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THE COMPASS

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Chile

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL GEORGE

Stretching from the heart of the Andes all the way down to the fjord-fringed coastline of Patagonia, Chile showcases a spectrum of South America's wonders. Explore the high, dry dunes of the Atacama, climb the soaring peaks of Torres Del Paine National Park, discover bustling Santiago, and much more. In this week's edition, we meet the güiña—a six-pound wildcat vulnerable to extinction, take a road trip through Patagonia to the bottom of the world, and discover the mysteries of Easter Island.
Let's explore Chile.

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Once the station is installed, Baker Perry makes sure that all of the components are working properly. The information collected and transmitted by this new station will provide scientists with the ability to produce more accurate weather predictions and will help them understand the impacts of climate change on the most important water reservoir in Chile.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARMANDO VEGA

Highest weather station in the Andes will help scientists search for climate answers

The newly installed station will help Chile understand a historic drought with no signs of easing.

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Flowers bloom during a rare wet period in Chile's Atacama Desert in August 2017.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN BERNETTI, AFP, GETTY IMAGES

Weird life found in Earth's driest soil

Extreme microbes detected in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert hint at the ways organisms might eke out a living in the Martian underground.

One of the driest regions on Earth has transformed nearly overnight from a sparse desert into a beautiful garden of many colors.

FOOTAGE BY AFP-TV

See one of Earth's driest places experience rare flower bloom

The Atacama Desert in Chile is so dry that some areas have never recorded rainfall.

ANIMALS

Pikumche is a male northern güiña who was orphaned and raised by people at Fauna Andina in Chile. He was a "sweetheart" during his photo shoot, photographer Joel Sartore says, even rubbing against his legs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK

Meet the güiña—a six-pound 'mystery cat' vulnerable to extinction

The smallest wildcat in the Americas is the 10,000th image in National Geographic's Photo Ark, which aims to document every captive species.

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A female puma, known to park officials as Colmillo, and her three cubs scan the horizon in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park.

PHOTOGRAPH BY INGO ARNDT

What one photographer learned after spending nearly a year with pumas

Photographer Ingo Arndt captured new details of puma biology while in Patagonia, and got incredible time-lapse video of a hunt gone wrong.

A yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis xanthopygus), perched on a researcher's glove, at high-altitude on the slopes of Llullaillaco volcano. This species dwells at higher elevations than any other mammal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARCIAL QUIROGA-CARMONA

Mouse found atop a 22,000-foot volcano, breaking world record

A new expedition to the Andes has found mice living at even higher elevations than thought—making them the world's highest-dwelling mammals.

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Searching for Earth’s southernmost tree, scientists traverse windswept Isla Hornos. They sometimes had to walk on top of thick trees and shrubs, moving gingerly to avoid sliding into steep ravines.

PHOTOGRAPH BY IAN TEH

The tree at the bottom of the world—and the wind-blasted trek to find it

Where on this warming planet, you ask, is the southernmost tree? Look no further: National Geographic sent a team to hunt it down.

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Pincushion shrubs and shards of rock don’t trouble the puma known as Sarmiento, at center, or her 11-month-old cubs, huddled up at the end of a winter’s day above Lake Sarmiento, near Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. The matriarch, who has raised several generations of cubs, spends most of her time hunting— and napping—along this waterfront.

PHOTOGRAPH BY INGO ARNDT

Chile's protections for pumas fuel conflict with ranchers

The big cats, leaving their reserved areas in Patagonia in search of food, are mauling sheep herds. Could tourism solve the problem?

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TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

Paloma Santos catches a wave off Puertecillo Beach, near Pichilemu, just one of the spots drawing adventurous surfers to Chile‘s undiscovered coast.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATIAS DONOSO

Women lead the way in the world's next great surf spot

Along Chile's vast, rugged coastline, female surfers shine in competition and conservation.

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Waterfalls cascade from a hanging glacier in Quelat National Park, a spectacular stop along Chile’s Route 7—also called the “Carretera Austral”—which winds through Patagonia.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BETH WALD

Take the perfect road trip at the bottom of the world

Glacial waterfalls, tropical plants, dolphins, marble caves: Patagonia's remote Carretera Austral is an explorer's paradise.

Chile's scenic Colchagua Valley is famous for its bold, red wine.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNNY STOCKSHOOTER, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Hypnotic music ages this wine to perfection

Scientific studies suggest that soft tunes make better tasting vino–and Chile's vineyards are taking note.

$Their backs to the Pacific, 15 restored moai stand watch at Ahu Tongariki, the largest of Easter Island's ceremonial stone platforms. In 1960 these moai were swept inland by a tsunami, which fractured some.$

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS SCHMID, AURORA PHOTOS

Discover the mysteries of Easter Island

The isolated Rapa Nui developed a distinct architectural and artistic culture that weathered the centuries.

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RELATED: EXPLORE EASTER ISLAND'S LESSER KNOWN NATURAL WONDERS +

Santiago, Chile, sits in a valley surrounded by mountains.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTONIO SALINAS L., GETTY IMAGES

Everything to know about Santiago

Here's how to plan the best possible trip to the City of the Island Hills.

The Church of San Francisco in Castro boasts a vibrant yellow exterior.

PHOTOGRAPH BY WALTER BIBIKOW, ALAMY

These centuries-old nailless churches are still standing

Out of 70 churches built using this technique, 16 survived the centuries.

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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