Discover Chile and Easter Island. Includes FREE planning and background information. This craggy Pacific outpost is where castaway Alexander Selkirk whittled away lost years scampering after goats and scanning the cobalt horizon for ships. A chain of small volcanic islands 667km east of Valparaíso, Archipiélago Juan Fernández once served as an anonymous waypoint for pirates, sealers and war ships, but in modern times it has slid into relative anonymity…save for the occasional multi-million-dollar treasure hunt. Strange, because the islands’ jagged landscape and clear waters fall nothing short of spectacular. A national park since 1935 and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, the islands are starting to gain attention as a destination for world-class diving. But they are really a paradise for outdoors lovers, who can hike staircase-steep trails, visit fur seal colonies or search for the elusive Juan Fernández hummingbird. Visitors trickle in during summer (December to March) and the rest of the year sees precious few foreigners or mainlanders.
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