Chile Guide
Valparaíso, Viña and the Central Coast
Viña del Mar
A fifteen-minute bus ride north of Valparaíso is all it takes to exchange the colourful and chaotic alleys of Valpo for the tree-lined avenues and ostentatious apartment high-rises of VIÑA DEL MAR. This is Chile's largest and best-known beach resort, drawing tens of thousands of mostly Chilean vacationers to its sands each summer. In many ways, it's indistinguishable from beach resorts elsewhere in the world, with its oceanfront condominiums, scores of bars and restaurants and centrally located casino, but lurking in the older corners of town are reminders of a graceful and dignified past, in the form of extravagant palaces, elegant villas and sumptuous gardens. Many of these date from the late nineteenth century when Viña del Mar – at that time a large hacienda – was subdivided into plots that were sold or rented to the wealthy families of Valparaíso and Santiago who came to spend their summers by the sea, emulating the fashion in Europe. The early decades of the twentieth century saw the arrival of many more visitors: hotels were built, restaurants opened, a casino was installed – and Viña's fate was sealed. Devoted as it is to tourism, Viña has plenty of accommodation, restaurants and the best shops and services in the region. The city also has a pair of beautiful botanical gardens with species from around the world and a museum with an important collection of art from Easter Island.
In the past five years, Viña has been eclipsed by the host of new restaurants in Santiago and the beaches of La Serena, but it's a comfortable, modern beachside city that offers a relaxing escape from the capital, perfect for bumming around for a couple of days at the beginning or end of your holiday.
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