Visit us at SantiagoHotels.org for Chile Vacation Getaways guide. Chile didn't know that it was the only wine country in the world producing a grape that was otherwise as good as gone, called Carmenere. The main island is about 180 km long, but only 50 km wide, with smaller islands dotted around the edges which make up the archipelagic Chiloe. Crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile is wonderfully dramatic. The Los Penitentes pass, the crossing we took from Mendoza to Santiago, rises to 10,000 feet and takes you through a long tunnel. Home to the Chilean navy, whose beautiful sail training ship the 'Esmeralda" is often in port, the city has all the atmosphere and raffishness that make port cities so attractive. The city commercial centre, known as El Plan, is squeezed out along a narrow strip around the bay and then the hills rise steeply in series of terraces connected by steps and little funiculars. If you have planned your vacation tour to Chile in Santiago then visit us for more detailed information at SantiagoHotels.org.