Best of the Coast: Valparaíso & Casablanca Valley
Take Route 68 northwest from Santiago through the Coastal Mountain Range and visit the Casablanca Valley, renowned for its sauvignon blanc, pinot, and syrah. On the Pacific coast, Valparaíso is a picturesque port and UNESCO World Heritage site.
Chillán 2175, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Century-old La Casona estancia lies on the expansive estate of Matetic Vineyards, known for its syrah, about 60 miles west of Santiago. Spacious rooms feature wooden floors, cozy reading chairs, and French doors that open onto the organically...
Casablanca, Valparaiso Region, Chile
William Cole left corporate life in the United States and headed south to invest his earnings in the Casablanca Valley. The vineyard is an 80 km (49 miles) drive from Santiago and worth the visit to experience spectacular views, excellent food and...
Fundo el Rosario, Casablanca, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
In the lush countryside outside of Santiago in Casablanca lies Matetic Vineyards, Chile’s largest fully organic and biodynamic winery. Matetic is a full-service experience, where you can stay in a gorgeous property on-site or come for a day tour...
Monte Alegre 149, Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
Built in the 1920s by a Croatian businessman, Palacio Astoreca underwent two years of refurbishment and restoration before opening its doors as a boutique hotel in 2012. The work was carried out to a meticulous degree, maintaining the original...
352 - Templeman, Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
Pasta e Vino is often credited with starting Valparaíso's gastronomic revival nearly a decade ago. It started as a tiny restaurant with a group of tables off a colorful "pasaje," or side street in the port. Word spread, it took months to get a...
Nestled in a chilly nook of Western Casablanca, Casas del Bosque has become one of the anchor wineries in the coastal region. While the operation has grown from its beginnings in 1993, the focus remains dedicated to showing the varied terroir...
Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
One of the delights of Valparaíso is exploring the colorful hillsides that ramble down towards the sea. Take the century-old funicular elevators Ascensor Concepción (Turri) or El Peral near the main plaza, constructed between 1883 and 1911. Once...
Ricardo de Ferrari 692, Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
The poet Pablo Neruda redefined the city with hisOde to Valparaíso, calling it “the patched bow of a small courageous ship.” Today, visitors can tour his home, known as La Sebastiana. The building is now a museum with one of the city’s finest gift...
Pedro Montt 2078, Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
by Steven Bodzin Valparaiso has the world’s biggest concentration of hillside railways, known locally as ascensores, or elevators. Victorian developers built 30 of them to shuttle residents and their goods up and down the city’s steep coastal...
Cochrane 102, Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
Chile’s 4,000-milecoastline provides a bounty of seafood. At Los Porteños, trypastel de jaiba, crab served in a casserole with bread crumbs and cream.—Steven Bodzin 56/(0) 32-225-1915. This appeared in the November/December 2011 issue.
Zapallar, Valparaiso Region, Chile
Zapallar is a decidedly untouristy beach town about two hours northwest of Santiago. Unlike the larger and more well-known Viña del Mar and its suburbs, Zapallar has no major hotels, no high rises, and no busy streets. Rather, Zapallar is the...
Serrano 567, Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
If during your travels you find yourself in Valparaíso, reserve an extra day or two to check out its nearby sister city, Viña del Mar. Just 20 minutes up the coast, this small beach town is a popular vacation destination for Chileans, and a great...
Concón, Valparaiso Region, Chile
North of the garden resort city of Viña del Mar along the scenic coastal highway, affluent Chilean families have vacationed in Concon for generations. Casadoca is a posh boutique hotel that feels more like visiting a wealthy friend on the coast...
Concón, Valparaiso Region, Chile
One of the most beloved traditions on the central Chilean coast is to stop for empanadas in the coastal village of Concón. Along the main drag, small mom-and-pop restaurants make crunchy, fried empanadas with a variety of fillings, notably the...
Valparaíso, Valparaiso Region, Chile
Valparaíso, Valparaiso Region, Chile
Casa Higueras was the first true boutique hotel to arrive in culturally captivating Valparaiso, renovating a 1930s mansion into a posh boutique hotel. Perched atop Cerro Alegre with 20 spacious rooms (many with ocean-view terraces) the decor is...
Isla Negra, El Quisco, Valparaiso Region, Chile
Nobel prize–winning poet Pablo Neruda built one of his three houses in the tiny village of Isla Negra on the rocky coast north of the port of San Antonio in 1939. During his life, the house grew somewhat organically as he decorated with his whims...
