Vina del Mar, Chile

Renaca Beach Vina del Mar Chile
Renaca Beach - Vina del Mar, Chile
Former Home Vina del Mar Chile
Former Home (Nice!) - Vina del Mar, Chile
Reloj de Flores Flower Clock Vina del Mar Chile
Reloj de Flores (Flower Clock) 
- Vina del Mar, Chile
Vina del Mar Chile
Vina del Mar, Chile
Pat dunlap Coast Sidewalk Vina del Mar Chile
Pat on Coast Sidewalk - Vina del Mar, Chile
Chilean Lunch of Humitas Vina del Mar Chile
Chilean Lunch of Humitas 
- Vina del Mar, Chile
Downtown Cafe Vina del Mar Chile
Pat at Downtown Cafe - Vina del Mar, Chile
Vina del Mar, Chile (1/24-26/2010)

We liked Vina del Mar!

Welcome to Viña del Mar, Chile’s best known tourist and beach resort destination with its warm summer Mediterranean climate.  

The long white sandy beaches of Vina del Mar are a major attraction for Chileans and international tourists.

With year-round weather similar to our home town of San Diego, Vina del Mar is the sister city of Sausalito, California.Vina del Mar is very close to Chile's capital, Santiago (click here to see).

One of the highlights of our visit in Vina del Mar was meeting good friends of my sister and her husband (Carol & Mike) - Sandra and Alexjandro and their wonderful family.

They were very kind to us and treated us to a true Chilean dinner and lunch including Humitas (meaning bow tie in Spanish - see photo).

Vina del Mar's gambling casino, opened in 1930, is the oldest in Chile and the most visited. Also, Chile’s summer residence for their President was established here in 1931 located in Cerro Castillo (Castle Hill) where we stayed. Our hostel, Little Castle, was very nice. 

Most of the older buildings in Vina del Mar have been destroyed in multiple earthquakes. Now you find high-rise condos along the beach with a large flower clock (Reloj de Flores) - its numbers made up of flowering plants (see photo). 

The beach to been seen at is Renaca (see photo) where we went to with new friends we met in Vina del Mar. The beach was very nice but the ocean water was too cold to swim in.


Numerous bars and restaurants have opened in areas of Vina del Mar around Plaza México and Avenida San Martín.






Please also see our 7 other blog posts for beautiful Chile:

 
 
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5 comments:

  1. I've not previously heard of the Vina del Mar area of Chile. Would love to visit as it looks like there is lots to see and enjoy. Thx for sharing.

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  2. I've been to Vina del Mar when I was in Chile on a photo shoot and loved it. Had a glass of process on a terrace, overlooking the ocean. Such a pretty place.

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  3. I hope you didn't miss Valparaiso, the Unesco World Heritage listed old port town, just down the road (or a tram ride) from Vina del Mar. It's quite interesting and unique in its crumbling beauty, with old colorful houses clinging to the steep hill sides.

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  4. I enjoyed revisiting Vina del Mar via your story and images. I remember it for its casino, ice cream, and gypsies.

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  5. We visited Vina del Mar on a cruise and fell in love with this beautiful area.

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