In Chile, you can experience an infinite number of adventures. From gliding through trees on a canopy tour to exploring challenging landscapes in a 4x4, there are different activities available throughout the country for every type of adventurer.
Below, we present what to do and where to enjoy experiences such as horseback riding, canyoning, sandboarding, canopy tours, overland 4x4, and bicycle touring.
Canopy Tours
Thanks to its varied geography, Chile offers multiple destinations for canopy tours. If you don't know what it is, this activity consists of sliding through cables suspended between platforms, which are generally installed in trees or aerial structures.
To slide, you will be attached to a harness connected to the cable, which allows you to get from one side to the other at high speed. If you would like to enjoy this experience, here are two unmissable places.
Cajón del Maipo
A few kilometers from Santiago, in the Cajón del Maipo is the famous “Cascada de las Ánimas”, the most outstanding place to go on a canopy tour near the capital, offering impressive views of the Andes, crystalline rivers, and forests. You can live a unique visual experience while contemplating the majesty of the mountain.
- Approximate price: Between $30 and $50 USD depending on the type of circuit.
- Check out an itinerary through the Cajón del Maipo here.
Huilo Huilo
Located in the heart of the Valdivian jungle, the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve has another well-known canopy circuit. It is a magical destination that crosses dense native forests, with giant trees such as coigües and lengas. Its platforms are strategically located next to the trees, with circuits that include up to 12 stations, with distances ranging from 50 to 500 meters.
- Approximate price: Between $40 and $60 USD per person, depending on the season and the type of circuit.
- Find official information on the Huilo Huilo Reserve here.
Overland 4X4
One of the favorite activities of adventure and motor enthusiasts. Overland 4x4 involves driving off-road vehicles through challenging environments, allowing you to explore remote corners where nature expresses itself in a wilder way. In Chile, you can rent vehicles and experience a fascinating journey on four wheels, discovering an immensity of landscapes that are not forgotten.
Below, we show you some destinations where you can enjoy this adventure in the middle of nature.
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is one of the most extreme and fascinating places to practice overland 4x4. Its arid and isolated landscapes, with dunes, salt flats, volcanoes, and rock formations, make it a fascinating destination. It is an area that requires special driving skills since the roads can be sandy, rocky, and sometimes even non-existent, with extreme climatic conditions and heights exceeding 5,000 meters above sea level.
- Approximate price: Renting a 4x4 vehicle in San Pedro de Atacama can cost from $100 to $200 USD. Meanwhile, guided tours of 5 to 7 days cost between $1,800 to $4,000 dollars in total, depending on the services and itineraries.
- Discover the must-sees of the Atacama Desert here.
Carretera Austral
The Carretera Austral is one of the most iconic and challenging routes to go on an overland 4x4 in Chile. With more than 1,240 kilometers in length, you can travel through the most remote and little-explored locations of Chilean Patagonia, crossing a mixture of paved roads and gravel sections that will challenge you to the maximum at the controls of the vehicle.
- Approximate price: Renting a 4x4 vehicle on the Carretera Austral can cost from $100 to $200 USD per day. Meanwhile, guided tours cost between $1,500 to $3000 USD in total, depending on the services and itineraries.
- Organize your visit to the Carretera Austral here.
Horseback Riding
Chile offers endless places to go on a quiet horseback ride. This activity will allow you to explore nature in a magical way on this noble animal, connecting deeply with the culture and history of the regions you visit. Here we tell you about some of the places with the most famous horseback rides in our country.
Patagonia
Covering the regions of Aysén and Magallanes, this is the cradle of the "gaucho" culture and the territory of the "baqueanos". Horseback riding here allows you to travel through extensive pampas, native forests, and skirt turquoise rivers, fjords, and glaciers. The circuits in the Torres del Paine National Park and in the surroundings of Cerro Castillo are world famous, offering a total connection with the untamed nature of the end of the world.
- Approximate price: Between $70 to $170 USD per person.
- Plan your visit to Torres del Paine here.
Conguillío National Park
Located in the La Araucanía Region, the Conguillío National Park is a magical place to go horseback riding. You will travel through forests of ancient araucaria trees, turquoise lakes, and ancient lava flows with the imposing Llaima Volcano in the background, in an experience that combines adventure and serenity.
- Approximate price: Between $40 to $60 USD per person.
- Find information about the Andean Araucanía here.
Canyoning
Canyoning combines the exploration of canyons with the descent through rivers and waterfalls. Its practice takes you through natural landscapes, in which you will walk, swim, jump, and rappel down. It is an experience full of adrenaline and that requires not being afraid of getting wet, since you will come across waterfalls, natural slides, and pools of water. Discover here where to live this adventure!
Cajón del Maipo
In the Cajón del Maipo, you will find one of the best places for canyoning in Chile. Located a few kilometers from Santiago, here you can descend through the Manzano Canyon, on a route that includes jumps, natural slides, and rappels of up to 25 meters in height. Its different levels of difficulty make it the perfect destination for both beginners and experienced adventurers.
- Approximate price: Between $50 to $90 USD per person, depending on the duration and difficulty.
- Discover how to get to the Cajón del Maipo here.
Pucón
In Pucón is the Palguín Canyon, one of the most popular places for canyoning. Located in the middle of the forest, this geological formation has a combination of waterfalls, slides, and natural pools, offering an impressive adventure that requires good physical condition, confidence in heights, and knowing how to swim or feeling comfortable in the water.
- Approximate price: From $25 USD onwards, depending on the services to be contracted.
- Check official tourism information in Pucón here.
Sandboarding
Similar to snowboarding in the snow, sandboarding is an extreme sport that will allow you to slide down sand dunes on a board. With impressive deserts, the geography of Chile offers some of the best places in the world to do this activity. And the best thing is that it can be practiced throughout the year!
Concón
In the Valparaíso Region and just one hour from Santiago you will find the Concón Dunes. There, you can enjoy an unforgettable sandboarding experience with views of the Pacific Ocean, being one of the most accessible and popular destinations for its practice. Within the same area you can rent the boards and go to instructors to enjoy an afternoon sliding through the sand.
- Approximate price: Renting a board costs about $20 USD per day, while there are guided experiences from $30 to $50 USD.
- Discover how to get to this area.
Sea of Dunes
About 50 kilometers from Copiapó is the Sea of Dunes, considered one of the best dune fields for sandboarding in South America. Located in the heart of the Atacama Desert, this place is home to the "El Medanoso" dune, the highest in Chile. Its imposing slopes and the quality of the sand make it a world-class destination for the most adventurous.
- Approximate price: Guided tours, which usually include transportation and instruction, range from $50 to $80 USD per person.
- More information on the Sea of Dunes here.
Bicycle Touring
Explore Chile on two wheels! Bicycle touring focuses on enjoying the landscapes, culture, and local experiences while you pedal. And it can be done independently, carrying all the equipment, or with logistical support that organizes accommodation and luggage transport. Are you interested? Here we tell you the best places to rent a bicycle and have a unique trip.
Carretera Austral
It is one of the most emblematic destinations for bicycle touring. This route of more than 1,200 km (from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins) offers impressive landscapes of mountains, millenary forests, and rivers. It is a physical and mental challenge, with unpaved sections, but the reward is a total connection with the virgin nature of the extreme south.
- Approximate price: The rental of a bicycle equipped for bicycle touring (with racks and saddlebags) costs between $28 and $40 USD per day. Organized tours (10-14 days) range from $1,500 to $3,000 USD.
- Discover how to tour Patagonia on an E-bike here.
Colchagua Valley
Located near Santiago, this valley in the O’Higgins Region is ideal for wine and gastronomy lovers, since you can pedal along quiet roads surrounded by vineyards, visit wineries, and do tastings. Unlike the Carretera Austral, it is a less demanding, more relaxed route with excellent tourist infrastructure.
- Approximate price: Bicycle rental for the day costs between $18 and $27 USD, while guided tours for the day (which include rental and tastings) range from $50 to $100 USD.
- Discover how to get to the Colchagua Valley here.
