Santiago by night (courtesy of Paseos en Bicicleta)

Biking in Chile is discovering a country at your own pace, full of landscapes, architectural and cultural gems. But it is not easy if you don’t have the company of local guides; people, like us,  who love Chile and who have passion for what we do. This is the story of a bike trip around and along Chile, visiting unique places that our Company has discovered after a long research and that you would hardly find if we you would take a regular tour.

We begin our pedaling in Santiago, the modern capital of the old Kingdom of Chile. Santiago is a vibrant city, full of parks and many miles of recently built bike lanes. The tranquil and somehow dull city of 30 years ago has become a cosmopolite and one of the most vibrant capitals of Latin America, and for a good reason!
We take our bikes at Café Literario del Parque Bustamante, a modern concrete and glass building in the middle of a park. One of our guides (an architect) explains to the group that we will go around tourist neighborhoods but we will also visit other parts of the city, where we will find few, if any tourists. He proved this right.
We follow our way along the enchanting Barrio Lastarria, the Central Market and Mapocho Train Station. We continue our biking into Barrios Yungay, Cumming and Brasil, where we can appreciate the intimate façade of an almost provincial part of Santiago. Our tour concludes at Museo de la Memoria, where the recent history of Chile`s Dictatorship and human rights violations are the center of the show.

Bikes and Wines courtesy of Paseos en Bicicleta

We continue our bike journey along Chile, now going to Pirque in the High Maipo Valley: here we will taste some of the fine wines produced in the valley and enjoy the landscape of the close by mountains. Concha y Toro winery invites us to visit their old cellars and taste two of their wines. We then bike along old and quiet country roads, admiring the valley and the mountains. We finish our visit of Pirque at William Fevre, a small boutique winery that exports almost all of its production and produces one of the best Chardonnays of Chile. Our day is topped up with a delicious home-made picnic lunch.

Our biking adventure around Chile could not be complete if we do not visit the Pacific Ocean. So we go on a day trip around the renowned Valley of Casablanca, one hour drive from Santiago, and famous for the quality of white wines. At Casablanca, we pedal along old country roads flanked by centenary trees and we can admire extensive vineyards that are changing the face of the once dry and dull landscape.

After a superb lunch under old eucalyptus trees, we continue our biking to Tunquén, a remote and deserted white-sanded beach in the Central Zone of Chile. After visiting Tunquén (and maybe a splash in the cold water!) we head our way to Quintay, an old whale haven today transformed into an enchanting little town. Our biking day finishes with enjoying a cup of coffee in one of the several restaurants on of the beach.

Llanquihue Lake and Volcano Osorno courtesy of Paseos en Bicicleta

After visiting the Central Zone of Chile, our route takes us now to the Lake District and Carretera Austral. The mild weather and somehow dry landscapes of the Central Zone of the country, now turns into the green of the rain forests, the vastness of Lake Llanquihue and the breathtaking views of the Volcanoes Osorno, Calbuco, Yates and Puntiagudo among others. The landscape is breathtaking and we find our way through hidden and deserted roads with astonishing views of the volcanoes and fjords. Our lodging is first rate and even if there’s not always a five star hotel available, we have found friendly and cozy inns and B&B’s where you would spend the rest of your life.

Finally we have designed a route in Patagonia, so we take a plane to Punta Arenas in the extreme South of Chile. Here we bike along off-the-beaten track routes, as well as trek in the famous Torres del Paine National Park. We bike along the mysterious Sierra Baguales, hardly visited by any tourists, we get to know the traditional way of living of the Estancias and visit the “must of musts” of the Park: Glaciar Grey, Salto Chico, Valle del Francés and Laguna Azul among other places are part of our design.

Biking in Chile courtesy of Paseos en Bicicleta

Our invitation is to get closer to the real Patagonian landscapes, get to know local people, admire the immense pampas and finally be impressed by some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Our biking project is to share our passion with you, show you Chile at the slow pace of our pedaling, and admire each one of the spectacular and countless views of this country: city and countryside, vineyards, mountains, lakes, forests, and coast.  We are Chileans and pride ourselves on showing you our country as only an insider can. We invite you to travel through the magic of our routes and prepare yourself to discover the nooks and crannies, where you will find neither tourists nor postcards. You will discover instead the simplicity, naturalness and, finally, the soul of the Chilean people.

Welcome to this amazing country!