About Vina del Mar:
Viña del Mar, commonly called just Viña, was developed in the 1870s as an exclusive residential and summer area for Chile's well-to-do. It is still that, but has evolved into Chile's premiere seaside resort, often called Chile's Riviera.
Viña offers all the amenities of a resort city:luxurious estates, including the summer home of the President of Chile, waterfront hotels, parks and gardens, social clubs, a municipal casino and theater, sport facilities, beaches, golf tennis, horse racing, lively nightlife, fine dining, and easy access to the nearby beaches and resort towns of Zapallar, Concon, Cachagua, and the fast-growing and hugely popular town of Reñaca.
Location:
Located 74 miles (120km) northwest of Santiago and 5 miles (8km) north of Valparaíso on the Pacific Ocean, Viña is in the central zone of Valparaiso and well connected to the central valleys and locations north and south of the city.
Browse this interactive
map from Expedia.
Getting There:
Getting to Viña and Valparaiso is easy. There are daily busses to and from the city to Santiago and the international airport.
The main roads are Highway 68 (Ruta 68) from the South through Agua Santa and
Highway 60 (Ruta 60) from Argentina via Quillota and Concón
By sea, through the port of Valparaiso or the many marinas along the coast
By air, via the airports in Santiago or smaller, local airports. Check flights from your area.
When to Go:
Viña's pleasant Mediterranean climate encourages all-season visits, even during the rainy winters. The sea breezes temper the summer temperatures, which ranges between 10 and 22 degrees C, 50 - 71 F. The climate is ideal for gardening, which is why Viña is called La Ciudad Jardín or Garden City. The Clock of Flowers, a clockface created with seasonal flowers, is Viña's symbol. Photo
Check today's
weather.
Accommodations and Dining:
As befitting a top-notch vacation area, Viña offers a variety of hotels, from budget to five star, and restaurants:
Hotels
Hotels
listed by Kayak with availability, rates, amenities, location, activities and other specific information
Yahoo's List of Hotels
Fommer's List of Hotels
Fommer's List of RestaurantsCasino Viña del Mar :
Check out the Casino Viña del Mar for gaming information, hours and practical facts.Things to Do and See:
Annual Events:
Derby Day, held the first Sunday in February is Ascot a la Chilena at the Valparaiso Sporting Club
The musical
Festival de Viña del Mar takes place over six days in February and attracts international performers and audience
The international
Festival de Cine de Viña del Mar occurs during the second week of October
Anytime:
Beaches: Playa Caleta Abarca in the center of town. Playa Acapulco, Playa Mirasol, Playa Las Salinas, Acapulco, Mirasol, Los Marineros, Cochoa, Lilenes, Negra and Amarilla beaches all draw crowds
Admire the Flower Clock, always in bloom with seasonal flowers - photo
The Jardín Botánico Nacional and Quinta Vergara Park gardens are lush with plants and trees
For sea lions, stop at the
Mirador Lobos Marinos on the road between Reñaca and Concón
The
Museo Corporación Fonck, housed in a mansion bequeathed to the city, displays native fauna and flora, archaeological artifacts, and a fine collection of Mapuche silver plus the
Easter Island, or Isla de Pascua, collection, including a real
Moai Statue in the garden
The
Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes houses European paintings dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The museum is housed in the Palacio Vergara in the Quinta Vergara
Plaza Colombia has a number of things to interest children: go-cart track, rental bicycles, ball games, pony rides, fishing for prizes and puppet shows and other fun things
Tour central Viña in a victoria, or horse-drawn carriage, or stroll at your leisure
For adults only, the casino offers games of chance, nightlife, restaurant and shows.
Buen viaje!
