On any map of South America the long narrow outline of Chile invariably catches the eye - a geographical anomaly nearly 5,000 kilometres long, but only 150 kilometres wide! It lies on the west coast of South America, trapped between the mountains of the high Andes on one side and the cold waters of the Pacific on the other. The far north holds the world's driest desert, the Atacama, whereas the deep south has the vast cold steppe of Patagonia, topped by glaciers and fringed with deep fjords, and in between are vast areas of temperate forest.

The varied topography and climatic range create an astonishing mosaic of contrasting habitats and ecosystems, populated by a correspondingly diverse range of plants, animals and birds. Of the 30 or so national parks along the length of the country, many are places of immense natural beauty, but often in comparatively remote and inaccessible locations, and with little infrastructure for visitors, but those you can explore are extemely rewarding.