Banos Morales, Cajon del Maipo near Santiago de Chile

The guidebooks don't do it justice. Lonely Planet, Let’s Go - they all do a poor job of, well, guiding you to and from the town of Cajon del Maipo, which is just outside Santiago de Chile. So unless you have specific directions, arriving there can be an adventure.

Unless, of course, you let me guide the way:

Getting from Santiago to Banos Morales in Cajon del Maipo
Truth be told, there aren't many options. But making lemonade out of this lemon, I'll point out that the journey is very straightforward. The only public transportation that goes all the way to the town is a bus leaving every morning at 7:00am from Estacion Central. If you miss the bus, don't worry - you can take a number of other buses that head toward Cajon del Maipo and stop at Banos Morales, then continue in a shared taxi, also known as a colectivo. The price of the bus is about five dollars, which you pay for on the bus, and the ride takes about three hours. Do note that part of the trip can be windy and bumpy, but that just adds to the excitement.

Even more exciting, of course, is that bus is not in the best condition, and, even if you tired in the morning, its stiff, upright seats defy even the soundest sleepers. But that's the worst of it. I'd still say Cajon del Maipo's sweet location just above Santiago makes it an absolutely ideal destination for a weekend getaway.

So once you get into the general region of Cajon del Maipo, you'll encounter the small pueblo of Banos Morales. The town itself is little more than a collection of ramshackle cabins and camping areas, but there are enough facilities to accommodate people who just want to go on a day hike, as well as hard-core mountaineers looking for adventure travel in the Andes. You can find hand drawn maps at local hostels and cheap places to stay in Banos Morales, such as the Refugio El Volcan, which is located just outside of town.

At this point I've done a lot of hiking in Chile, and I've found it mostly to be an incredibly beautiful experience, everywhere I go. That said, the hiking spots just outside of Banos Morales are really exceptional - if you're in to hiking, you've just found your jackpot. Banos Morales is one of best places to hike, explore and get a close up and personal with the glaciers of the Andes - and again, it's all just a stone's throw away from the big, capital city of Santiago.

By far most easy-access place for hiking near Banos Morales is the Monumento Natural El Morado Natural Park. This park features a breathtaking slice of the canyon that takes you to the spectacular San Francisco Glacier - to get there you get to pass the stunning Laguna El Morado. The hiking trail is moderately difficult and quite steep at parts - fortunately, the bulk of the trail is only slightly inclined.

Indeed, once you get up the steepest part of the trail and get away from the town, you feel totally free from the trappings of urban life and Santiago smog. While trudging along the trail, don’t forget to look around at the beautiful grasslands, the plentiful wild flowers and the lazy river trickling by. The real treat is when you reach the end of the trail and the cool breeze coming off the mountains and the breathtaking view beckon you to sit and absorb the surroundings. To reach the San Francisco glacier will take about 2.5 hours (four hours roundtrip) and is approximately eight kilometers. If this kind of beauty doesn't make you peak, then you'll need to go for more extreme adventure, which is readily available in Cajon del Maipo. Ask around about difficult hikes in the area, as well as rock climbing and mountaineering.

Not a big hiker? Don't worry. Horseback riding is, I mean, HUGE in Chile, and Cajon del Maipo is no exception. Anyone who enjoys horseback riding can easily negotiate a price with any of the guys hanging out in the area right where the bus drops you off in town (Banos Morales, that is).

So, you've enjoyed your day hiking in Cajon del Maipo. You're slightly tanned and somewhat thirsty and, mostly, you wanna fall into your bed and clonk out. Not so fast! If you're not staying overnight, and you've just made a daytrip out of it, then you still need to get back down into town!

Transportation from Cajon del Maipo to Santiago, Chile
Don't be late, or else you're stuck for the night. There is only one daily bus back to town, which leaves at 6:00 p.m.

So enjoy the beauty of the Andes, as well as the reduced crowds of the fall around scenic Banos Morales this weekend.

Here is some more important info that you should know about:

Pay a small fee for entrance to the park. Camping is available in or outside the park along with rustic lodges. Food is limited in the town, and there aren’t any services in the park except one toilet, so bringing food is the best option. Remember to bring plenty of water and sunscreen because the sun is much stronger than in the city, and the altitude will dehydrate you quicker than you would expect.

Aconcagua, Chile Mountain Climbing

Although the summit is located in Argentina many mountaineers set off from Santiago, therefore justifying its inclusion in this site. This majestic mountain has won the highest mountain competition between many South American countries; Chile, Bolivia and Argentina have all claimed to have the highest mountain, and maps in these countries actually back up their claims. Aconcagua, at 6980 meters (22,800ft), sits just north of the international highway between Santiago and Mendoza, Argentina, and its snowy peak is visible from the road.

The highest mountain in the western hemisphere, Aconcagua has a relatively easy "Normal Route" that has been climbed by many novice climbers. It also has many extremely technical routes up its daunting south face that challenges the most experienced mountaineers in the world. Many international trekking companies offer packaged tours with guides, though the mountain is easily attempted by climbers with experience and a little research. Ascents are normally done in 15-25 days, with many rest days for acclimatization. Although it is possible to climb quicker if one is in excellent shape; I climbed it in 11 days via the Polish Glacier Route after preparing on several high Chilean peaks. It is truly an expedition climb, with a long access (2 days hiking for the Normal Route and 3 days and 55 kms for the Polish Glacier Route simply to arrive at base camp). One can expect to see Andean condors riding the air currents overhead and wild guanacos (a relative of the llama) grazing on the steep slopes all valleys on the approach.

Although Aconcagua has a reputation as an easy mountain, it is still an extremely tall mountain (only Asia has higher peaks) and poses all of the dangers of high altitude mountaineering: altitude sickness, dangerous weather, extreme cold (it was -20 degrees C inside our tent at high camp!), distant medical services and very limited rescue options. Do not take any mountain over 5000 meters (16,500ft) lightly, especially not one that nearly reaches 7000 meters (23,000ft)!!!

Do not attempt this mountain if you are not in good physical condition- doctors at thr Plaza de Mulas base camp (Normal Route) have begun questioning perspective climbers and refusing permission to climb for those unprepared.

Climbing permits are required and can be obtained in Mendoza, Argentina, see prices here. Mules can be hired to carry equipment to base camp (highly recommended) on the Normal Route and, for a higher price, going to the the Polish Glacier. It may be possible to get better prices if you talk directly to the mule drivers and not go through their bosses who take a large cut of the money. However, this runs the risk of losing some equipment to untrustworthy multeers.

Valle de Elqui

The pink bus screeched to a halt. An elderly, roly-poly woman waddled down the stairs, beamed a huge smile, took my hands in hers, blessed me and offered to take us to La Serena for 1,000 pesos. As we heaved our rucksacks into the bus I noticed its name in discreet lettering by the door: "El Misionero" ("The Missionary"). Sitting in the driver's seat was a man I assumed to be the woman's husband, accompanied by their daughter.

It was lunchtime, and as soon as we had settled down, the woman took the lid off a huge casserole dish wedged onto the front seat and ladled out enormous helpings of the typical Chilean dish of stewed black beans (called porotos).

Over lunch, she explained that the family were evangelists. They were traveling to spend some time with relatives just outside La Serena, and were charging a small fee to any hitchhikers tired of waiting by the roadside and being frazzled by the sun. Only business wasn't great - we remained the only two passengers on the dilapidated bus throughout the three-hour journey from Vallenar.

Time was of the essence, so Papa didn't stop to eat his beans. He just went on driving at the same steady speed while his daughter tucked a napkin into his collar, balanced a full bowl on the steering wheel and placed a spoon in his hand. We watched him, mesmerized, as he spooned up the mouthfuls, never once taking his eyes from the road. The girl hovered around adding extra salt and pouring him Coca-Cola whenever he grunted a request.

Meanwhile, Momma had disappeared into the back of the bus to wash the other plates. No one realized she was locked in the tiny toilet until half an hour later when the daughter remembered her existence and jumped up screaming "Mama!" The key had fallen out of the door, so we all got down on our hands and knees, and scrabbled about for it on the spotlessly clean floor. All except Papa, that is, who simply plodded on along the seemingly endless road to La Serena.

This is where the desert starts. Although dry and parched in comparison to the Central Region of Chile, sudden patches of pink, violet and yellow flowers refreshed my eyes which, after a couple of days around Bahia Inglesa further up north, felt as if they had been burnt dry by the sun's reflection off the white sand and aqua-blue water.

You'll find larger expanses of flowers by turning off the main road down any of the dirt tracks, which eventually lead to random, remote hamlets. It's definitely worth venturing off because many of the delicate flowers don't bloom by the side of the main road, where the high fume levels from the continuous traffic discourage their growth. One of the most beautiful flowers is called the "the virgin's tears," and, suitably, its lilac head droops sadly downwards.

Dropping down into La Serena, the clouds of mist coming in off the sea were a welcoming, cooling sight. They are obviously a regular feature of the port town, as the locals told us, "Oh, it's always cloudy here."

In town, beyond the parade of trendy, modern clothes shops, there is a large hall full of little stalls dedicated to the more traditional handicrafts of the region, including dried fruit, woven baskets and soft, hand-knitted jumpers. After stocking up on dried papaya, apples and figs, and buying huge mushroom-shaped straw hats to keep the sun off, we got on the road to the renowned Valle de Elqui.

Famed for UFOs, hippie communes, spiritual groups, pisco and one of Chile's most famous poets, Gabriela Mistral, the valley is about an hour and a half by car from La Serena. Weeping willows and greenness follow the course of the river and barren, steep hillsides shoot up away from it, eventually leading to snow-capped peaks in the distance.

For those wanting to renew their visa, and avoid the Mendoza-run, the Argentinean border is a three-day horse trek away from Elqui's village of Monte Grande. This is the last biggish village in the valley and is where Mistral was a school teacher. There is a small museum dedicated to the Nobel Prize-winning poet and an imposing statue of her in its plaza. Her grave is a short walk up the hill away from the center of town.

Up until five years ago it was possible to camp anywhere along the valley, but unfortunately the rubbish left by inconsiderate campers means the entire valley has now been closed off, and it's difficult to free camp anywhere. Instead there are campsites and cabanas of varying degrees of luxury, and an ecological vibe which is only taken seriously by some property owners. Eco-friendly cabins run on solar energy and have sewage cleaning systems, whilst others simply let sewage run into the ground, from where it presumably runs into the river.

Not a pleasant thought for either the environment or for the bathers who dare the icy waters of the river to complete the valley's ritual blood-cleansing exercise. This involves jumping into the rocky stream seven times and in-between each session letting the sun dry you until you feel hot, before jumping back in again. The recommendation from one valley dweller who convinced me he lives by the ritual is not to include your head - the water is so cold that the temperature change merely gives you a headache rather than achieving any beneficial effects. Personally, I wouldn't know - I chickened out and simply bathed in the sun.