Wayne Bernhardson: Given Chile's unique geography, with a 2500-mile coastline, any "central" location will be far from many sights. I prefer the shoulder seasons of November/December and March/April for sights like Patagonia's Torres del Paine, the wine country of central Chile, and the southern lakes. The Atacama desert is good at any time of year, though at high altitudes it gets cold in winter (July/August).

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Jacksonville, Ark.: My husband (60) and I (57) will be finishing a week-long business trip to Santiago, Chile, on Sep. 22, 2007. We have a tour starting Sep. 29 that goes into northern Chile and then to Easter Island. Any suggestions on what to do in the week in between? I would love to see glaciers and penguins but I am fearful to get too far from Santiago lest we miss the start of the tour.

Wayne Bernhardson: You can fly to Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city, in about three hours from Santiago, so logistics shouldn't be a problem. The glaciers you can see, by boat or overland, but it's only the start of the penguin season--you'll just see the earliest arrivals.

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Bremerton, Wash.: What is there worth seeing on a visit to the area around Puerto Monttt, Chile?

Wayne Bernhardson: The town of Puerto Varas has real charm and is, in my opinion, a better place to stay than Puerto Montt. You'll be close to the island of Chiloé and several national parks--try Alerce Andino, which has fine hiking trails.

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Fairfax, Va.: I am considering a trip to Chile in December and I was wondering the best way to get from Santiago to the Patagonia area. Is it expensive to travel to Patagonia? If I wanted to camp while I was there, what would be my best options?

Wayne Bernhardson: From Santiago, the fastest way is to fly, but it's also possible to take the Navimag ferry (www.navimag.cl) through the southwestern fjords from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. This is a three- to four-day trip with great scenery when the weather clears. It's easy to get overland to Puerto Montt from Santiago.

Chilean Patagonia is a relatively expensive place to travel because the Chilean is so strong, while Argentina's weaker currency makes it a bit cheaper. There are campgrounds in all easily accessible national parks and also backcountry camping.

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