Top Reasons to Go to The Southern Coast

Scenery: The Carretera Austral, a dusty dirt road blazed through southern Chile by Augusto Pinochet, has opened up one of the most beautiful places in the world to tourists. Rent a four-wheel-drive truck or jeep, or bring a mountain bike, and soak it all in.

Glaciers: To watch a chunk of ice break off the glaciers near Mount San Valentín, and fall with a thundering splash into the lake below, is reason enough for a trip to Laguna San Rafael National Park (which has 19 different glaciers).

Fishing: Fly-fishing fanatics were among the first to explore this area thoroughly. You'll be able to step right outside your door for great fishing at any number of lodges. A short boat trip will bring you to isolated spots where you won't run into another soul for the entire day.

Rafting and Kayaking: The Futalefeu River is Class V-plus. That's raft speak for very fast-moving water. In fact, this river is considered one of the fastest in the world.