Working with a sea view – Working Holiday Chile

  14. July 2023  

Our Working Holiday programs in Chile are very popular. We strive to constantly expand the offers. A great new Working Holiday program has found its way into our range of offers this month.

Fancy a job with a sea view? With the beach right in front of the door? Working Holiday in the trendy seaside resort of Matanzas on Chile's Pacific coast can offer you exactly that: the perfect mix of "working" and "holiday".

Working with sea views and the beach at your doorstep! This is Working holiday in a trendy beach hotel in Chile.

It's worth applying early, because especially in the Chilean summer months, the working holiday places are very popular and quickly taken. Find out today what opportunities we offer and what spots are still available.

You can find an overview of all Working Holiday programs here: Working Holidays in Chile
Are you interested in the new position by the sea? Then please go this way: Working holiday in a beach hotel, Chile

Our Farm Stay family is growing...

  27. April 2023  

Farm Stays in Chile are one of our most popular stay abroad programs. The mixture of experiencing culture, learning a language, and working with the locals is simply ideal - and at unbeatable prices on the international market for foreign exchange programs.

That's why our Farm Stay family is growing regularly. Brand new, we have just added a horse breeding for first-class racehorses. The program location offers family connection, as the owners of the farm also live on the farm premises, and they are a great support to our participants.

Beautifully situated in the countryside in the central region of Chile and yet within easy reach of the capital Santiago, this farm stay is "weatherproof" all year round. The Farm Stay program at the stud farm is suitable for participants with good riding skills and experience in dealing with horses.

Interested? Here you can find the detailed program description: Farm Stay on a Breeding Farm

No matter what you want - it's in Chile.

  24. February 2023  

Chile is the longest country on earth. If you put a map of Chile over a map of Europe, it stretches from Moscow to Madrid. The diversity of landscapes in Chile is surprising: Except for the tropical rainforest, there is almost every scenery of the world to be found in Chile.

Would you like to experience starry nights in the desert? – Come to Chile!
Do you like the Mediterranean climate, palm trees, wine, and great beaches for surfing? – Come to Chile!
Do you find untouched primeval forests with lonely lakes and raging rivers just magical? – Come to Chile!
Have you always wanted to see icebergs up close and kayak in front of a glacier? Climb an active volcano? Guess what – this is also possible in Chile!

Framed between the high Andes Mountains and the Pacific, Chile also offers everything from condors to hummingbirds, from lamas to pumas. This is also true for the people, food and music. In Chile you will find a variety like in few other countries. And the good thing about it: Although the distances are sometimes far, you can get everywhere easily by plane or comfortable busses.

So, it doesn't matter which of the programs abroad of Chile Inside you choose. Whether you're doing a Working Holiday in northern Chile or a Spanish course by the sea, helping street dogs in Santiago, working as a teacher at a rural school or ride with the Baqueanos through the wild Patagonia – sightseeing sites will be just a little time and a ticket away.

Book now for 2023 and get the 2022 prices

  20. October 2022  

The early bird travels the cheapest! If you apply now for one of our meaningful volunteer projects, farm stays, working holidays, au pairs or Spanish language travel, you will get the 2022 price guarantee. By november 15th we will switch to the prices for 2023, so register quickly and don't pay more.

Browse our program universe and choose your dream travel destination for 2023: Whether it's a program in the amazing metropolis Santiago de Chile, chilled life on the countryside or wild adventures in Patagonia, we're sure you will find the right program abroad among our great variety of choices.

If you can't decide which program suits you best, our experienced staff will be happy to advise you. Write to us or call us. We are happy to be there for you!

Farm stay with cultural immersion for horse lovers

  12. October 2022  

If you love horses, can ride, and need a break from city life, our latest project is just right for you. About 500 km south of Santiago you can expect a family atmosphere, a great team and authentic Chilean country life at Fernando and Sabine's stud farm. At this Farm Stay in Chile, you live on a beautiful located farm and take care of everything to do with the horses, from feeding them to grooming them and riding them. Dog lovers will also get their money's worth, because in addition to Arabian horses, Fernando and Sabine also breed Malinois dogs.

In the beautifully green surroundings of the nearby Laja National Park you can recharge your batteries and enjoy the amazing nature. And, in the small villages in this area, you will find that the clocks tick differently in the South American countryside - so to say, relaxed and authentically Chilean. Anyone who chooses this adventure will definitely improve their Spanish and learn a lot about Chilean culture and traditions. And despite your hard work, you'll return home with a healthy dose of life experience.

Sounds exciting? More detailed program information can be found here: Farm Stay on a Horse Farm

Chile's most beautiful National Parks

  30. September 2022  

With the exception of the tropics, Chile brings together all the climatic zones of the world over its approximately 4,300km length: from desert to high mountains, Mediterranean-like valleys, dense primeval forests to tundra-like steppes and icy glaciers, everything is there, including almost 3000 volcanoes and a seemingly endless coastline with secluded bays and either wild cliffs or quiet beaches.

Chile's rich and partly endemic flora and fauna are protected in 42 national parks and dozens of nature reserves and made accessible to tourists. They are all beautiful, but of course we have favorites… here we present the 10 must see national parks of Chile. No matter where in Chile you are doing a Spanish course, a working holiday, farm stay or volunteer work - at least one of them is guaranteed to be in your area.

All national parks have fixed admission times to ensure that you can do the day hikes and get out before dark.

Lauca National Park
Chile's northernmost national park begins about 140 km east of Arica on the Altiplano and stretches from there to the Bolivian border. The park is easily accessible by car from Arica. Altiplano means “high plain”, and that is to be taken literally here, because in the Lauca National Park heights of almost 4,500 meters are reached – and by that we don't mean climbing a mountain! It rarely rains here, and because of the high altitude it is very cold, so only a few plants can survive. The Lauca National Park enchants with its unique play of colors between deep blue highland lakes such as Lago Chungará, yellow highland grass, the black rock and eternally white glacier caps of the Parinacota volcano and dots of pink flamingos on the lagoons, all against a bright blue sky. Surprisingly, there is a lot going on up there, because apart from the flamingos there are also armadillos, vicuñas, alpacas, chinchillas, foxes, wild ducks and other survivalists who enjoy their peace and quiet in the inhospitable area. Speaking of tranquility: What particularly fascinates us here is the almost complete, sublime silence. You can visit Lauca National Park in a very long day trip from Arica. However, we do not recommend this because of the extremely large difference in elevation between Arica and the park. Better take a few days for the quiet splendor, stay overnight and acclimatize in the highland village of Putre.

Reserve National Los Flamencos
This is not a national park, but the area is so incredibly beautiful that we just count it in. The nature reserve "Los Flamencos" actually includes all the highlights of the Atacama Desert - the driest desert in the world. Something white crunches under your shoes in the Salar de Atacama: No, not snow, but salt! The eponymous "Salar de Atcama" is an approximately 3000 km² large salt lake with a thick layer of snow-white salt crystals on the surface. Three species of flamingo live here, feeding on the algae in the salar. They look beautiful when they're standing on the salt, but when they take off and streak pink across the sky, they're stunning! Nearby are the highland lagoons Miscanti and Miñiques with two almost 6000m high volcanoes in the background. Here the magic of colors is similar to that in Lauca National Park, except that the white is from salt instead of ice. In another corner of the nature reserve is another must-see: the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), so called because you might think you are standing in a lunar landscape, with all the rugged salt and rock formations with volcanoes in the background. Between the natural highlights there are always picturesque small highland villages with adobe houses and cactus wood structures. A visit to this bizarrely beautiful area is worthwhile for at least three, preferably five days. San Pedro de Atacama is THE starting point for a trip to the Atacama Desert, easily accessible by bus from Calama. Here you will find accommodation for every budget, from campsites to 5* resorts. While you're there: Don't forget to take a night walk: Due to the extreme drought, nowhere else in the world are the skies as clear and the atmospheric transparency as good as in the Atacama.

La Campana National Park
Charles Darwin scrambled around here in search of unknown species. The La Campana National Park is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and owes its name to the 1910m high mountain "La Campana" (the bell). It is about 100 km northwest of Santiago and about 50 km east of Valparaíso. From there it is also easily accessible by public bus and taxi. The 8,000-hectare national park is a reserve for the endangered Chilean palm, one of the few places where it still grows naturally. Here you can go on relaxed hikes through the Mediterranean landscape - or climb the summit of the Campana. Anyone who manages to do this will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the surrounding area: if the weather allows for it, in the west you can see the Pacific Ocean, in the east the snow-capped Andes tower up. Below is a green valley in which large birds are circling – where else can you see eagles & co from above? The climb is tough, but the views and a picnic lunch at the top make it worth the effort. It is best to visit La Campana in spring or autumn, when nature is at its most beautiful and it is not too hot.

Parque Nacional Radal Siete Tazas
About 260 km south of Santiago or 90 km east of the town of Talca lies a beautiful, green-blue pearl in the foothills of the Andes. The park takes its name “Seven Cups” from a spot in the Rio Claro where seven small rock pools have formed one below the other and the river flows from one to the other over beautiful waterfalls. They are wonderfully turquoise and surrounded by jungle. The journey is worthwhile just for this view, but the park offers much more: winding hiking trails stretch over wooded ridges from which you have spectacular views. As a reward, you then hike along the deep blue Rio Claro, which forms natural pools between the rocks in many places, where you can take a refreshing bath - including chilling on white river beaches in the countryside. In several places, lagoons with rushing waterfalls also invite you to swim or admire. Our tip: take your tent with you and stay at one of the park's own campsites for a weekend and let your soul dangle! You can also rent a holiday home near the park.

National Conguillio Park
The Conguillio National Park is located about 80 km east of Temuco, in the middle of the Araucanía region. The region owes its name to the araucaria that grow there in the untouched nature. These primeval-looking trees have survived almost unchanged for millions of years. The mighty, active Llaima Volcano towers over the park and makes for wonderful postcard panoramas. You can hike over huge lava fields from past eruptions in this park. Many small and larger lakes and lagoons in the midst of deep green, cold primeval forests offer a fairytale contrast. The landscape, flora and fauna of the Conguillio National Park is unique in the world and looks like a dinosaur is just around the corner!

Vicente Perez Rosales National Park
This is the oldest national park in Chile. It is located east of Puerto Varas on Lake Llanquihue in southern Chile and offers pure idyll: the Rio Petrohue meanders for kilometers through untouched cold rainforest, which is only accessible via a few hiking trails. The highlight here are the wild rapids and waterfalls of the “Saltos de Petrohue”, which visitors can admire from different angles from view platforms. The water jumps impressively over the lava rock of the Osorno volcano, which towers over the whole panorama. It is particularly beautiful there in spring when the snow melts: Then there is a lot of water and the volcano is still picturesquely white far down. If you are adventurous and are on site in summer, you can also admire the whole thing from the water: on a rafting tour on the river below the Saltos.

Alerce Andino National Park
This fairytale forest is located at the beginning of the Carretera Austral and offers a landscape like from a "Lord of the Rings" film, only the elves are missing. It is located on the Carretera Austral about 40 km southeast of Puerto Montt. Narrow hiking trails lead through dense jungle, interrupted by waterfalls, mountain lakes and lagoons. The trees here are covered with many epiphytes, which gives the forest its fairytale character. The highlight are the eponymous Alerce trees, which grow dead straight into the sky and can become extremely old. Pumas and Monitos del Monte live in the inaccessible part of the Park; Kingfishers, Magellanic woodpeckers, chucaos, lizards and other animals can occasionally be seen – or heard – along the hiking trails. The most beautiful hike in the park takes you from the Lenca entrance to the "Laguna Triangulo". For the ascent and descent you need a whole day of sticks and stones, but the view of the lagoon, which lies almost perfectly in a rock basin, on whose walls millennia-old Alerce trees grow, is unique.

Queulat National Park
The 150,000 hectare Queulat National Park lies in one of the most pristine landscapes in Chile, far down the legendary Carretera Austral. In fact, this national park is still largely unexplored and accessible to humans only via the Carretera Austral, which crosses it for 40 km. The next big city is several hours flight away which makes this endless, evergreen cold rain forests even more adventurous.  The highlight here is the “Ventisquero Colgante”, a hanging glacier that flows down from the mountains and ends about 200m above a valley where it “hangs” and lets a spectacular waterfall rush into the valley. The best way to explore Queulat National Park is to take a 1-2 week road trip along the southern Carretera Austral.

Laguna San Rafael National Park
Again, the star is a glacier, the San Rafael Glacier, which slides into the San Rafael Lagoon from the northern ice field. The water of the sea lagoon shimmers turquoise and is dotted with white and light blue icebergs. The glacier's ice wall towers some 70 meters above visitors, who cruise the lagoon in small Zodiacs. This special jewel is really extremely remote and can only be reached by boat excursion from Puerto Chacabuco or Bahía Exploradores from September to April - unless you are brave and sporty enough for a kayak expedition.

Torres del Paine National Park
This park with its 2400 square kilometers is probably THE postcard motif of Chile and despite its very remote location (or maybe because of it?) it attracts visitors from all over the world: It is located in southern Patagonia, approx. 140 km north of the small town of Puerto Natales. The flat pampas and surrounding lagoons are home to Ñandus, guanacos, condors, flamingos and other birds, as well as pumas. Here ends the "Southern Ice Field", the third largest inland ice sheet in the world, whose mighty glaciers reach into the park and have formed its many lakes. Torres del Paine National Park is a wild fairytale landscape of ice, rock and water sculpted by the wind. Here you can experience all four seasons in a single day. Landmarks are the “Torres” themselves, three granite peaks rising steeply into the sky, which are between 2650 and 2800m high. A day hike to the Torres peaks is a very athletic feat. If you really want to enjoy the park and also hike the “Cuernos del Paine”, the park’s other postcard motif, or marvel at the Gray Glacier, you should plan at least 3, better 5 days and bring sturdy shoes: There are a lot of viewpoints that are connected to the accessible by car, but the real highlights can only be reached on foot.

Chile celebrates the Fiestas Patrias

  15. September 2022  

September is a very special month in Chile - not only because spring is beginning. You will notice that a flag is hoisted in front of or on every house, many windows are decorated, traditional music sounds from the speakers and around mid-September you will see children in traditional costumes on every street corner. Why: Chile celebrates “Dieciocho” (18).

What is beeing celebrated?
No, not independence. At least not as such, but it has to do with. On September 18, 1810, some 450 military men, heads of aristocratic families and prelates of religious orders gathered in the consulate building to deliberate on how the country should be governed after Napoleon captured King Ferdinand VII of Spain. There was a suggestion that a "provisional government" should be appointed to rule during the monarch's imprisonment, as other colonies had done. The majority of the assembly accepted the proposal and appointed a “Junta de Gobierno” – a government. The meeting ended at 3pm to the cheers of Santiago residents. The church bells rang and the people celebrated with a feast and dancing. With the establishment of a Junta de Gobierno, the "people" of Santiago recognized and proclaimed the principle of national sovereignty. Chile's actual independence was not achieved until eight years later, on February 12, 1818, when Bernardo O'Higgins signed the "Acta de Juramento de la Independencia" in Talca. Despite this, Chileans still celebrate September 18 as their national holiday to this day – the day it all began.

How is it celebrated?
The children usually have no school in the week around September 18th - but that doesn't mean that the schools don't celebrate - just that they do it beforehand. The children dress up in the traditional costume of a certain region and prepare a folklore dance from this region, which is then presented at a big “gala”. Since Chile is very long and there is an incredible number of traditional costumes and styles of music from north to south, these galas are always very happy, colorful and sonorous and the children are very proud of their presentations.

In addition to September 18th, on September 19th Chileans celebrate “Day of the Glorious Army”, with a large military parade in Santiago and several smaller ones in the regions. Many people take the days surrounding the 18th and 19th and the nearest weekend off, making for a very long weekend. This is a good opportunity to visit distant relatives or to really relax.

The celebrations then take place either at home – with lots of friends and family – or in so-called “fondas”. These are marquees that are set up in parks and squares. Of course, a real “18-celebration” includes typical specialities: A big barbecue is definitely a must, in the southern regions mostly lamb. Empanadas are also a must: depending on the region and taste, the filled dumplings contain meat, seafood, cheese with crabs, tomatoes or ham or just cheese. They are all delicious, fried or baked. For dessert there must be “Chilenitos”, small pastries with caramel cream in between. There is also plenty of Chilean wine or “terremoto” (“earthquake”), a cocktail with pineapple ice cream.

And then there's dancing. Cueca! As said before, each region has its own dances, but the Cueca from the central region is the national dance. A dancing couple in the costume of the "Huasos" (Chilean cowboys) circles each other very coquettishly and both wave a white cloth. They don't really dance together as a couple, but rather for each other - the Cueca is a kind of courtship dance. The steps and sequence of figures look quite complicated to outsiders, but maybe you would like to learn it during your stay in Chile?

If you would like to be part of the big Chilean party, then plan your Chile travel in September!

Our heart project: Volunteer Work at a Farm Sanctuary

  21. April 2022  

We've been flirting with the farm sanctuary in Chile for a long time, but then the pandemic delayed our plans. This animal protection project is definitely one of our heart projects. We are all the happier that it is finally part of our program range.

In this wonderful volunteer project you can take care of animals that have suffered hardship, neglect and abuse. Help the animals "get back on their feet", regain trust in people and live with dignity. Since 2016, the farm sanctuary has been taking care of pets and farm animals that need a caring home where they know they are safe and can live in peace. Animals that have been subjected to neglect and abuse find their new home on 9 hectares of land. The animals are lovingly cared for, treated and pimped up again here. They are not available for adoption, but are allowed to spend their twilight years at the sanctuary.

A detailed description of the program can be found here: Volunteer work on a Farm Sanctuary

Genuinely Chilean: Carmenere Wine

  15. January 2022  

Some of the best wine growing regions are renowned for a specific grape variety. Thanks to a historical accident, Chile has its own a first-class genuine specialty: Carmenere, formerly grown all over Europe and France above all, nowadays is found almost exclusively in Chile. The variety came to Chile from France in the middle of the 19th century. Thanks to the mild climate in the Chilean Central Valley, the conditions for the variety were not only good in Chile, but they were also even far better than in Europe. Only a few years after the Chileans had begun to grow Carmenere, large parts of European vineyards were destroyed by the phylloxera plague, including almost all Carmenere stocks. French wine growers then preferred other, more resistant varieties and in the course of time, Carmenere fell into oblivion in Europe.

Chileans continued to grow Carmenere, but due to only few experts in the country and the poor possibilities of communication, the Chilean Carmenere was mistaken for a type of Merlot. For more than a hundred years, nobody was able to explain the difference in taste between the Chilean Merlots and those of other origin. It was only in 1994 that science succeeded, and the mistake was discovered by a French expert via DNA analysis. The forgotten French grape variety had actually become an exclusive Chilean product overnight! The first “real” Chilean Carmenere was produced in 1996. Since then, Chilean oenologists have been working continuously and very successfully on improving their Carmenere wines. Today, there are over 8,000 hectares of Carmenere vines, and the number is only increasing. In 1997, only half a percent of the Chilean wine production was Carmenere, in 2018 it was almost 7,5%.

It is now not only exported to Europe, Chileans themselves are now proud of “their” wine and enjoy it on many occasions.
So, if you are in already Chile, for a language study trip in Chile, an internship in Chile or a volunteer job in Chile, then just go on a wine tour and try Carmenere! Around Santiago there are countless beautiful wineries.

Are you not here yet, but you feel like coming? Then just contact us and we will help you to organize your stay abroad in Chile. In addition to the above mentioned programs, we also offer Farm Stays in Chile, Work & Travel in Chile or Au Pair in Chile.

Long awaited, finally here: New school project

  30. October 2021  

It was simply missing in our program range - a great school project in Chile! Volunteering at rural schools in Latin America is very popular. Here, volunteers can help children from local communities with their studies, teach them English and enrich everyday school life. Finally we can introduce you to our new school project in Chile.

There is full cultural integration in this volunteer project. The volunteer work takes place in a small rural Montessori school in Curacavi, idyllically situated in a small town. It is a great environment where children can learn, discover, explore, play, grow and develop together. About 35 boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 12 attend the school.

View the program description here: Volunteering at a Montessori school