11 Valuable Chile Travel Guides: Price, Review, and Comparison

In Order of Popularity

1. MOON CHILE (January 9, 2007)

Moon Handbooks give you the tools to make your own choices, with
• Can’t-miss sights, activities, restaurants, and accommodations, marked with
• Suggestions on how to plan a trip that’s perfect for you, including:
An Introduction to Chile
Chilean Wine Country
Lakes, Peaks, and Forests of the Andes
Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego
• 60 detailed and easy-to-use maps
• The firsthand experience and unique perspectives of author Wayne Bernhardson

Product Description
Positioned between the Pacific and the Andes, Chile offers rich history in its Northern region, a blend of entertainment, culture, and skiing in the boroughs of Santiago, remote corners in the Atacama Desert, a glorious wine-country in its Heartland and the ultra-private Easter Island. Moon Chile provides you with all of the essential details needed to discover these can't-miss sites, the world's most isolated island, and more.
South American resident and Chilean consummate, author Wayne Bernahardson gives you all of the appropriate information to help make your adventure in Chile truly unique. Wayne's insightful and fun travel suggestions include the Best of Chile, 10 Days Skiing in the Andes, Exploring Wine Country, and Exploring Chilean highlights.
Whether you are eager to experience fly fishing at Sur Chico, partake of the Patagonian mystique or follow the paths of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, Moon Chile is your resourceful guide. With expert writers, first-rate strategic advice, and an essential dose of humor, Moon ensures that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience — and a few new stories to tell.
Product Details
Paperback: 650 pages
Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; Second Edition edition
Language: English


2. Lonely Planet: Chile & Easter Island (May 2006)

Book Description
Climb the rocky spires of Torres del Paine, salsa all night in sizzling Santiago, explore the world's driest desert or follow Che's tracks through the Lakes District. Whether you're looking to brave the wilderness or wind through the wine country, our best-selling, opinion-packed Chile guide will take you to the end of the world...and back. HEAD SOUTH - expanded coverage of adventure paradise Patagonia, with side trips to Argentina RAISE A GLASS - discover Chilean wine with our intoxicating primer by a Colchagua Valley vintner PLAY HARD - sand-board desert dunes, paddle through ice-carved fjords or ski still-smoking volcanoes with our dedicated Outdoors chapter REST EASY - accommodations for every budget, from rustic mountain refugios and homey hospedajes to luxurious retreats and high-rise hotels LIVE IT UP - enjoy gourmet meals and top-notch culture in Santiago, uncover Valparaà so's bohemian charms or sunbathe on Arica's plentiful beaches
HEAD SOUTH - expanded coverage of adventura paradise Patagonia with a side trip to Argentina

RAISE A GLASS - Discover Chilean wine with our intoxicating primer by a Colchagua Valley vintner

PLAY HARD - sand board desert dunes, paddle through ice-carved fjords or ski still-smoking volcanoes with our dedicated Outdoors chapter

REST EASY- accomodation for every budget, from rustic mountain refugios and homey hospedajesto luxurious retreats and high-rise hotels

LIVE IT UP- enjoy gourmet meals and top-notch culture in Santiago, uncover Valparaiso's bohemian charms or sunbath on Arica's plentiful beaches.

From the Publisher
Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.
What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.




3. Discovery Channel Insight Guide to Chile (January 2008)

The world's largest visual travel guide series, Insight Guides, in association with Discovery Channel, the world's premier source of nonfiction entertainment, provide more insight than ever. From the most popular resort cities to the most exotic villages, Insight Guides captures the unique character of each culture with an insider's perspective. You know its good because the Discovery Channel is behind it. Some of the newest and most colorful photographs.

Review By Cheap-n-easy (Amazon.com
This guide together with the "Chile Footprint" is the perfect combo for the first-time Chile traveler. Why? This guide will quickly and informatively bring you close to Chile's geography, history, culture, ethnic groups and most all aspects important to know when travelling there for the first time. It is not too "scientific", nor is it too superficial. Just right.

It is a colorful and high quality book (Discovery Channel) that I was not able to put down until I went through it all.

NOTE: This guide however does not suffice to give specific direction for restaurants, hotels and other facilities or locations needed by travellers. Therefore by itself it is insufficient. For the travel agenda detail you need to get "Footprint Chile". A perfect Chile guide just like a Frommer's. Both books together are the perfect combo !!

Review By Neil Zobler (Amazon.com)
As a seasoned traveler, the Insight Guides series have become my favorite travel companion. They are not the traditional guides that tell you the cheap places to stay and eat, rather they are detailed guides to the history, culture and things to see in the countries you will be visiting, complete with great photos. They are well researched and I learn things about the country that even the natives don't know. If you are looking for a "where to sleep" kind of guide, you will have to purchase a second, more traditional travel book (like Lonely Planet, etc.). I personally would not think about visiting a country without first reading the "Insite Guide."


4. Fodors's Chile 3rd edition (June 6, 2006)
432 pages
Fodor's is for those with a larger budget, who wish to experience the finer things on a vacation. You can find great reviews of classy places, fine dining, luxury hotel stays, spas, and more.







5. Frommer's Argentina & Chile 3rd edition (June 24, 2005)
Review from Amazon.com
Though this guide's title doesn't say it, the guide also covers two important locations in Uruguay (Montevideo and Puente del Este), a very nice plus.
IF you like the best in life, and can afford it, and if you are not going off the beaten path but plan to stay in the major cities, then Frommer's can be a definite plus. However, if you are driving, backpacking, exploring smaller cities and towns, then get another guide (consider Footprint or Rough Guide).

Travel Guides target various audiences. Frommer's is for those with jingle in their pocket. There are guides for those that backpack and have a tight budget (Rough Guide, Let's Go), then there are guides that are for people that have a budget in mind, but can splurge when needed (Footprint, Lonely Planet, or Moon's), and then there are guides for those with money, 'darling'. These are willing to pay for the best and when traveling money is a secondary or tertiary concern, if a concern at all. Frommer's and Fodor's target the upper income class. To put this in perspective "inexpensive lodging" in this Frommer's guide averages around $40-$50 per night (double), while in the Rough Guide "inexpensive lodging" is $2-$10 per night (double). The restaurants that Frommer's lists as 'inexpensive' cost me on average $20 per meal (tip, tax and house wine included), 'inexpensive' to Rough Guide cost me about $2-$4.

Frommer's excels in pointing you to the best restaurants. The descriptions of each restaurant are superb ("This historic cafe has served as the artistic and intellectual capital of Buenos Aires since 1858", "with its high gilded ceiling and grand pillars, bas-relief art work and original Spanish paintings, this restaurant boast the most magnificent dining room in the city", and it sells "thick rump steaks, tenderloins, BBQ ribs or tender filet minion with delicious mushroom sauce"). That said, keep in mind that life changes and chiefs come and go.

Occasionally, one out of five times, the recommended restaurant bombed-out. I was in one recommended restaurant and ordered the dish that guide recommended, "Spanish Paella". I ended up with 5 cups of over cooked, mushy yellow rice, 3 small shrimp, 7 black mussel shells (half without the mussel) and squid pieces, lots of squid pieces. Also, prices quoted were about 20-30% higher that the book stated. But, overall, this guide is a guide to excellent restaurants in Argentina and Chile.

The guide's maps are too few to be a contender with other guides (it is hard to believe that this travel guide has only city maps for Santiago and Buenos Aires, but totally omits maps for Chile's and Argentina's major cities like Mendoza & Cordoba!). That, and in comparison to other guides, the few maps that there are not as easy to use or navigate with.

Your selection of places to stay are paltry compared to other guides (Cordoba, second largest city in Argentina has three listings), however what listings they do provide describe the properties very well and have website addresses. I especially liked the "Seeing the sights".

This guide is superb for knowing where to find the best restaurants and usally the best lodging in Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. So if you want the best, will only be in major cities, and money is not an issue, this is a very good guide. Recommended 4 stars as a resturant guide - 2 stars as a travel guide.



6. Time Out Patagonia Second Edition (February 1, 2006)
Review By Allen M. Gathercoal (Amazon.com)
I have just returned from traveling five weeks through Patagonia and found myself using "Time Out" regularly for its engaging history, cultural and overall coverage.

I started out in the Argentinean Lake District (Bariloche) and wove my way down to Tierra del Fuego (Ushuaia), crossing various times between Argentina and Chile. "Time Out" was my companion guide to both "Footprint" and "Rough Guides".

No other guide gives you as much information regarding outdoor activies: Hiking, Golfing, Fishing, Hunting, Skiing; even Scuba Diving (you can dive the icy waters of Ushuaia!). The writing is engaging and erudite. For those that love nature no other guide gives you as much as this guide.

HOWEVER, "Time Out Patagonia" should not be considered as your primary travel guide. It is more of a companion guide. It offers only a handful of restaurant and hotel recommendations, and often these recommendations are the most expensive. The small maps in this book are pathetic, and will help you locate nothing of significance.

"Time Out Patagonia" fills in the gaps that the other guides have. This is the guide you will read after the other guides have helped you with your accommodations and eateries.




7. Chile & Argentina, 5th: The Bradt Trekking Guide (October 1, 2001)
Book Description
Covers all the options for backpackers and hikers, from whale-watching off the Valdés Peninsula in Argentina to hikes around the Chilean Lake District with its backdrop of waterfalls, thermal pools, volcanoes and glaciers.


From the Back Cover
Whether you're out for the action, fascinated by wildlife or hanker after the culture and cuisine, Chile and Argentina have firmly established themselves as top destinations for trekking. From gentle trails to the taxing peaks of the Andes, the region offers everything for the walker, cyclist and adventure-junkie.In this fifth edition of Chile and Argentina: The Bradt Trekking Guide, Tim Burford rewalks the established paths, as well as uncovering new territory, inspiring both experienced hikers and prospective wanderers. Focusing on over 35 areas, with details of the region's flora and fauna, this is the guide to carry in your backpack.This guide includes 45 hikes, from northwest Argentina to Tierra del Fuego; unique descriptions of mountain treks near Santiago; rafting, kayaking, cycling, horse-riding and skiing; thorough coverage of national parks, including ecology and wildlife; wildlife on the Valdes Peninsula. (5 1/4 x 8 1/2, 368 pages, illustrations, maps, charts)




8. The Complete Guide to Easter Island 2nd edition (2007)
Book Description
A revised edition of The Complete Guide to Easter Island has been released by the Easter Island Foundation. Like its predecessor, which underwent three printings and has sold more copies than any other EIF publication, this expanded version brings together the latest scientific and tourist information in a format designed to appeal to both researchers and lay readers alike: Sections on history, legends, conservation, island theories, antiquities, and culture complement detailed coverage of the village of Hanga Roa, accommodations, shopping, vehicle rental, entertainment, island sights, and more. The Guide also includes a chapter on the Rapanui language, an extensive glossary, a detailed chronology, a comprehensive bibliography, and updated island maps. With 70 additional pages, this revised Guide includes new sections, such as discussions on the role of the sweet potato in Oceania, dating systems used by scientists, and listings of Easter Island artefacts found in museums around the world. Richly illustrated and featuring black & white and color photographs by the author. Whether you've been on the island, are planning your first trip, or returning to this most enigmatic place, The Complete Guide is your indispensable Easter Island resource.



9. Lonely Planet: Santiago de Chile (October 2000)
Book Description
Attention all surfers and skiers, city slickers and oenophiles: Santiago is in one of Chile's most diverse regions. With this detailed guide, you can explore this cosmopolitan capital, then head for a swoosh down the Andes, a frolic in the Pacific, or even south for a rodeo and a dip in some hot springs!

lodging options from camping and hostels to high-rise hotels
excursions from Valpo and Viña to Mendoza, Argentina
tips on touring the best wineries
activities including hiking, cycling, rafting the Rio Maipo and more
food listings including international cuisine and local favorites
16 detailed maps, 10 in full color


From the Publisher
"Santiago de Chile" is packed with fascinating facts about opportunities most travelers would never consider an option in South America. Santiago’s architecture and history alone make it a dream vacation hub, but when you add the feria (artisans’ market), teleférico (gondola cable car), mirador (lookout point) or eat at a picada (simple family restaurant) you realize that Santiago has come a long way since it was founded in 1541. "Santiago de Chile" also covers the seaside cities of Valparaíso and Viña de Mar.
• lodging options from camping and hostels to high-rise hotels
• excursions from Valpo and Viña to Mendoza, Argentina
• tips on touring the best wineries
• food listings including international cuisine and local favorites
• 16 detailed maps, 10 in full-color



10. Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes 2nd edition (February 1998)
Review
This is a fantastically comprehensive guide to the trekking areas of the Patagonian Andes. Intelligently laid out with very well-researched maps and local information, it also manages to give a comprehensive overview of what each area has to offer, without being exhaustive. It gives you just enough information to get you out there and discovering on your own. The book does have a few weaknesses --notably, there are flat-out errors in some of the specific route descriptions or instructions -- that make it far better-suited to those who feel comfortable fending for themselves in the wild, and who don't try and use the book as a substitute for human guides. In short, if you feel comfortable traveling independently in remote areas, it's not a problem. If that scares you ... perhaps you should use the book as a primer and then hire a guide or go with a guided group.
Ratings for the treks are somewhat arbitrary; one trek rated "easy" was actually quite rough, and the second half of the route had been closed for over a year (prior to the book's publication date -- a real boo-boo). Another trek rated "hard" was actually not as challenging as advertised. However, the details of the route descriptions are usually spot-on and very helpful. Most wonderful are the maps, which experienced trekkers actually CAN use in place of a topo (despite how foolish this sounds) in many cases.

The photographs are wonderful, and also give an accurate and beautiful rendering of the region's charms. I'd describe them as "trekking porn," they're so luscious.

The information on base towns is good but incomplete, and I would strongly recommend purchasing Wayne Bernhardson's Moon guide to Chile as an accompaniment.In contrast, the Bradt book on backpacking in Argentina and Chile is almost worthless compared to Lindemayer's careful descriptions and research, and LP's superb regional maps.


11. Rough Guide to Chile 3 (September 2006)

Book Description
The third edition of the Rough Guide to Chile explores all corners of the country from the vast Atacama Desert and magnificent, snow-capped Volcán Osorno to the granite spires of the Torres del Paine massif in Southern Patagonia and the mysterious moai statues on Easter Island. The guide includes reviews for all the best places to stay, eat and drink, to suit every taste and budget - plus a new ''Authors'' Picks'' feature to highlight the very best options. There is plenty of practical information for a range of outdoor pursuits, from trekking and white-water rafting to skiing and snow-boarding. The guide takes a detailed look at Chile''s history and culture and comes complete with maps and plans for every region.

Excerpted from The Rough Guide to Chile (Chile (Rough Guides)) by Rough Guides, Melissa Graham. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
WHERE TO GO
Given Chile’s great size, and the huge distances that separate the main attractions, it’s important to give careful thought to your itinerary before you go. If you want to experience both the northern and southern extremes, you should invest in a LanChile air pass, unless you’re prepared to spend many hours sitting on a bus, or are in the country for an extended period. Otherwise, most visitors with just two or three weeks to play with tend to choose between heading north or south from Santiago, even then singling out a few chosen targets, rather than trying to fit everything in. Something else to bear in mind is that, on the whole, Chile’s cities are not that exciting, and are best used as a jumping-off point to get out into the backcountry. In light of this, you should seriously consider renting a vehicle for at least part of your trip, as public transport to some of the most beautiful areas, including many national parks, is nonexistent. We discuss each region’s highlights in greater detail in the chapter introductions; what follows is a brief summary of the attractions of each area.

Santiago, though boasting some fine monuments, museums and restaurants, is not to everyone’s taste, with its ceaseless noise and traffic and heavy pollution, and two or three days here is enough for most visitors. The capital is handy for visiting some of the country’s oldest vineyards, while a string of splendid beaches, as well as the romantic port of Valparaíso and fashionable resort of Viña del Mar, also sit on its doorstep.

North of Santiago, highlights include the handsome colonial city of La Serena, the lush, deeply rural Elqui Valley, and another succession of idyllic beaches, the dazzling fringe of the Norte Chico, a region that mostly comprises semi-arid landscapes and brittle vegetation. At the northern edge of this region, the tidy little city of Copiapó serves as a springboard for excursions to the white sands and turquoise waters of Bahía Inglesa, one of the country’s most attractive seaside resorts, and east into the cordillera, where you’ll find the mineral-streaked volcanoes of Parque Nacional Nevado de Tres Cruces and the dazzling Laguna Verde. Further north, the barren Atacama Desert, stretching over 1000km into southern Peru, presents an unforgettable, if forbidding, landscape, whose attractions number ancient petroglyphs (indigenous rock art), abandoned nitrate ghost towns and a scattering of fertile, fruit-filled oases. Up in the Andes, the vast plateau known as the altiplano, as high and remote as Tibet, encompasses snow-capped volcanoes, bleached-white salt flats, lakes speckled pink with flamingos, grazing llamas, alpacas and vicuñas, tiny whitewashed churches and native Aymara communities. The best points to head for up here are Parque Nacional Lauca, reached from the city of Arica, and Parque Nacional Volcán Isluga, reached from Iquique.

South of Santiago, the chief appeal of the lush Central Valley is its swaths of orchards and vineyards, dotted with stately haciendas, while further south, the famous, much-visited Lake District presents a picture-postcard landscape of perfect, conical volcanoes (including the exquisite Volcán Osorno), iris-blue lakes, rolling pastureland and dense native forests, perfect for hiking. A short ferry ride from Puerto Montt, at the southern edge of the Lake District, the Chiloé archipelago is a quiet, rural backwater, famous for its rickety houses on stilts, old wooden churches and rich local mythology. Back on the mainland, south of Puerto Montt, the Carretera Austral – a 1000km-long unpaved "highway" – carves its way through virgin temperate rainforest and past dramatic fjords, one of which is the embarkation point for a two-hundred-kilometre boat trip out to the sensational Laguna San Rafael glacier. Beyond the Carretera Austral, cut off by the Campo de Hielo Sur (southern ice field) lies Southern Patagonia, a country of bleak windswept plains bordered by the magnificent granite spires of the Torres del Paine massif, Chile’s single most famous attraction, and a magnet for hikers and climbers. Just over the easily crossed border in Argentina are two of the region’s star attractions: the Fitz Roy Sector in the north of the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, a favourite for trekkers and climbers, and, to the south, the awe-inspiring Glaciar Perito Moreno. Across the Magellan Strait, Tierra del Fuego, shared with Argentina, sits shivering at the bottom of the world, a remote land of a harsh, desolate beauty.

Finally, there are Chile’s two Pacific possessions: remote Easter Island, famed for its mysterious statues and fascinating prehistoric culture; and the little-visited Isla Robinson Crusoe, part of the Juan Fernández Archipelago, sporting dramatic volcanic peaks covered with dense vegetation.

WHEN TO GO

The north of the country can be comfortably visited at any time of year, though if you’re planning to rent a 4WD and tour the altiplano, note that the unpredictable weather phenomenon known as the Bolivian Winter (or invierno altiplánico) can produce heavy, sporadic rainfall between December and February (the height of summer), washing away roads and disrupting communications.

In the centre and south of the country, you should avoid the months of June to September (unless you plan to go skiing), when heavy snowfall often blocks access to the mountains, including many national parks. The peak summer months are January and February, but as accommodation rates and crowds increase in equal measure, you’d be better off coming in November, December or March, when the weather is often just as good.