Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Chile Travel
From a cosmopolitan capital (Santiago) set against the Andes, a desert where the night sky feels close enough to touch, to vast Patagonian parks that safeguard wild silence, Chile is a very special place!
In episode nine of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie sit down with Jessica Canelo, Marketing Director at Chile Travel, to share an inspiring discussion on traveling Chile in 2026. From what to see on your first trip, how to move between regions amd why community-led sustainability underpins every decision, this conversation with Jessicareally brings Chile to life.
We begin in Santiago, a city in the midst of reinvention. Walkable neighborhoods like Barrio Italia invite long meals and late nights, while the historic funicular to Cerro San Cristóbal delivers sweeping views that link city and mountains. From the capital, Chile opens outward with nearby wine valleys Maipo, Colchagua, Casablanca, and Leyda. From benchmark cabernets to crisp coastal whites and the revival of heritage grapes like país and cinsault. Carmenere (once mistaken for Merlot) now stands proudly as Chile’s signature, perfectly paired with smoky asados and Pacific seafood.
Our discussion and journey stretches in every direction. We head north to the Atacama Desert, where San Pedro’s oasis culture balances cycling routes, sunrise valleys, geothermal wonders, and stargazing so pristine that observatories like ALMA peer deep into the universe. Jessica shares with us that the desert bloom transforms arid landscapes into fields of color. We talk about Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a five hour flight across open ocean, where the moai stand watch and the Tapati festival keeps cultural identity deeply rooted in everyday life. Then we travel south to Patagonia, where Dan share’s his recent cycling adventures with CicloAustral and visiting Torres del Paine’s where granite towers rise above turquoise lakes and expanding parklands protect fragile ecosystems, continuing the conservation legacy championed by Kris and Douglas Tompkins.
We finish by discussing why Chile in 2026? Jessica highlights the expanded airline routes rom North America which brings Chile closer than ever, their harvest season which offers a vibrant winter escape for northern travelers, and September’s Independence celebrations fill the country with music, food, and open-armed hospitality. In a year of Transformative Travel it’s clear that Chile is a top pick as this destination invites travelers to slow down, explore deeper, and feel more.
Be sure to join us next Tuesday for the finale of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series. Don’t forget to cecome a member at travelzoo.com to access exclusive offers.
