CHILE CULTURAL SAFARI

A unique opportunity to learn and live a close up experience with cultural manifestations of Chile’s distinctive heritage that has seen and suffered multiple changes centuries before the Spanish colonization. In this incursion through the fertile lands of the southern part of the country, you’ll be able to witness natural and cultural treasures that prevail thanks to countless efforts of what remains from the Indigenous population. Enjoy this intercultural exchange through numerous manifestations and expressions of life, sharing with the daily chores and lives of the local communities, their beliefs and customs that they’ve managed to keep alive in the modern world.

Day 1

Our Journey straight to the heart of the south of Chile starts just a few hours from Santiago: hacienda Los lingues. This colonial-style residence, tucked away in the Andes, is set amidst tropical gardens. Covered galleries lead to its beautiful guest rooms, hung with old paintings and decorated with period furniture. Amidst this ancestral family home's exquisite crystal, porcelain and superb wines. The Hacienda has been renowned for its thoroughbred stud farm, the oldest in the Americas, since 1760. During our visit at the hacienda we’ll also be able to appreciate its fine and well known cuisine. Fresh and Chilean are the adjectives for the key ingredients, and the result is country gourmet. After lunch, everyone adjourns, at least for awhile, to the Smoking room for an after lunch drink.

Continuing our journey our next stop, where we’ll be able to learn a bit more about Chilean History, is the city of Chillán, cradle of many national heroes, legends and other important figures of the art world. After taking a glimpse of the city we’ll check in our hotel and prepare ourselves for a nice dinner treat in one of the traditional restaurants in town.

Day 2

Life in Chillan starts early each morning. A short visit to the traditional open – air Market will delight our senses and leave a clear illustration of daily life in most of the Chilean cities located south of Santiago.  Our last stop will be at the O’higgins monument & park, where Chile’s national heroe and main figure of its Independence rests.

Continuing our trip after a delicious lunch in the town of Victoria, we reach Temuco, Gateway of the Lake District set in the heart of the Mapuche homeland considered still a market town for

Traditional Mapuche crafts in silver and wood. It’s also known as one of the most important growing cities of the country. A short visit to the local museum will give us a first insight about the Mapuche culture and will help us understand their struggle to maintain alive in a society that has constantly persecuted them. Our visit to the city will also help us create an impression of the way cities like Temuco have managed to overcome the difficulties of being located far from the main industrial and commercial regions.

After this short but intensive visit of the city we’ll continue towards the bustling town of Pucon located in the Villarrica district, a pretty resort town situated on Lake Villarrica with the volcano a looming backdrop. Pucón is the focus of the Lake District’s adventure tourism industry and is a growing mecca for hikers, kayakers, white-water rafters, windsurfers and mountain bikers.

After checking in our hotel we’ll please our appetite with some lovely cooked food from one of the local restaurants.

Day 3

Today will be dedicated to discover and learn about the arts and traditions left by the Mapuches, Chile’s largest indigenous group. As we venture through beautiful sceneries formed by mountains, volcanoes, native forests, waterfalls, rivers and lakes we will visit different communities around the Villarrica district that nourishes the area with cultural treasures thanks to what still can be preserved by the indigenous population, people that still keep and practice some of their ancestral traditions.

Back in Pucon, we’ll have the afternoon free for those who’d like to catch up with some shopping at many of the handicraft shops located in town, or simply relax and stroll around the lake to observe the magnificent presence of the Villarrica Volcano.

Day 4

After a lovely breakfast at the hotel we’ll journey towards the coastal district where we can find a more diverse and stronger presence of the Indigenous population. Our ride will take us through many colourful villages until we reach Lake Budi, declared Area of Indigenous Development. Acknowledged to be an important historical territory it is home to nearly 110 Mapuche communities where it is still possible to hear mapudungun (mapuche language) and see most of its traditions and customs. Here we will introduce ourselves into one of the communities to have a once in a lifetime experience living amongst a typical Mapuche community where we’ll blend in and participate or just watch their distinctive way of life.

After this insight of the Mapuche community we’ll head back to Temuco to catch some rest before our return trip to Santiago.

Day 5

Our last day will not be absent of surprises. Our journey back to Santiago will start with what is known as the Conquistadores Route. This route is known to have been taken by the Spanish conquerors during their incursions of the south country. Along the way we’ll be able to see some colorful villages that were founded by the Spaniards but with much difficulty caused by the resistance that the Mapuche and Araucarian Indians set up against the colonization

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After bidding farewell to this unique experience, our van will start its return trip to Santiago full of memorable moments and a broader vision of Chile’s past, present and future.

NOTE

Southworld Adventours is keen on the preservation and on contributing with the Sustainable Tourism of the Areas that are visited. This commitment will be through retaining 5% of the amount payed by the tourist who took the Cultural Safari Tour, amount which will be deposited in the Ancestral Culture and Nature of Lake Budi Project bank account with the objective to preserve the culture and the traditions of this area, and one of the oldest living cultures of the world, and thus to present it to the coming generations, sustaining itself in time.