Cerro Castor is said to be the best skiing in Argentina, and it’s just 30 minutes’ drive on a paved road from Ushuaia, the undisputed capital of Tierra del Fuego, the large island at the tip of the South American continent, that is divided between Chile and Argentina.

The Geysers at El Tatio are one of the most exciting, unique and photogenic spots in the north of Chile. They are visited from the small desert outpost town of San Pedro de Atacama, the seat of tourism for Chile’s part of the Atacama desert, the driest in the world. The village is small and easily walkable, and is a great jumping-off point for visits to the El Tatio geysers, the Valle de La Luna (moon valley), salt lakes (where you can see flamingos) and hot springs.

Puerto Montt is the last city in continental Chile before a series of islands and fjords take over. It is the jumping-off point to Chiloé, with its iconic wooden churches and the starting point for several cruises, including one to Puerto Natales, to access Chile’s Torres del Paine national park, and to the entire lakes region. It’s a lively port city, with most of the commerce taking place down by the water, and most people living further up its steep hills.

You’d think that a country with 3,000 miles of coastline would have some great surfing. And you’d be absolutely correct. Chile is known for having the longest left break in South America, and hosts a big wave surfing championship in Pichilemu’s Punta de Lobos when the weather’s right.

From the dry north that gives Chile the the olives and olive oil that flavor food around the world, to the central region, where most of the agricultural powerhouse of the country is located, to various valleys that produce some of the best wine grapes in the world, to the long coastline, including the icy waters of Patagonia and the seafood that is fished from it, Chile has a tremendous amount of variety to bring to the table.

Viña del Mar, known as Chile’s garden city, is a short drive from the capital of Santiago.

Packing well for Chilean and Argentine Patagonia can mean the difference between a toasty, cozy trip and a freezing, windblown time, or between a smattering of freckles across the bridge of your nose and a full-on raccoon tan from the strong sun.

In a country like Chile, with 3,000 miles of coastline, you might imagine a tropical paradise, palm-fringed, white-sand beaches with long stretches of sand. In a word, yes. And no.

You might think that for New Year’s Eve, the place to be in Chile would be Santiago. While there are (not insubstantial) fireworks (fuegos artificiales ) in Santiago, the biggest party of the year takes place out on the coast, in Valparaíso, Chile, just seventy miles away.

Chiloé is the large island about two thirds of the way down skinny Chile. Chiloé is the largest of the islands that break off the continent at that point, and is often referred to in Spanish as the “large island of Chiloé” (la gran isla de Chiloé). Historically, many people living there work in the fishing industry or in maritime security, but tourism, the markets and restaurants are also growing.

As you might imagine, there is no giant ice-skating rink with a big Christmas tree in the middle in Santiago, Chile at Christmas time.