Luxury holidays in Zona Sur

Chile's Zona Sur is a real adventurist’s playground, full of snow-capped volcanoes, majestic lakes and tracts of fern-filled forest. Intense volcanic activity has hewn the landscape into mountainous peaks and deep, water-filled troughs, including what's now known as the Chilean Lake District. Ranging from cerulean blue to aquamarine, these beautiful bodies of water are often bordered by forested hills or conical volcanoes that rise up from the water’s edge at dramatic angles. Of the region’s cities, don’t miss Valdivia, once the main port for German immigrants arriving in the country. Flocking to Southern Chile in droves during the 1800s, the German community has had a lasting effect on the city’s food, architecture and, of course, the beer. The Lake District is home to a number of German-run craft breweries and bars, some of them in the same family for generations. The city even has its own version of Oktoberfest, the Bierfest Valdivia, held in either January or February each year.

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Areas in Zona Sur

When to go

Summer in Chile is from December to February, which is the ideal – and most popular – time visit the Zona Sur. If you’re hoping for fewer crowds and don’t mind slightly lower temperatures, then the shoulder seasons (September to November and March to May) should serve you well.

Getting there

  • Planes

    You can fly to just about all the airports in the Zona Sur from Santiago’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport.
  • Automobiles

    Having your own car can be very handy for exploring remote areas, but hiring can be quite a pricey affair once you add in the 19% tax, petrol and insurance. If you do want to hire, the Smith24 team can arrange it.