How to Intern Abroad in Chile

Are you looking for an international internship in a Spanish-speaking country where you won’t be surrounded mostly by other interns from the United States? Perhaps backpacking through Patagonia is on your to-do list? If this sounds like what you are looking for then Chile may be the perfect location since it is a little off the beaten path in terms of international internships. Chile offers excellent wine alongside incredible work experiences all at a great price.

This long, slender, coastal country is an excellent place for internships abroad because of its welcoming attitude towards foreigners and its wide variety of programs. Chile’s tourism industry is growing, and the well-developed bus system makes it safe and cheap to travel within the country or to neighboring Argentina, Peru, or Bolivia.

Outdoor Adventures — In Every Extreme. From icebergs to deserts, the landscapes in Chile are as varied and dramatic as they come. The country is so long and narrow, there is incredible diversity of climate and geography. Up north, visit the Valle de la Luna, or Valley of the Moon, in the San Pedro de Atacama Desert. Visitors feel like they have just taken a trip to Mars! Try the popular past time of sandboarding there before using this location as a jumping-off point to cross the Salar de Uyuni (salt flats) into Bolivia. Down south, hike the “W” in Torres del Paine National Park, and test your outdoor stamina among the awe-inspiring scenery of the famed Patagonia region. Ski or snowboard in the Andes at Termas de Chillán or Portillo. If water is more your style, try sea kayaking on the Pacific Ocean or fly fishing in the Lakes District.

A Tasty Trip. Chile’s central valley produces excellent, world-famous wine. The country is the only large-scale producer of wine in the world that has not been affected by an outbreak of phylloxera, a pest which feeds on the roots and leaves of grapevines. As a result, it is also the only place in the world where one can find the carmenère, a deep, dark red grape — this varietal disappeared from Europe in the 1800s. To go with your wine, have a delicious baked or fried meat empanada, or freshly caught Chilean sea bass cooked to order. Avocado (palta) is plentiful here, and Chileans use it a lot in their cooking.

Culture And History. Hundreds of years ago, the land that is present-day Chile was hotly fought over because of its access to the sea. First settled by Native Americans, the Inca attempted to take control of the northern part of the country but were ultimately driven out by the tough Mapuche people. Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541, and other Spaniards quickly settled in the fertile region near the capital city. Chile declared independence in 1810, and the nation gained about one third more land when it defeated Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific.

Throughout the 20th century, major political themes for Chile have been economic development, housing, education reform, and equality for the working class. Chile’s infamous leader, Augusto Pinochet, has a legacy that still divides the country.

Be sure to visit Valparaiso to see this city’s steep hills with brightly painted houses. While you’re there, stop by the beautiful home of poet Pablo Neruda. In Santiago, check out a fútbol (soccer) game in the Estadio Monumental for a loud, boisterous, rowdy time. The ancient moai on Easter Island are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and leave clues to a perhaps unsolvable mystery. Also on the UNESCO list, are the churches of Chiloé, where visitors can still feel the slow pace of life as it has been for hundreds of years on this island. Be prepared to learn Spanish words they didn’t teach you in class — slang such as cachái? (you know?) and po (of course) are a vital part of most Chileans’ lexicon.

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