Diversity in Chile
Leisure
Chile has an almost entirely European culture. Santiago has the usual range of restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres etc. of any European city, at reasonable prices. The Bellavista area offers many folk-music centres. Hotels will have lists of current events.
The environs of Santiago offer mountaineering, skiing, walking and riding. Other sports are played in clubs, to which it may be possible to get admitted temporarily. Some hotels have swimming-pools. Travel by air or bus is easy and (by the latter) cheap to such areas of natural beauty as the coast, southern lakes and northern desert. The Torres del Paine National Park in the extreme South, and the Laguna San Rafael glacier, are extraordinarily beautiful.
Language
Spanish is of course the native language of at least ninety five per cent of Chileans. The rest, recent immigrants or native Indigenes, nearly all understand it. English is fairly widely understood, especially among academics of all disciplines. French, German and Italian are also spoken. If you have time to acquire at least a smattering of Spanish before your visit this will prove a good investment.
Climate
The northern area includes one of the driest deserts in the world. The climate is much the same all the year round: dry, sunny and spring-like but with mists and cloud near the sea. At high altitudes it is cold. Because of the Humboldt current, which cools down all Chilean waters, there is no real tropical weather even in the area within the tropics. The central zone has a Mediterranean climate, cooled down by the Humboldt current and the Andes. Nights are often considerably colder than days. In summer the variation is between thirty three and ten degrees C; in the winter between sixteen and minus 1 degrees C. The southern zone is temperate to cold with a great deal of rain. In the extreme South :Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego: a cold wind blows for much of the time.
Clothing
Roughly as in Britain but in reverse (i.e. winter is June to August). In summer tropical wear is possible in daytime; but remember the temperature drops at night. In the South prepare for rain and, in the extreme South bone-chilling wind. Chileans tend to dress slightly more formally than the British. Middle class women are very fashion conscious. Suits for men and cocktail dresses for women are standard for evening occasions.
Security
As in most cities worldwide, care should be taken in city centres, particularly after dark, when ill-lit sidestreets and parks should be avoided. The port of Valparaíso has a particularly high incidence of pickpockets and muggers, and there is evidence that people leaving the major international hotels on foot are targetted. Avoid carrying unnecessary valuables around with you (use hotel safe), and if you are unlucky, hand them over without resistance.
Visitors should check the FCO travel advice for Chile shortly before arrival. (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/frontpage).
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