but if you are a serious connoisseur then youmust get off the beaten track a little. Travellingsouth from Colchagua you will find the Curicoand Maule valleys and further south still youreach Itata and Bio Bio regions where many of the new wines that are on our shelvesoriginate. Here you will find Casa Porta andtheir pinot noirs, and organic blends. However Chilean wine is not all about thereds. With fish featuring heavily in manyChilean diets, white wines are a naturalcomplement, and the region west of Santiagospecialises in this. In the rolling hills that worktheir way down from the mountains to the old port town of Valparaíso you will find theCasablanca and San Antonio Valleys, home toViña Matetic. It is from here that the sauvignonblancs and an increasing number ofchardonnays are produced. The environmenthere is a perfect blend of fresh sea air andmineral-rich soil left behind by millennia ofseismic activity in the region. Whether you are something of a connoisseurlooking to learn more about wine productionor you simply appreciate great wine alongsidelovely scenery and peaceful accommodation,then a few hours or days in this area will betime well spent. We can arrange trips that best suit your level of interest.On the land where the Andes meet the Pacificin a series of steep-sided valleys that flowdown to ancient river beds and glacial paths,some of the best wines in the world areproduced. Historically this region of Chile hasbeen the fruit bowl of the country, but overthe last couple of decades there has been asignificant increase in money invested in what is now a flourishing wine industry. Chile hasnow become established in the top ten wineproducers, by volume, in the world and many(professionals and amateurs alike) would putthem in the top five for quality. It has not beenan easy road to reach this status however. Inthe 1980s the quality was low and the climateand soil dismissed as too poor to produce highgrade wines. But today, Chile is considered theperfect environment for a wide range of wineproduction; this is no longer a country that just produces a cheap merlot.These days Chile grows a wide variety ofgrapes, mostly red, from chocolaty carmeneresto robust cabernet sauvignons and wonderfullyrounded merlots. In the Colchagua Valley youwill find some of the best accommodation inthe region such as the stunning Casa Lapostolle(on the Clos Apalta estate) and Casa Real (on the Santa Rita estate). For any wine loverthis area is an essential part of a trip to Chile,Chilean wineOwner's cellar, Casa Lapostollewww.audleytravel.com/chile ?01993 838 640 ?Chile105Grapes, Colchagua ValleyColchagua Valley vineyard

Atacama DesertEerie, austere, remote yet beautiful, never moreso than at sunrise and sunset when the surfacesand the skies turn all manner of improbable huesof orange, crimson and gold, Chile's AtacamaDesert is so dry that there are many parts of it in which no rainfall has ever been recorded. This is an unlikely landscape to have a variety ofattractions, yet the Atacama is a must-see forvisitors to Chile, and the oasis town of San Pedro,at its heart, has some of the most original hotels in all of South America.After flying into Calama, a mining town withChuquicamata, the largest open cast mine in theworld in the hills behind it, travel by road throughrolling swathes of parched lunar landscape to thewelcoming town of San Pedro de Atacama, thebase for explorations into the desert. From hereyou will join small guided groups, usuallyorganised via your hotel, to marvel at theAtacama's natural spectacles, and to discoverarchaeological sites; ancient mummies, geoglyphs,and crumbling ghost towns. Rise before dawn todrink your morning coffee at the world's highestgeothermal field, and watch the steam from yourcup rise along with the spurting fumaroles of theTatio geysers. Pick your way across the crunchysalt flats to spot the pink flamingos, photographthe vivid colours of the Miscanti and MeñiqueLagoons, and climb the sweeping sand dunes ofthe Valley of the Moon to watch the sun set,turning them scarlet as it goes. This desert is anactive person's paradise, offering unique terrainthrough which to hike, cycle or horse ride, but itis also entirely accessible to those wishing toinvestigate it by vehicle, with the excellent hoteloptions offering total relaxation after an awe-inspiring day's exploration.The Far NorthThe far north of Chile shares not only a borderwith Peru and Bolivia but also a common historyderived from the pre-Conquest cultures of theregion. The startling barren landscape holds a richarchaeological heritage - here you can discoverimmense geoglyphs, ancient cave art and excellentmuseums in and around the coastal towns ofArica and Iquique. To the east, this arid landscape,in shades of brown and gold, gives way to thefoothills of the Andes and rises up to becomepart of the vast altiplano. Here panoramas ofsnow-topped volcanoes, herds of vicuña grazingamongst flowers and brightly coloured lakes await.Lauca National Park is visually stunning, and is en route for travellers who are taking the roadfrom La Paz in Bolivia to Chile, via the equallysublime Sajama National Park.106Atacama DesertCycling past Licancabur VolcanoSpotty llama, Atacama Desert