Chile

Preposterously thin and unreasonably long, Chile stretches from the belly of South America to its foot, reaching from the driest desert on earth to vast southern glacial fields. Diverse landscapes unfurl over this 4000 mile stretch: parched dunes, fertile valleys, volcanoes, ancient forests, massive glaciers and fjords. There's wonder in every detail and nature on a symphonic scale. For the traveler, it's mind-boggling to find this great wilderness so intact. In Chile, adventure is what happens on the way to having an adventure. Between the Pacific Ocean and the Andean range is the driest place on the planet. You may explore the Atacama Desert’s huge sand dunes, salt pans, impressive volcanoes and cloudless skies.  Soaring almost vertically above the Patagonian steppe, the granite pillars of Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) dominate the landscape of South America's finest national park. Part of Unesco's Biosphere Reserve system since 1978, this 1600-sq-mile park is, however, much more than its one greatest hit. Its diversity of landscapes range from teal and azure lakes to emerald forests, roaring rivers and that one big, radiant blue glacier. Guanacos roam the vast open steppe, while Andean condors soar alongside looming peaks. 3000 miles to the east, lies mystical Easter Island. Few areas in the world possess a more mystical pull than this tiny speck of land, one of the most isolated places on Earth. Endowed with the most logic-defying statues on the planet – the strikingly familiar moai – Easter Island (Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian inhabitants) emanates a magnetic, mysterious vibe.