Dear Friends and Famdamily,
Chile was a delight! We weren’t sure how much more beauty we could find after the stunning Torres del Paine, but Chile had something to offer around every corner.
We had about one week left to explore Chile, so we (begrudgingly) left Patagonia and headed to Santiago, the capital city, to explore vineyards, dormant volcanoes, and our favorite part, the colorful seaside towns of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
In the vein that catastrophe seemingly follows us to places we have visited (as does Ed Sheeran, but that’s a story we’ll get to when we reach New Zealand), it should be noted that Chile began to battle raging fires several weeks after our departure. We hope they are recovering.
Perry’s Travel Diary
What to do in Santiago, Chile
Santiago Free Walking Tour
We started off our time in Santiago as we usually do in a new city – by taking a free walking tour.
Our tour guide took us to all of the places you would expect, including the home of the Chilean president, La Moneda.
The most memorable stop on the tour, though, was this beautifully painted street art alley under a bridge. Our guide explained that the city had donated this area for the artists to “express themselves” as much as they wanted (and hopefully deter graffiti from other areas).
“However,” our guide continued, “This area is also well known for another type of expression. Expressions of love… very uncomfortable expressions of love.”
We were advised to avoid the area at night.
Our tour happened upon a group of dancers practicing the national dance of Chile and eventually concluded in Barrio Lastarria, a formerly rough neighborhood that’s now a hipster paradise (as most hipster paradises seem to be) with street art and restaurants.
We stopped for pisco sours and ceviche. Both Chile and Peru claim to have the best pisco sours and ceviche, so we figured it was important to try in both countries for the sake of comparison. (For the record, we loved both and tasted very little difference.)
Pete’s Travel Diary
Our Misadventure to Concha y Toro Vineyard
Seeking the sort of peace that can only be found in a vineyard, we wished to seek out one of those recommended by our walking tour guide. To start, we entered the name of the vineyard, “Concha y Toro” into Google Maps and outlined the path to our destination.
We secured seats on the public bus and began on our way. Individuals attempting to sell snacks or play music would occasionally hop on the bus in hopes of earning some quick cash from the riders.
After only a few blocks there was a bang as if a rifle had gone off. We looked around in panic (were we under attack?) as the bus began to limp dramatically.
We’d blown a tire.
To the public bus service’s credit, we hopped off, and within moments another bus pulled up to collect us. It was unfortunate but seamless.
Our tour began to head towards a side of town that more resembled an industrial complex than the usual rolling green hills one finds at a vineyard. We identified the location and approached the security person manning the gate. Despite a language barrier, it became apparent that this was merely a business office somehow tied to Concha y Toro and the vineyard was in fact on the opposite side of the city in the town of Pirque.
Great. This journey was going well.
It began to feel as if fate itself did not want us to go on that bus ride to nowhere, but here we were. The man confirmed the correct destination on our map for us and we parted ways.
This time, we hailed an Uber and arrived at the vineyard a good half hour later than planned. We resigned ourselves to the likelihood that we had just lost the cash we spent on the tour.
Concha y Toro Vineyard: The Actual Tour
We approached the attendants running the vineyard tours and they graciously accommodated us despite our tardiness. Gracious barely covers it; they happily received us and insisted that we have a good time at no additional charge.
They allowed us to see the tail end of our original tour (provided we keep their grand finale a secret, which we shall) and then when a new tour started up a while later, we were able to join without issue.
Despite the mishaps of getting to the vineyard, everything was starting to look up again. We were back on track. The vineyard provided all attendees on the tour with an engraved wine glass for tasting. We kindly donated our glasses to one of our AirBnB hosts, as packing fragile wine glasses would be a trainwreck effort for us.
Drinking an extinct grape? The interesting story of Carmenere…
Among the wines that we tasted was one made from Carmenere grapes, which have an intriguing origin story. The varietal originated in France, and after a devastating grape disease ripped through Bordeaux, Carmenere was thought to be extinct.
Turns out, someone had brought a few Carmenere vines to Chile years earlier and planted them in Concha y Toro’s vineyard. For years, the varietal was mistaken for Merlot (how embarrassing for the sommeliers), until an astute plant scientist noticed that these vines ripened later than the others in the field. Genetic testing confirmed that they were indeed Carmanere. Today, Concha y Toro and others have seized upon this marketing opportunity, and the grape makes up a significant part of Chile’s viticulture.
Deal with the Devil
Concha y Toro Vineyard has another fun tale to draw mystery to their finely crafted wines. As the story goes, there had been some trouble with burglary from the wine cellars and so the owner made a deal with the devil to ward off the thieves. It was, by all accounts, successful. After some terrifying experiences with the last burglars, word spread like wildfire of the devil in the wine cellar. No more thefts have ever been reported.
If you wish to visit Concha y Toro…
…we suggest booking this tour with round-trip transportation included. By the end of the day, we’d spent the same amount of money correcting our public transportation mishap as we would have by booking the inclusive tour.
If you insist on getting there on your own, make sure to use this location on Google Maps and then book your tickets here.
Either way, we highly recommend Concha y Toro! We had a fabulous time and the staff was excellent… once we made it there. 😉
Holy Volcano
Volcanoes are literally everywhere you can think of if you think to look. One thinks they are rare or exotic, but in fact, they are sometimes the reason for the land you stand on.
We found yet another (dormant) volcano, this time in Santiago, and were determined to see it. Cerro San Cristobal is one of several hills in Santiago, and it is accessed by either a funicular or a long hiking trail. We used both, taking the funicular on the way up and hiking our way back down.
The Catholics beat us to the summit and constructed a tremendous statue of the Virgin Mary at the peak. Should the volcano ever erupt again, it will be quite the sight for devotees and coreligionists. A volcano that could one day shake the faith, quite literally.
There was also a lifesize nativity scene which, while it was technically the time of year, seemed out of place as we were used to snow rather than hot tropical climates with Christmas around the corner. The statues were finely carved from local hardwoods and were a fine specimen of local craftsmanship. Someone put some love into hand carving that beautiful Nativity scene.
It was a very long and winding walk to get to the bottom via the paved trail. The views were still enjoyable.
Perry’s Travel Diary
Valparaíso and Viña Del Mar
A friend of mine told me that Valparaíso and Viña del Mar were where the Chileans went on vacation, so after we had our fill of the big city, we headed to the coast for our last few days in Chile.
Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are two adjacent towns along the Pacific coast of Chile. Valparaíso is known for its port, a major shipping and cruise hub known for its street art and funiculars. (If you take a cruise that lists a stop in Santiago, Chile, it will actually visit Valparaíso.) Viña del Mar is a more resort-like town, with large hotels lining its white sand beach.
We chose to stay in Viña del Mar for the beach access and took a quick public bus over to Valparaíso.
We explored Viña on our own. Despite our AirBnB’s location on the edge of town, the entire area is very walkable. We took in Viña’s major sights: a large landscaped flower clock, the Wulff Castle, and the large, sandy beach and pier.
After a churro at a beachside shack, we headed to Valparaíso for another free walking tour. Our guide focused our tour on street art – and it would be hard not to. Valparaíso is covered in colorful murals that celebrate the town’s history.
There’s one around every corner.
On top of the murals, Valparaíso is painted a rainbow of colors. Our guide offered a few theories for why the houses had so many colors. Some say that the fisherman painted their houses the same colors as their boats for easy identification. Some say that everyone just liked the colors. Who really knows?
Valparaíso is built on a series of hillsides and is well-known for its elevators or funiculars. While they used to be private enterprises, most are now under the ownership of the city for public transportation and conservation purposes. A one-way ride will cost you CLP$100 (USD$0.12) per person.
In addition to the elevators, the hillsides also mean lots of staircases. Along the oldest ones, you’ll see a ramp. Decades ago, water would run down the hill for the women of the neighborhood to wash their clothes. There was a pecking order; the oldest and most respected women would get to wash their clothes at the top, where the water was cleanest.
These days, they make great slides. Pete was the only one in our group brave enough to try it out.
Valparaíso is also home to a former prison from the Pinochet dictatorship. Sitting atop Cerro Cárcel (Carcel Hill), it’s now a cultural center that can be explored. In my photos, it’s located near the painted sign you see that says “Libertad.”
The town of Valparaíso was so colorful and cute that I wished we had stayed over there instead! Either way, Valparaíso and Viña had great smaller-town vibes that we loved. We’d recommend spending at least as much time here as you spend in Santiago (if not more).
Itinerary
Hotel
Hyatt Place Santiago/Viticura (5,000 points per night) – After bopping around between budget-friendly hotels and AirBnBs for two months, I treated us to a 5-night stay at the Hyatt Place Viticura, one of Santiago’s higher-end neighborhoods. The hotel is beautiful and comfortable and includes breakfast. We took in the views from the rooftop terrace and pool.
My only complaint is that the location doesn’t have many cheap or local food options within walking distance. Nearby food is generic and overpriced. You either need to use Rappi or take public transportation to your desired restaurant.
Holiday Inn Santiago Airport (24,000 points per night) – I also used points to reserve one night at the Holiday Inn located within the Santiago Airport prior to our departing flights. Rooms were clean, comfortable, and as you would expect for a Holiday Inn. It’s a great place to stay right before your flight, but the location isn’t ideal for visiting anything and again lacks access to cheap, local food.
Viña del Mar AirBnB ($51/night) – We stayed at this adorable one-bedroom apartment in Viña del Mar. It had a full kitchen, washing machine, and drying rack – perfect for a longer stay.
Food
Santiago
La Fabrica Craft Beer & Restaurant – Although overpriced, the food was good right next to our hotel.
Républica Independiente del Pisco – Our stop in Barrio Lastarria for ceviche and pisco sours.
Street food – There’s a bunch of cheap eats and stalls on the street near the entrance to the Cerro San Cristobal funicular.
Viña del Mar
Pecado Del Inka Continental – We regret to inform you that the best food we ate in Chile was at a Peruvian restaurant. *cue Chilean outrage*
But seriously, you have to eat here. It was amazing.
What to Eat
- Palta – The Chilean word for avocado. It’s basically guacamole, available everywhere and on everything.
- Completos – A hot dog covered with palta, mayonnaise, and tomatoes, sold on the street or in small cafes. At around USD$3-4, it’s a cheap option for lunch.
- Sopapillas – Also sold on the street, Sopapillas should be stuffed with squash and other delicious fillings or sauces. The kind I tried was more like a dry fried tortilla and wasn’t very good. Not sure how I screwed this one up. Please try it for me and report back.
- Alfajores – A chocolate-covered cookie with dulce de leche in the middle. Need I say more? Sold along one of the narrow streets in Valparaíso, they were only a couple hundred pesos each (about 25 cents per cookie). Buy a dozen.
- Pisco Sour – Both Peru and Chile make their own versions of a Pisco Sour. Chile’s includes Chilean pisco brandy, lime juice, sugar, and ice.
- Ceviche – Chile has its own unique spin on this South American classic. Don’t leave without trying it!
Special thanks to my friend Terryn for sharing the first three food recs on this list!
Transportation
Santiago Public Transportation: Bus and Metro
Santiago has a comprehensive public transportation system. In order to use both the buses and the metro, you need to buy a Bip! Card (CLP$1,550), available for purchase in every metro station. Once you have a card, it can be loaded with additional funds at the automated machines in the metro stations – but you can’t reload it on the bus.
Public transportation prices vary based on the time of day and whether you’re using the metro or bus service, making it difficult to predict exactly what you will be charged. Rates range from CLP$600-900 per person for a one-way trip.
You need to be aware of pickpockets, especially in the crowded metro. Take standard precautions.
Valparaíso and Viña Public Transportation: Bus
Valparaíso and Viña del Mar share a public bus system. To ride, simply board the bus and give the driver cash for your tickets. You don’t need to have exact change, but you need to be close; the drivers have a limited amount of cash available. One-way tickets were about CLP$380 per person. Google Maps has accurate bus route and stop information. It takes about 20-30 minutes to travel between the two towns once you’re on the bus.
Airport and Regional Bus
We used Turbus to travel between Santiago and Viña Del Mar. They offer nonstop service to both Valparaíso and Viña, so pick whichever your hotel is in. Their charter buses are well-maintained and comfortable. Buses leave once an hour if not more frequently. Purchase your tickets online here.
Santiago’s public transportation system doesn’t run all the way to the airport, so we also used TurBus’ airport bus to travel from Terminal Alameda/Central Station to the airport ($1,800 one-way per person). Airport buses run at least once an hour. Buy your tickets on the spot.
Taxi/Uber
Uber works in Santiago.
Currency
Chile uses the Chilean Peso. Credit Cards are widely accepted, but we noticed that there is often a credit card convenience fee when purchasing tickets online. Cash is needed for smaller, local restaurants.
Travel Tip of the Week
Using Google Maps for Public Transportation Directions
Need to get from point A to point B using a public transportation system? Google Maps has you covered.
Gone are the days of pouring over public transport maps and timetables. We enter our destination on Google Maps, click on the button for “Directions,” and then select the bus icon towards the top of the screen to get step-by-step public transportation directions.
In some metros, Google Maps will show you the real-time location of buses, which makes them much easier to use. (I hate waiting around for a bus that has gone missing in traffic.) Santiago did not have this feature, but I suspect they will soon.
Here are two advanced options that you might not know about but we use frequently:
- Adjust your departure time if you’re looking at directions for a later day or time. Some services only run during peak hours or on certain days of the week.
- Customize the type of public transportation you want to take (under “Options”). If we’re in a city where bus tracking isn’t part of Google Maps, I’ll deselect buses and stick to the trains! You could also deselect ferries if you want to avoid boats, etc.
Google Maps is one of those tools that we could not live without on our journey around the world.
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All our love,
Pete and Perry