Chile has just become much more accessible for Britons, thanks to the launch of a direct British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Santiago, the country's capital, this week. Here’s why it ought to be next on your travel wishlist.

1. The Atacama Desert

Chile’s Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar place on Earth. The average rainfall across the region is 15 mm per year, while some weather stations in the Atacama have never received rain at all.

Parts of the Atacama Desert have been likened to the surface of Mars

2. Houses on stilts

The Chiloé Archipelago is home to some of Chile’s last 'palafitos', distinctive wooden houses on stilts, which were once the dwelling of choice to most of Chile’s fishermen.

A photo posted by Cecilia (@ceciliamunozrubilar) on Feb 21, 2016 at 12:31pm PST

3. You can follow in Bruce Chatwin’s footsteps in the wilds of Patagonia

Patagonia forms a vast swathe of the southern end of South America, and the southern and western tips sit within Chile. Writing for Telegraph Travel, South America expert Chris Moss describes Patagonia as “an archetypal landscape of the imagination”. So found legendary British travel writer Bruce Chatwin, whose seminal work ‘In Patagonia’ inspired a generation of Brits to cross continents. Read Chris Moss's write-up of a recent tour of Santiago and Patagonia here.

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4. You can ski in summer

Swap the Alps for the Andes and discover some of the world’s most thrilling runs. Towering peaks, hairpin bends a-plenty plus a few volcanoes and craters chucked in for good measure, make Chile’s mountain slopes some of the most exciting in the world. The Chile ski season runs from mid-June until mid-October, making it a great shout for summer powder. The resort of Valle Nevado is just 35 miles outside of Santiago. You can find a more detailed guide to Chile's ski resorts here.

A video posted by skiportillo (@skiportillo) on May 31, 2016 at 11:36am PDT

5. The colours of Valparaiso

The colourful cliff-top residences and striking funicular railways in this coastal town are an Instagrammer’s dream, and enough to put a smile on any weary traveller’s face. The city also has a thriving arts scene, and the beaches of Vina del Mar are a bus ride away.

The colourful houses of Valparaiso Credit: REX/Cultura/REX/Shutterstock

6. It's the world's narrowest country

With an average width of just 110 miles.

7. You may get lucky and spot a puma

The Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia spans nearly 900 square miles of Southern Chile and is home to about 50 pumas. The majestic big cats are said to be easier to spot in midwinter, though spotting one is not guaranteed. If you miss them, you’ll just have to settle for some of the world’s most breath-taking mountain scenery.

One of the region's graceful pumas

8. Stay at Montaña Mágica Lodge

This ecolodge in the heart of the Patagonian Rainforest is the stuff of Isabel Allende novels.

Montaña Mágica Lodge, Chile

9. You can visit the end of the world

Cape Horn is the southernmost part of South America and the most southerly point of any continent outside Antarctica. Writing for Telegraph Travel, Chris Leadbeater said of it: “Few parts of this planet come shrouded in mystique quite like Chile’s spray-lashed curtain call.”

10. Stellar star-gazing opportunities

Clear skies, high altitudes and next to no light pollution make the Atacama desert one of the best places on Earth for star-gazing (see below).

11. White water rafting in Cajon del Maipo

Easily accessible in a day from Santiago, this dramatic gorge is an adventure traveller’s paradise.

A photo posted by Javier Echaveguren (@javierechaveguren) on May 31, 2016 at 8:05pm PDT

12. Easter Island

The enchanting statues at Easter IslandRapa Nui or Easter Island - a so-called "special territory" of Chile - is a perennial bucket list favourite, thanks in no small part to its famous moai. The striking monolithic statues, over 800 of which inhabit the remote isle, are believed to have been carved between the 11th and 14th centuries by Polynesian settlers. If these breath-taking forms aren’t enough to entice you, the Unesco-listed island is one of the most remote spots on the planet; fringed with sandy beaches, treeless and dotted with volcanoes, it is considered by many to be one of the most distinctive landscapes on Earth. Read our guide to Easter Island here.

Majestic moai at Easter Island

13. You get to meet the ‘ice monster’ while you’re there

Brüggen Glacier, also known as Pío XI Glacier is the largest glacier in South America, and has apparently defied global warming by continuing to grow as other glaciers shrink.

A photo posted by Zegrahm Expeditions (@zegrahmexpeditions) on Apr 27, 2016 at 9:25am PDT

14. The ghost town of Humberstone

This former mining town in the Atacama Desert is an eerie monument to turn-of-the-century industry. Walk around this ghost town and you’ll see an abandoned theatre, deserted swimming pool and all other manner of time capsule curiosities. The conspicuously British name comes from James Humberstone, a chemical engineer who emigrated to Chile and made his fortune mining saltpetre from the desert.

15. It's home to the world's largest swimming pool

The Crystal Lagoon at San Alfonso del Mar resort in central Chile is the length of 20 Olympic swimming pools.

San Alfonso del Mar pool is filled with water pumped from the neighbouring Pacific Ocean, Credit: San Alfonso del Ma

16. Trek round a volcano

A perfectly formed volcanic cone, Volcan Villarrica is also highly active – its eruption in 2015 temporarily closed its slopes. It’s now re-opened; many people opt to climb to summit but the intrepid may wish to consider a circumnavigation, usually an option from late November to February when the snow melts, for a true taste of the country’s magnificent wilderness.

Volcan Villarica last erupted in 2015 Credit: Arun - Fotolia

17. A bike ride down the Carretera Austral

The highway runs over 700 miles from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins through rural Patagonia – take in the views from the comfort as your saddle as you cycle its length.

18. Sweet waves

The beaches at Pichilemu are considered by many to be the best for surfing in South America and surf competitions take place in the city every year at Punta de Lobos.

A photo posted by @pichilemuwaves on May 15, 2015 at 5:24pm PDT

19. Neruda’s eccentric houses

Pablo Neruda is Chile’s most famous poet whose work is known and loved throughout Chile. According to Telegraph Travel’s Jolyon Attwooll: “Whether or not you appreciate or even know his work, you are likely to find Neruda's homes extraordinary: whimsical and playful; bawdy and cultured; obsessive and unpredictable.”

Pablo Neruda's house La Isla Negra Credit: Getty/VICTOR ROJAS

20. Stand where Darwin stood in Cerro Santa Lucia

Climb Cerro Santa Lucia’s picturesque slopes for one of the best views in Santiago. Charles Darwin came to this spot in 1833 and conceded the view was “certainly most striking.”

21. Eat like a local

The burgeoning culinary scene in Santiago is a foodie heaven. Just a few years ago, the country was something of a waste-land when it came to good restaurants but this has changed radically in the past decade. Bellavista in central Santiago is a particular hotspot, with the Peumayen Ancestral Food restaurant garnering many accolades for its traditional Chilean cuisine.