When to Go

Most Chileans not on holiday on the Central Coast head here during southern Chile's glorious summer, between December and March. For fishermen, the official fishing season commences the second Friday of November and runs through the first Sunday of May. Visiting during the off-season is no hardship, though, and lodging prices drop dramatically. An increasing number of Santiaguinos flee the capital in winter to enjoy the Lake District's brisk, clear air or to ski and snowboard down volcanoes and Andean hills.