While the country was under Spanish rule, a military parade was held whenever a new governor-general took office in Santiago. The First Government Junta’s formal inauguration took place in the city on September 19th 1810, as the first military parade of the new nation.
The National Army of Chile was created on December 2nd 1810, by order of the First National Government Junta.
The Day of the Glories of the Chilean Army was established in 1915. On September 28th 1819, a parade with all the nation’s army units was held to celebrate the victory in the Chilean War of Independence.
President Joaquin Prieto ordered a military exercise on La Pampilla fields in 1831, and President Manuel Bulnes obtained lands in the Pampilla area for annual military parades in 1842, leading to its transformation into a military installation in 1845. This land became O’Higgins Park in 1873 following the efforts of Luis Cousiño, who was inspired by European parks and decided to infuse a similar design with Chilean features. He commissioned Manuel Arana to design it, and Arana included the Field of Mars that has been used in the annual military parades since.
The purpose of this holiday is to remember all those who have fought in Chilean battles, in which the country has been victorious or defeated; the courage and courage of those who protected the country and its inhabitants are remembered.
The Chilean Army is one of the most technologically advanced and professional armies in the Americas.
Note that the Chilean Navy has its own public holiday. The Day of the Glories of the Chilean Navy is observed on May 21st and marks the date of the battle of Iquique on that day in 1879.
Protesters and police have clashed in Chile, as the country marked 53 years since Augusto Pinochet overthrew President Salvador Allende in a US-backed coup. Many Chileans say the current far-right government is trying to rehabilitate Pinochet’s image.
THE holiday destinations without the crowds that want MORE tourism have been revealed.
Intrepid has released its annual ‘Not Hot’ List, partnering with Globetrenders to look at alternative destinations to visit instead of the popular, oversaturated places.
Intrepid’s underrated travel destinations for 2027 have been namedCredit: AlamyAlonnisos island in Greece sees a fraction of tourists compared to other islandsCredit: Alamy
Using both Intrepid’s local leaders and destination experts, along with trend forecasts, the study looks at three key elements – areas with few visitor numbers, their ability to welcome more tourists, and any new infrastructure for 2027 such as big events or transport systems.
When it comes to Europe, you might be surprised to realise there are still some Greek islands that don’t have the tourist crowds.
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Intrepid named Alonnisos as a “not hot” destination which is a more sustainable holiday experience in the region.
They said: “Alonnisos is a slice of paradise that plays host to an array of aquatic and land-based delights, including the endlessly entertaining – and endangered – Mediterranean monk seals.”
The island is actually home to the National Marine Park of Alonnisos and Northern Sporades (Europe’s largest marine protected area), as well as Greece’s only underwater museum, the Peristera shipwreck.
It remains off the radar for most tourists as you can’t fly to the island, with it only accessible by ferry or private yacht.
In 2024, it saw just 70,000 tourists – compared to its neighbour Skiathos’ 500,000 or Santorini’s 3.4million.
Another European destination highlighted was Liepāja, a beach city in Latvia.
Nicknamed the Baltic Mediterranean, next year it will become Europe’s Capital of Culture, meaning hundreds of events, festivals and shows.
Samburu Game Reserve in Kenya is a quieter safari destinationCredit: AlamyCanad’s Whitehorse, in Yukon Territory was named as wellCredit: AlamyWhen it comes to Europe Dalsland in Sweden was highlighted, often nicknamed the country’s ‘Lake District’Credit: AlamyCarretera Austral in Chile also made the listCredit: Alamy
Just under 120,000 tourists visited last year, meaning you’ll get the five-mile, white sand beach all to yourself.
To get there, Ryanair fly to Palanga from London Stansted for £25, which is around an hour from Liepāja
Sweden‘s Dalsland made the top 10 list as well, for being “unspoilt and unexplored”.
Around two hours from both Gothenburg and Oslo, it is known as Sweden‘s ‘Lake District’ for all of its outdoor activities from wild camping to kayaking and hiking.
Just 320,000 people visited last year, compared to the capital of Stockholm which saw 16million.
Other destinations on Intrepid’s list included Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, named for being the place for both “crowd-averse safari fans” and an “emerging astrotourism destination”.
Georgia is fast becoming a new holiday destination, after both British Airways and easyJet launched direct flights to the capital Tbilisi last year.
But Intrepid praised Mestia as an alternative, quieter place which, while popular with neighbouring tourism, is set to become bigger with international tourism due to new infrastructure plans.
The Pekoe Trail is Sri Lanka’s first long-distance walking trail, and an alternative way of seeing the island nationCredit: AlamyTimor-Leste is one of Southeast Asia’s least visited destinations, and is getting easier to go to thanks to new flight connectionsCredit: AlamyJordan’s North Highlands were named as a great alternative to the country’s iconic desert landscapesCredit: AlamyAnd Mestia in Georgia is set to become more popular as wellCredit: Alamy
Otherwise it is popular as an outdoor adventure holiday destination, with both hiking and skiing experiences.
Also mentioned was the Northern Highlands in Jordan, a green “alternative to the country’s iconic landscapes” while “Arctic tourism” was highlighted for visiting Whitehorse in Canada.
Timor-Leste, one of South East Asia’s least-visited destinations was also highlighted, with new flight routes to connect the capital of Dili to major hubs such as Kuala Lumpar.
Sri Lanka‘s first long-distance walking trail Pekoe Trail (with a new 10-day Intrepid trip launched) and Chile‘s ‘route 7’ Carretera Austral rounded out the list.
