The country’s capital Santiago, located in the central valley, is surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. South America’s most modern metropolis, diverse and cosmopolitan, still offers a colonial atmosphere due to historical buildings, plazas and downtown barrios such as pretty Bellavista.
Close to Santiago on the eastern mountainside, several world-class ski resorts are available during the winter, and on the coast there are numerous attractive cities and charming towns including Vina del Mar with its precious gardens, and the historical port city of Valparaiso. The central region is also known for its vineyards. Chilean wine is recognised internationally and complements the national cuisine of abundant seafood perfectly.
Santiago
Currently considered one of the best destinations to go this year, Santiago is a city that promises excellent gastronomy, world-class Santiago hotels options and an incredible selection of cultural activities that you can do during day while enjoying the spectacular mountain landscape that surrounds Chile’s capital.
Santiago is a dynamic and hip city with a growing cultural offer that’s also centered in quality and variety. Also you can find excellent Santiago Hotels as Le Reve located in the neighborhood of Providencia.
Places you can't miss are:
Museo de la Moda: A privately funded museum located in the district of Vitacura that specializes fashion. It has a permanent collection of 10.000 pieces of different fashion elements that range from clothing to objects and even memorabilia (typically 800 objects are featured in an exposition). Here you can see 1960´s suits that belonged to The Beatles, a jacket and hat from Elvis, a scarf used by Jimmy Hendrix, a dress worn by Princess Diana in 1981 and awards and items that belonged to different rock stars.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA): For a more traditional look of Chilean and world art, with expositions that feature colonial art with a religious theme, a collection of Spanish paintings from the XVII and XX century and some works by Chilean surrealist painter Roberto Matta.
Alonso de Cordoba Street: In the capital’s exclusive and prestigious street Alonso de Cordova you can see top fashion stores, art museums that present modern, classic and experimental art –they also tend do night events- and of course, high level cuisine restaurants, where you can taste and eat delicious dishes accompanied by Chilean red or white wines from the Central Valley.
Bellavista Neighborhood: The area of Bellavista neighborhood is an old part of the city named "La Chimba", which is located at north of the Mapocho River. The district is placed at the foot of Cerro San Cristobal and has many attractions as the artistic and intelectual life, placed in a residential area, mixed with shops, restaurants and handcrafts centers.
Concha y Toro Neighborhood: Is an enviroment of Santiago, which has the charm of a past of opulence and splendor, and the liveliness that day after day crosses in its buildings and streets, where the residential, commercial and educational uses coexist.
Valparaiso
Neruda said that if we walked around all the stairs in Valparaíso we would have gone around the world. Certainly, in this emblematic port located on the central coastal zone of Chile, stories brought from all the oceans are woven into its history. As are its cultures, legends and architecture. It has been the urban protagonist of Chile since the 16th century and its historical center was declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003. Today this area is principally dedicated to tourism.
Valparaíso is mysterious, meandering and rustic continues Neruda. It invites the traveler to come and discover the city, to get lost in its streets, hills and neighborhoods. Today the city is populated with museums, art galleries, restaurants and quaint “boutique” hotels from which you are able to witness the most beautiful and enigmatic views of the ports.
We offer one of the best boutique hotels Valparaiso, the Zerohotel or the Casa Higueras Hotel that have an outstanding view to the Pacific Ocean and the Andes.
Places you cannot miss are::
Cerro Alegre: Situated right over the port, it currently has the highest concentration of tourist activity. It can be reached by picturesque elevators, along with El Peral and Concepción, up to their colorful walk ways surrounded by imposing architecture and beautiful old houses. Among these is el Palacio Barburizza, today a museum, constructed in 1916, that displays a fabulous collection of paintings. Quaint streets peppered with cafés, restaurants and art galleries.
Plaza and Iglesia La Matriz: Neo-classic temple constructed in 1873, it stands in the original site where the first chapel in Valparaiso was built in 1599. It has a Cristo de la agonía sevillano that dates back to the 17th century.
The port: Highlighted by the spectacle of the cranes loading the freighters, you are able to board a small boat which will take you around the bay of Valparaiso. It’s an opportunity to appreciate one of the most beautiful views in the city.
There are several Handy-craft shops, traditional food in Caleta Portales (a well-known cove) and don’t forget to visit La Aduana, the national monument constructed in 1854.
Museum La Sebastiana (The house of Pablo Neruda): The famous Chilean poet adored the city and acquired a magnificent residence in the port in 1959 on el cerro Bellavista (Bellavista hill). The house was enriched with its eclectic architectural contributions and unique decoration, filled with “poetic objects”. Today there is also an exhibition room and cultural center. Less than 100 kilometers from Valparaíso is the location of Isla Negra, the principal house/museum of Neruda.
Viña del Mar: Beachside city and adjacent to Valparaíso, its’ beautiful, busy beaches extend towards the north to Reñaca and Con Con.
The night life is one of the attractions on offer, especially in summer, as well as the international casino. A little further north is Zapallar and Cachagua, the most exclusive beaches in the region.
UNIQUE OCCASIONS
New Year: On December 31st, Valparaíso offers a spectacular Fireworks display at midnight which envelops the entire bay with its lights. If you wish, you are able to rent a power boat in advance from the Prat pier, so you can see the pyrotechnics from the water.
Viña del Mar Music Festival: In the second or third week of February, at the beautiful amphitheater in La Quinta Vergara, this festival brings together popular international music stars.
SKI
Within the mountain we must mention the winter sports. Chile has been highlighted internationally as one of the best places to practice them. Two hours drive from Santiago, we have the well known Portillo (hosted the World Championship), 2800 mts. height. Less than half an hour drive from Santiago, Valle Nevado, 3025 mts. tall, with an unquestionable quality of snow, and an exceptional climate, 80% of the time are sunny days with snow powder.
For adventurous, at high altitudes in the Andes Mountains is the ideal and special place to practice Heliskiing also out off piste skiing with excellent snow quality.
COLCHAGUA, CASABLANCA and MAIPO VALLEY
These three valleys are large producers of award-winning Chilean wines, whose prestige is known today as Urbi ET Orbi. Colchagua, in the southern- central zone of the country, is known as la “tierra de huasos” (land of the cowboy). It is renowned for its excellence, the interesting Colchagua Museum in Santa Cruz, the heart of the valley, displays exactly how rooted this region is in Chilean culture. Its immense expanses of vineyards and fabulous cellars which today are open to the public have developed into a “tourist wine route” which includes a trip around the countryside. Many of the homesteads on these properties have been transformed into wonderful “boutique” hotels, in addition to specialty stores where you can find handmade gourmet products created from the best quality fruit. With the marvelous landscape of the Andes Mountains in the background, it’s sure to be a visit that will surprise and guide you to the path of enological and gastronomical delights.
Similar experiences can be discovered in the Casablanca Valley, between Santiago and rustic Valparaiso, as well as in the Maipo Valley; close to the capital.
Places you cannot miss:
Maipo Vineyards: Within this valley, near Santiago, the first wineries in the country were founded, many of which receive visitors. Tours may be organized to visit the following wineries; Cousiño Macul, Pérez-Cruz, Haras de Pirque, Concha y Toro, Portal del Alto, Santa Carolina, Santa Rita, Undurraga, Tarapacá, Terra, Huelkén, Carmen and many others.
Concha y Toro Residence and Park: Though it is not possible to access this wonderful residence (dating from 1875) tucked in Pirque in the foothills of the Maipo Valley, you are able to appreciate a magnificent view from the Concha y Toro winery. The latter was founded by its owner, Mr. Melchor Concha y Toro. It is worth visiting the cellars and hearing their entertaining stories. In the surrounding area, you can get to know Pirque and see the Rio Clarillo National Reserve.
Colchagua Vineyards: What is most impressive is the grade of sophistication offered to tourists by various wineries; from museums, hotels and restaurants, to swimming pools and even cable cars, as is offered at Santa Cruz. There are wineries with luxurious facilities, such as Casa Lapostolle, others of refined tradition like Viu Manent. A visit to this valley will surely be an unforgettable experience. Tours can be organized from Santiago: Santa Cruz is 2 1/2 hours away, while San Fernando only 2 hours.
Other vineyards in Colchagua: Bisquertt, Casa Silva, Cono Sur, Caliterra, Emiliana, Estampa, El Huique, Hacienda El Araucano, Las Niñas, Laura Hartwig, Los Vascos, Luis Felipe Edwards, Montes, Montgras, Macaya, Neyen, Ravanal, Santa Cruz, Santa Helena, Santa Rita, Siegel, Sutil, Viu Manent and the Errázuriz-Ovalle Vineyard.
Museums in Colchagua: In addition to the Colchagua Museum, the Lolol Museum located in Santa Cruz also, has one of the most complete collections of paleontological and archaeological artifacts, as well as Pre-Columbian art in Chile and Latin America. It was founded by San José del Carmen Del Huique some 50 Kms from San Fernando. Here you are able to appreciate an old homestead and see traces of the life on estates dating back to the middle of the 19th century. You can also visit the Lircunlauta Homestead Museum in San Fernando, (18th century). In Cunaco stands “Panpan vinovino”, a traditional restaurant, situated in an old bakery of a by-gone Hacienda, now with its own museum.
Casablanca Valley: Though the settlement of vineyards in this valley is significantly more recent than those aforementioned, today there is more than 4500 planted hectares. Thanks to its unbeatable location, just 75 kms from Santiago and 39 kms from Valparaíso, it receives numerous visitors. They also organize tours to learn about the different vineyards, such as Casas del Bosque, Catrala, Indómita, Matetic, Veramonte, Viña Mar, Emiliana and William Cole.
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