of native birds found here.
Hardy travelers head for the “W,” a 35-mile trail that runs from east to west that starts at Laguna Amarga and takes 4 to 5 days to complete. The more demanding “Circuit” wends through 37 miles of scenic territory, requiring between 4 and 11 days to cover. But far easier hikes await the less ambitious, and kayaking and horseback riding provide their own perspectives on the park.
Estancia Cerro Guido is one of the few upscale lodges with a view of the Torres. It is composed of 20 historic buildings that date to when this property was a sheep ranch, in the early 20th century. Travelers seeking maximum luxury should opt for the Explora’s Hotel Salto Chico, on the southeast corner of Lago Pehoé. One of the most upscale wilderness lodges in all of South America—with perhaps the most striking setting of any hotel on the planet—it serves up impeccable style and service, with full-time naturalists on staff offering guided park excursions.
Although most visitors fly into Punta Arenas, the true gateway to the region is 150 miles northwest, in Puerto Natales, a picturesque town on a fjord dramatically called Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope). Founded in 1911 as a meatpacking town and fishing port, this settlement of some 20,000 residents provides easy access to adventures afield and a growing array of cozy restaurants and inns. Handsome and reasonably priced, the Indigo Hotel offers views of the Mount Balmaceda glacier and the Paine Grande peak, as well as a rooftop Jacuzzi and spa and a well-liked restaurant that serves a variety of pisco sours.
The Torres del Paine mountains look out over Lake Pehoé.
WHERE: Punta Arenas is 1,360 miles/2,190 km south of Santiago. CERRO GUIDO: Tel 56/2-196-4807; www.cerroguido.cl. Cost: from $200. When: closed May–Sep. EXPLORA: Tel 56/2-228-4665; in the U.S., 866-750-6699; www.explora.com. Cost: 4-night all-inclusive package from $2,780 per person, all-inclusive. INDIGO: Tel 56/61-413-609; www.indigopatagonia.com. Cost: from $150 (off-peak), from $260 (peak). BEST TIMES: mid-Mar–Apr for fewer visitors and less wind; early Oct–Nov for spring wildflowers.
Skiing the Formidable Andes
PORTILLO AND VALLE NEVADO
Chile
A jaunt down to Chile’s ski resorts can seem an irresistible choice for North Americans and Europeans; when slopes north of the equator are snow-free, visitors here find the Western hemisphere’s highest peaks, the finest deep-powder snow, no lift lines or slope traffic, plus resorts offering plenty of Chilean hospitality and breathtaking scenery.
The most developed and largest of these are Portillo and Valle Nevado, and while both are top-notch, with the best snow, on average, in South America, they serve different kinds of Alpine enthusiasts. Portillo (Little Pass), renowned as the site of the 1966 World Alpine Ski Championships, perches high above the tree line at 9,233 feet. Overlooking the sapphire waters of Lake Inca and facing a bowl of spectacular Andean peaks, its 14 lifts access 2,200 acres of snowy diversion, some at an elevation of 11,000 feet, while helicopters open thousands of additional acres of powder skiing. Some slopes are notoriously steep, such as the Roca Jack, which makes Portillo ideal for advanced skiers. As for where to bunk down when the last run’s been made, the brilliant yellow Hotel Portillo and its less expensive annexes are the only game in town. They offer weekly packages for every budget, and the hotel’s design encourages camaraderie among the guests, creating the sense that you are all members of your own private club.
Valle Nevado boasts dramatic Andean scenery, the continent’s most modern lift system, and more than 2,000 acres of terrain suitable for every skill level—as well as plenty of off-piste runs and a terrain park for those who enjoy doing tricks. Heli-skiing from Valle Nevado is widely considered the best in South America, allowing skiers access to peaks rivaled only by the Himalayas. Valle Nevado’s complex includes three hotels, and various restaurants and shops for nonskiers and skiers alike. Its 1-hour proximity to Santiago makes day skiing a possibility for those with limited time.
WHERE: Portillo is 88 miles/132 km northeast of Santiago. PORTILLO: Tel 56/2-263-0606; in the U.S., 800-829-5325; www.skiportillo.com. Cost: 1-week packages at the Double Valley Hotel, from $1,700 per person (off-peak), from $3,200 (peak), all-inclusive. VALLE NEVADO: Tel 56/2-477-7705; in the U.S., 800-669-0554; www.vallenevado.com. Cost: Hotel Tres Puntas from $350 (off-peak), from $575 (peak), all-inclusive. BEST TIMES: mid-Jun–early Oct for ski season with Jul and Aug offering best conditions; Jul for family weeks.
Outdoor Adventures amid Picture-Perfect Scenery
CHILE’S LAKE DISTRICT
Pucón, Chile
Bordered by Lake Villarrica on one side and the snow-capped Villarrica Volcano on the other, the town of Pucón is the portal to the pristine Regiòn de los Lagos (Lake District). Unofficially known as the adventure capital of Chile, it is one of the country’s major destinations for boaters, water-sports enthusiasts, and sport fishermen. From Pucón, excursions lead visitors to areas such as Lake Caburga, Coñaripe, Lican Ray, and beyond; active types can raft, kayak, or fish the Río Trancura, trek through Huerquehue National Park, or join canopy tours to soar among the treetops there. More adventurous souls may try climbing the 9,341-foot volcano (you can ski it in the winter), where molten magma offers surreal photo opportunities.
Chile is filled with not only volcanoes but geological faults; the latter create ideal conditions for the natural hot-springs spas that dot the Lake District. F
ew are as inviting as Termas Geométricas, 40 minutes outside of Pucón, where a maze of wooden walkways leads through lush vegetation to a series of slate-tiled pools of various temperatures, simultaneously providing soothing relaxation and minimalist—almost Japanese—style.
When Queen Elizabeth II and Neil Armstrong each visited Chile’s Lake District, they stayed at the family-run Hotel Antumalal, one of its most intriguing hotels. Dating to 1945, the inn blends Bauhaus design with abundant gardens and offers guests use of a private beach on Lago Villarrica. Each of the 22 guest rooms is graced with handmade wood furnishings, a fireplace, and huge windows that frame panoramic views of the lake. The hotel’s restaurant, Parque Antumalal, is one of the best in the region. Start with a signature Cran Sour cocktail, move on to the Chilean lobster, and end with sweet kuchenes (a nod to the German immigrants who settled the area)—all served with spectacular water views.
WHERE: 490 miles/789 km south of Santiago. ANTUMALAL: Tel 56/45-441-011; www.antumalal.com. Cost: from $265 (off-peak), from $360 (peak); dinner $45. BEST TIMES: mid-Dec–Feb for nicest summer weather; Jan–Feb for Muestra Cultural Mapuche festival in Villarrica.
Surreal Odyssey to the Driest Place on Earth
THE ATACAMA DESERT
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Stretching over nearly one-third of Chile’s surface, the Atacama Desert is so otherworldly that NASA has conducted experiments here. But word of its austere yet striking natural beauty has traveled far, and intrepid spirits now come for its year-round promise of adventure as well as its many natural wonders. The base for exploring this, the driest desert on earth, is the village of San Pedro de Atacama, which stands 7,000 feet above sea level. Built mostly from adobe brick, San Pedro offers convenient access to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, sand-boarding, and other activities.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 161