Viña del Mar ~ Chile travel pictures & information
Viña Chile, Reñaca, Viña del Mar resorts longstays
Viña del Mar, Chile, is across the bay from the port city Valparaiso. My Viña Chile travel pictures are posted belwo. Viã Del Mar seems to offer more resorts and longstays than does Valpo. Viña seemed to have more condos and charming row houses and B&Bs, nestled along coves and scattered throughout the steep hillsides. You'd be hard pressed to find a room without a great view! (check for hotels in Vina del Mar here) I had lunch just north of Viña, in the town of Reñaca (see traditional Chilean foods and seafood page). I came to Viña Del Mar from Santiago Chile, then went back, to fly south to Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt for the flowers in spring (see Chile flora in Lake District's Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, then further south still, to Patagonia's Torres del Paine. For country information, see Chile.
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Viña Chile Across Valparaiso Bay from Valpo  The beaches of Viña del Mar and smaller communities along the coast attract visitors from Santiago on weekends and holidays, swelling the ranks of the 300,000 who call it home. Lovely to look at and stroll along, the Pacific Ocean is a bit chilly for swimming all year 'round, thanks to the Humboldt Current sweeping the coast north from the Antarctic. |
Hillside Homes in Viña Del Mar ~ Narrow lanes and lots of flowers  Cobblestone lanes wind back and forth around the hills in Vinñ Del Mar, lined with charming flower-bedecked homes and shops. A number of these homes now operate as Bed and Breakfasts. |
Hillside House is a splash of yellow  A closer look at the house above, with its windows covered with ornate iron grill work covered in blooms. Along with its lovely neighbourhoods and great seafood, Viña's cooler climate, frequent bouts of chill morning fogs and steep streets reminded me of San Francisco, California. |
Two cats on a garden wall in Viña  Cats lazed atop walls, and dogs dozed on sunny sidewalks. None of these animals 'at large' seemed to take any notice of passing traffic, foot or motor. |
Historic Churches in Viña Del Mar  This lovely church took up most of a city block. I loved the style of its window arches, but unfortunately, I don't know the name of this church. (If you do, please leave a comment below.) In a country almost exclusively Roman Catholic (90 percent), there are a great many of these lovely churches. |
Seals on the rocks at Reñaca  The oceanside drive continues north, and rounds yet another cove, so Viña Del Mar seamlessly becomes the town of Reñaca(prnounced Ren-YACKA). Out in the cove not far from the beach, these seals covered much of the rocks. Other rocks served as rookeries for shore birds. |
Reñaca beachfront early afternoon, November  The beach across the road from our lunchtime seafood restaurant, El Encanto de Reñaca, looked a lovely spot to spend some time. The restaurant is a popular lunch stop for larger tour groups, who this day had mainly come from Argentina and Brazil. |
Older Viña Del Mar Apartments  This building with its black diamond detailing seemed to be a series of fantastic and optimistic afterthoughts, going ever higher to get sea views. January and February are high season; November and March are usually the best times to get a reasonably priced resort or hotel. |
Viña Del Mar's New Condos still being built 
These days, although La Serena, a seaside town a few hundred kilometers north, is taking more of Viña Del Mar's visitors, many condos are still being built. This area of the Chile coast has direct highway access from Argentina and Brazil via the tunnel through the Andes at Los Libertadores, thus bypassing Santiago. If you are planning a longstay holiday in Viña Del Mar and area, check for accomommodation at Trip Advisor - see Vina Del Mar Chile hotels, and Vina Del Mar B&Bs. More Chile Travel Pictures and information
Chile Menu
Chile Information
Traditional Chile foods
Santiago, Chile
Santiago City Parks
Valparaiso
Lake District, National Park
Puerto Varas
Puerto Montt
Vicente Perez Rosales
Chile flora (flowers, shrubs)
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