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THE COASTLINE

Roughly an hour away from Metropolitan Santiago, you will find, the wondrous Pacific Ocean where Chile showcases more than 6,000 Km of Coastline sandy beaches and surf breaks. It is just as beautiful as you can imagine: turquoise blue water, salty sea air and a relaxing atmosphere that exudes timeless allure.

The port of Valparaíso will welcome travelers with a sudden burst of colors and an intricate architectural maze. The eternal charm of Valparaíso has inspired many of Chile’s beloved poets and artists, Pablo Neruda being the most famous one. Neruda describes the unique character of this UNESCO World Heritage Site as a heap, a bunch of crazy houses. The mad, colorful array of houses is worth of a few hours of wandering and our local guide knows exactly where to go in the Harbour.

Right next to the artistic jumble of Valparaíso is the ‘Garden City’, officially known as Viña del Mar. An interesting contrast to Vaparaíso, Viña de Mar is absolutely modern and orderly. With its contemporary architecture, perfectly groomed beaches and its world-famous music festival, the city characterizes itself with a sense of tidiness and clean elegance. For those longing for a tranquil beach vacation, charming towns north of Valparaíso like Cachagua and Zapallar offer absolute peace. The untouched beaches with soft, white sands are ideal for swimming and perhaps a cocktail moment over sunset. The freshly caught, locally prepared seafood in the region will surely please even the pickiest gourmet.

The areas southeast of Santiago is filled with lovely towns like Algarrobo and Isla Negra, where Pablo Neruda’s most remarkable house-museum is located. This section of coastline also features the most rugged landscapes in central Chile.

Adventurous travellers heading south will find themselves with World Surfing Reservoirs such as Matanzas, Pichilemu, and Cobquecura living up to their reputation as “international surf towns”, thanks to the region’s windy climate, perfect tubular waves and pristine nature.

 VALPARAÍSO

The most important port city of South America for centuries, Valparaíso used to be a cultural hub full of globetrotting people from all over the world.

Locals, also known as porteños, have decided to restore the city without losing its original charm. New restaurants, cafés and galleries flourish in every street corner, making Valparaíso all the more lively. From the first glance, travelers will surely notice the painted walls with incredible works of art and perceive the city’s unusual artistic flare.

A quintessential Valparaíso experience is taking the funiculars, which have helped the visitors and locals since the 1800s to get up the city’s steep hills. Graffiti has become part of the environment in Valparaiso in a positive way. Your expert guide will make sure you have a unique experience, going underground into the world of street art, and venturing into an area less visited by most people who come to Valparaíso.

PICHILEMU

The steep cliffs and strong Pacific Ocean winds of the coast south of Santiago create powerful waves and make the neighboring area a windsurfer’s heaven.

Professional and amateur surfers from all over the world gather in Pichilemu to perform astonishing stunts on their surf, windsurf or kite surfboards over the water. With the world’s longest north-south coastline, Chile is the heart of world-class surfing. Simply 3 hours southwest away from Santiago, Punta de Lobos is reputed as one of the nine prestigious World Surfing Reserves. Our luxury travel design specialists strongly recommend adventurous travelers not to miss the country’s most famous waves in Punta de Lobos, which is also part of the Global Big Waves circuit.

While taking a break from surfing sport, check out the town’s intriguing architecture dated back to 1885, learn the fascinating history of the Agustín Ross Cultural Center (one of Chile’s first casinos), and enjoy mouthwatering seafood dishes in our restaurant picks. We also invite travelers to uncover the secrets of salt production in the town of Cáhui, then go bird watching and stand up paddling.

MATANZAS

About 180 km south of Santiago, this peaceful cove has just recently been discovered as a real gem for surfing. Around the gray-sanded beaches and the Pupuya Islet, a water bird reservoir, the constant wind attracts even world champions to do kite surfing here.

Apart from surfing, few people know about Matanza’s rich fauna and flora treasures as well as our Travel specialists do. The islets of Lobos and Pajaros provide a nesting ground for rare species. The steep cliffs and strong Pacific Ocean winds of the coast south of Santiago produce powerful waves and attract for those who enjoy these types of currents. It isn’t uncommon to see professional and amateur surfers perform astonishing stunts on their surf, windsurf or kitesurf boards in these waters.

This peaceful cove has just a few houses and a small off-season population, but its new-found status as a surfing destination brought with it rental cabins and campgrounds. The main attractions are the beautiful beaches and Pupuya Islet, a water bird reservoir. The constant wind, which is ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing, has attracted thousands of surfers, including a few world champions.

COBQUECURA

Cobquecura is a charming fishing village built over an old settlement from native fishermen. Travelers will encounter the authentic Chile by walking along the town’s humble main streets and stone-built churches. With the historical center awarded as Typical Patrimonial Zone, Cobquecura preserves the old charm of Chile. A few blocks from the square is the picturesque Sea Wolves’ community, where a colony of sea wolves reside on a set of rocks that emerge from the sea. Their playful sounds can even be clearly heard over the village.

Magic is alive in this tranquil farming village 13km north of Buchupureo. Steep slopes covered with lush greenery surround the settlement, lending it a tropical air. Despite growing interest from tourists and surfers, the pace of life is slow here: oxen-pelled carts are still a common sight. It’s also a famous fishing spot – corvina (sea bass) apparently jump onto any hook dangled off the beach. Dunes and scrubland separate the desolate brown-sand beach from the main road, which runs parallel to the shore before looping through the small town center to the beach.