Valdivia

Valdivia is located in southern Chile, at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau Rivers. Valdivia is known for for its riverside market and for being the location of the world's only freshwater sea lion colony. These sea lions are descendants of colonies from the Pacific coast, but now reside in a freshwater environment. Approximately 50 to 70 sea lion bachelors live in Valdivia.

Thanks a lot Marcelo!
Date: March 3

Chinstrap penguin

The Chinstrap Penguin mainly inhabits the South Shetland Island and the Antartic Peninsula. Around 75cm high, its population is estimated to exceed fourteen million.£

Thank you Marcelo!
Date: March 2

Moai

A maxi card from France with a Moai statue. Moai are monolithic human figures carved from tuff, solidified volcanic ash, by the Rapa Nui people between the years 1250 and 1500. They are found on Easter Island in the South Eastern Pacific, the world’s most remote inhabited island. The statues were symbols of religious and political authority and power, representing former tribal chiefs. Much of the island is protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

RR: RR Francophone
Date: Aug 15

Torres del Paine National Park

The Horns of Paine, located within the park, have stood here for more than 12 million years, and were formed bu huge glaciers that eroded away the outer sedimentary layer of rock, exposing the inner core of granite.

Torres del Paine National Park lies between the Andes Mountains and the Patagonian Steppe in southern Chile giving on to the Atlantic coast. It is an area of great scenic beauty, with many ridges, crags, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and lagoons. The centrepiece of the park are three immense granite towers that dominate the landscape, Los Cuernos del Paine. The park was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978 and the 8th wonder of the world in 2013. It's the most treasured protected wildlife area in Chile. It is habitat to a diversity of ecosystems, more than 100 species of birds, 25 mammals including puma, condor, huemul, ñandu, guanaco and 270 species of flowers and vegetation.

Many thanks Chelo!
Date: April 22

Petrohué Waterfalls

Petrohué Waterfalls is a chute-type waterfall in the upper reach of Petrohué River in Chile, a short distance downstream of the source of this river in Todos los Santos Lake. This waterfall is inside the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park. The waterfall is supported by basaltic lava stemming from the Osorno Volcano that sits in between Todos los Santos and Llanquihue Lake and provides an interesting background for pictures.

Many thanks Chelo!
Date: Dec 22

Damas Island

With 60.3 hectares of extension, Damas Island is part of the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve. There is an abundance of wildlife in this area. Sea birds, dolphins, sea lions, sea otters and the Humboldt penguins can all be seen here. There are two beaches on the island, La Poza and Las Tijeras both of which have fine white sand and clear turquoise water.

Thank you Marcelo!
Date: August 4

Villarrica

Snow-covered Villarrica, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rises above the lake and town of the same name. It erupts basaltic lava and is one of the few permanently active volcanoes in the world, with frequent strombolian activity and sometimes a small lava lake present in its summit crater.

Thanks a lot Herran!
Date: Jan 6

Santiago de Chile

Another wonderful view from Santiago de Chile. Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, sits in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range.

Thanks a lot Francisco!
Tag: Favourites tag
Date: Feb 25

Santiago de Chile

A panoramic view of Santiago de Chile. Santiago de Chile is the capital and economic centre of Chile. With its museums, events, theaters, restaurants, bars and other entertainment and cultural opportunities, it is the political and cultural center of the country. Its central location makes it a convenient base point to further explore the country. Due to its proximity to both mountains and the Pacific Ocean, It is possible to ski in the nearby Andes and later be on the beach, all in the same day. The climate is Mediterranean, with mild winters and very warm and dry summers. During winter, it usually only snows up in the Andes, which are an hour and a half from the city.

RR: 10 Countries RR (20)
Date: Dec 14

Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The Torres del Paine, three immense rock towers give the park its name. Grazing in the flat plains below, some of the world’s largest populations of guanacos and pumas run freely. Soaring high in the skies are condors and over 400 other species of birds.

Thanks a lot Fernando!
Date: Dec 24

Greetings from... Chile

Greetings from Chile... a long, narrow country stretching along South America's western edge, with more than 6,000km of Pacific Ocean coastline. Santiago, its capital, sits in a valley surrounded by the Andes and Chilean Coast Range mountains.

Thanks a lot Daniel!
Date: Dec 13

Flags of the World - Chile

The flag of Chile, known as La Estrella Solitaria (the Lone Star) was adopted in 1817. The star represents Venus significant to the country's indigenous Mapuches symbolizing a guide to progress and honor while other interpretations say it refers to an independent state; blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence.

Thanks so much Carissa!
Date: Dec 11, 2020

Flags of the World - Easter Island

The flag from Easter Island is a white flag featuring a reimiro, a wooden pectoral ornament once worn by the people of Rapa Nui, painted in red. It's a symbol of power, with two anthropomorphic figures at its edges, representing the Ariki.

Thanks again Pedro!

Santiago de Chile

Santiago de Chile, partial view of the city and Andes Range.
Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, sits in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range. With its museums, events, theaters, restaurants, bars and other entertainment and cultural opportunities, it is the political and cultural center of the country.

Thanks a lot Hsuan!
Date: April 26

San Pedro de Atacama

From San Pedro de Atacama, a town set on an arid high plateau in the Andes mountains of northeastern Chile. Its dramatic surrouding landscape incorporates desert, salt flats, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs. Visitors come in large numbers, to use the town as a stepping stone to the amazing landscapes around it. Most attractions are part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, perhaps Chile's most varied and amazing national park.

Thanks a lot for this great card Marcelo!
Swap: Dec 17

Cantera del Rano Raraku

A postcard from Chile showing a view of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people. It is a World Heritage Site with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

Back of the card: Almost all the moais of the island were sculptured here. Some stayed unfinished or semicovered by the lava.

Unesco: Rapa Nui National Park
Distance: 11,889 km (7,387 miles)
Travel time: 15 days

Humberstone and Santa Laura

My first card from South America, Chile!

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works are two former saltpeter refineries located in the Atacama Desert in the Region of Tarapacá in northern Chile. Today, Humberstone and Santa Laura are abondoned ghost towns and national monuments open to tourism. In 2005, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Unesco: Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works
Distance: 11,889 km (7,387 miles)
Travel time: 10 days