MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean Patagonia in the 2012 top ten travel destinations of the New York Times

The island of Chiloé is also included, but with the strong suggestion to visit it now

Chile has been included in the New York Times’ list of top travel destinations in 2012, with Chilean Patagonia in 8th place, and Chiloé in 37th place out of a total of 45.

Chilean Patagonia was included on the list as “proof that adventure doesn’t have to mean roughing it,” now that various lodges have been built near Chile’s national parks offering comfortable to luxurious accommodation alongside a number of activities from heli-skiing to horseback riding.

Meanwhile, it is the natural beauty and the numerous UNESCO heritage sites, (such as the Torres del Paine National Park) combined with the recent investment in infrastructure on the island that is already baring fruitful results, which make Chiloé Island a destination worth visiting in 2012.

Even ranked 37 the island of Chiloé, in an area where it seems “the soil has been bashed by a gigantic club” (because of the insular territory), has an unusual wild life and an incredible natural beauty.

“So far Chiloé has been an exclusive escape for Chileans but president Sebastian Piñera has plans to share the island with the rest of the world” with a huge investment in infrastructure including roads, terminals and an airport for direct flights from Santiago, says the NYT.
But the article also mentions the project for a massive five-dam hydroelectric system in the Chilean Patagonia that could have an impact on migrating birds, penguins and whales, a message that could be interpreted as saying “now is the moment to travel”

The Chilean travel recommendations come just a year after the capital city of Santiago topped the list as the New York Times’ number one world travel destination in 2011.

This year, Panama was named as the number one destination due to its numerous development projects in place and the transformation it has seen in its economy, and consequently its skyline, since it regained control of its canal 12 years ago.

Other Latin American destinations included in the list were Cuba’s capital Havana, Puebla in Mexico, Paraty in Brazil, and Nosara in Costa Rica. However the list was mainly dominated by European destinations, with 14 entries between the UK, France, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Ukraine and Russia.