South America Travel

Falling in Love with Santiago’s Barrio Italia

Photography by Samantha Demangate A still haze lingers over the Andes Mountains. It’s 90° F and there’s little humidity. Blaring reggaetón hooks fade away as cars race by the crowded avenues. The comforting squeaks of Burrowing Parrots harmonize with the hammering of furniture makers. Staggering out of ice cream shops on their way to the bar, young couples pass by busking musicians and street artists while busy garzónes balance their trays through hungry patrons. This…

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South America Travel Wine

Getting to Know the Wines of Chile

Photography by Samantha Demangate  Chile’s wine industry revolves around some big-names. Cheap and delicious, these wines are perfect for those looking for value and quality. Yet to discover a region’s wine, it’s necessary to reach further. Our deep dive into Chilean wine revolved around discovering the people in the industry who are doing something unique and pushing the country’s winemaking to new limits.  Wine shops are always great starting points for discovering wine. Our journey…

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South America Surf

Chilean Highways: Valdivia to Pichilemu 

Photography by Samantha Demangate It’s rare to see blue skies all day in Chile’s Lake District. This portion of Patagonia belongs to the moniker ‘the roaring forties’ and it often lives up to it. On March 13, 2022, however, it was sunnier than Phoenix in June. We had just spent a week immersed in Chiloé Island and were now ready for our return trip to Santiago. For this stretch we set off to discover the…

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South America

Chilean Highways: Chiloe Islands

Photography by Samantha Demangate Temperate rainforests, endless coasts, and bottomless seafood? Sounds intriguing. Witchy tales and maritime superstitions? Ok, getting better. Penguins frolicking in untouched, perfect surf? Count me in!  The enchanting Chiloe Islands lies in the Patagonian Lake District, at about 41°S to 43°S in latitude, on Southern Chile’s rain soaked coastline. Chiloé is famous for its nature, rich traditions, and ancient folklore. On top of that, its Palafitos—colorful wooden buildings built on stilts…

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South America

Chilean Highways: Santiago to Puerto Montt

What could be better than an open road journey at the bottom of South America? In March 2022, we loaded up a car and headed out on an adventure from Santiago to Patagonia to discover the continent’s untouched Pacific wilderness and the beauty within it.  Santiago is a big city. Traffic moves noisily and neurotically. Exit ramps miraculously appear out of thin air and everyone is in a hurry. Just before noon on a scorching…

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