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SANTIAGO,
VIÑA DEL MAR Y VALPARAÍSO
THE CENTRAL REGION AND THE WINERIES ROUTE
The variety offered
in this region makes it a destination for all tastes and an invitation
to participate in exciting adventures: climbing some of the highest mountains
in the world, kayaking or rafting in mountain rivers, horse riding, mountain
biking, camping, plus hundreds of walks and excursions in a region that
has a pleasant climate for most of the year. In broad terms, the central
area can be divided into coast, valley and mountain range, each one with
its own charms.
THE COAST
From La Serena to the
south, a string of attractive beach resorts invite you to take a sun bathe
and enjoy a gastronomy centered on seafood. There are long beaches with
white sand and calm seas where you can scuba dive and enjoy the attractions
of the many marinas, tennis courts, hotels and restaurants. There are
confortable campsites as well, with good facilities for those looking
to get closer to nature and the star-filled skies of the region. Fray
Jorge National Park with its out of place landscape is a unique spot on
the coastline of this region. It is a lush forest of cinnamon trees, mock
privets and ferns growing at the top of a hill thanks to the microclimate
caused by the condensation of coastal mist.
In the 130 kilometers
of central coastline there are over 20 traditional beach resorts such
as Papudo, Zapallar and Cachagua. Water sports can be practised in all
of them. Its closeness to Santiago -a 90 minute drive- has turned Viña
del Mar, 'the Garden City', into an ideal destination for the weekends,
the Chilean government even has an official resting place for presidents
in Cerro Castillo. Its excellent hotels, good shops, well cared for gardens
and parks, beaches, charming rides in horse-drawn carriages and dinners
by the sea, coupled with its antique houses and modern buildings set in
a refined and cultured atmosphere, make Viña del Mar one of the
most popular tourist centers of the South Pacific coast and a must see
in any trip to Chile.
Valparaíso to
sailors one of the world's most famous ports, it is a unique and charming
place which many a visitor has fallen in love with at first sight. So
much so that UNESCO is studying the possibility of declaring it a Cultural
Patrimony of Mankind, the same status granted to Cuzco, Cartagena de Indias
and Salvador de Bahía. With its back to the hills and eyes on the
sea, Chile's main port demands a visit. The port's streets wind and wend
their way over the surrounding hills and clothe them in a maze of alleys
and stairs, lanes and terraces. Its colourful clapboard houses, which
seem plastered to the hills, are reached by the funicular railways which
have for over a century carried people up and down the port's steep slopes
enjoying as the go panoramic views of the bay. A visitor downtown will
see, in the style of the buildings, the legacy of the English immigrants
of the early 19th century and will be rewarded with a glimpse of the present
day working port if they stroll along the Prat Pier. Those wanting to
get even closer to the sea may wish to take a boat ride whilst for others
eating in one of the harbour's restaurants, next to sailors from all four
corners of the world, may be enough. A visitor should not leave Valparaíso
without visiting the "Sebastiana", one of the three houses owned
by Nobel laureate poet Pablo Neruda,
which has been turned into a museum. Going south from Valparaíso
there are several beach resorts, among them Isla Negra, where you can
visit Pablo Neruda's most famous house with its collection of ship's figureheads
and thousands of curios. This coastal trip ends in Concepción,
in the mouth of the Bío Bío river, one of the most important
in Chile. This vibrant modern city has recently experienced economic and
demographic growth and it is the country's second most populated city.
With all the features of a city Concepción is complemented by its
surrounding lakes, forests and beaches.
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