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My Chilean friends all told me to go to Viña del Mar. My expat friends told me to avoid it. Because of the difference of opinion, I decided to check it out for myself.
What’s the verdict? Viña is a nice city, but there’s really not much to it. I might as well be Orland Park, Illinois, with a beach. There’s not exactly much to see, especially of real historical significance, no soul, very little culture, and lots of overpriced restaurants. Three hours were enough for me to see everything.
The beaches, on the other hand, are a different story. Read my entry on the beaches to learn more.
Getting There
How do you get there? Very easy. Viña is a city adjacent to Valparaíso and their public transportation is linked. You have two choices from Valpo to Viña – bus or metro.
To use the bus, you can hop onto any bus in Valpo that has Viña del Mar written on it. Pay the driver, and get off when you see the flower clock or at Plaza José Francisco Vergara. Those are the two places nearest anything worth seeing. To be honest, the bus is probably better because they are more frequent and you can get off at more convenient places.
To use the metro, buy a metro card at one of the stops in Valpo. The cost is variable depending on trip length and time of day. You have to swipe the card on your way in and out. If you don’t have enough money on your way out, you can pay the attendant to top up the card. The ride is about 15-20 minutes one way. I would suggest getting off the metro at the Viña del Mar stop because most of the “sites” are near it.
To get there from Santiago, go to the Pajaritos metro station on the red line. Just outside the metro station, there are direct buses to Viña del Mar. I would suggest Pullman or TurBus. The trip is about 90 minutes.
Flower Clock
Now that you’re in Viña, what’s there to see? Let’s start near the ocean. If you get off the bus at the Flower Clock (Reloj de Flores), you can stop for a few minutes to see the flower clock. It’s actually pretty nice.
From there, cross the street and walk towards the ocean. You can get a glimpse of the beach next to the Sheraton hotel. I wouldn’t recommend that beach.
Wulff Castle
Then follow the road along the ocean to see some really cool rocks on a small beach and Wulff Castle (Castillo Wulff). It was built by German industrialist Gustavo Adolfo Wulff in 1905, and kind of looks like something out of a Disney movie with its position right on the Pacific. The house used to be open to visitors with temporary art exhibits, but it’s been closed for quite a while. Anyway, there’s really nothing inside to see. Next to the house is a small lookout that has some really nice views.
Avenida Valparaíso
Follow the coastal road and walk along the river to the first bridge. Turn right and walk a couple blocks until you come to Avenida Valparaíso. This is a nice street to walk along with a few shops and restaurants. To me, it’s not all that interesting of a street, but it’s as charming as Viña can get.
Plaza José Francisco Vergara
About 10 minutes of walking on Avenida Valparaíso will take you to Plaza José Francisco Vergara, the main square in Viña del Mar. It’s a nice park with lots of action and a few historic buildings located around it.
Quinta Vergara
A few minutes walk south of the plaza was my favorite part of Viña, Quinta Vergara. This is a large public park that was once the private garden of José Francisco Vergara, founder of Viña del Mar. His beautiful mansion built in 1910, Vergara Palace (Palacio Vergara), is located on the grounds, and houses an art museum. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation during my visit.
Monuments to Chilean Nobel laureate poets Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral were located on the grounds as well.
Carrasco Palace
Back north of the plaza, across the river are a few more museums/historical mansions. The first one is Carrasco Palace (Palacio Carrasco). It was completed in 1923 and is now a cultural center. The sculpture La Defensa by French sculptor Auguste Rodin sits out front.
Fonck Museum
Behind Palacio Carrasco is the Fonck Museum (Museo Fonck), an archaeology museum housed in an old mansion. In front of the museum is an Easter Island moai statue, one of the only ones on mainland Chile. It’s open daily and adult admission is CLP$4,500 (as of May 2024).
Rioja Palace
A few blocks away is the Rioja Palace (Palacio Rioja). It was built by tobacco baron Fernando Rioja in 1907 and modeled after Versailles Palace. Like the other mansions, it’s now a museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts (Museo de Artes Decorativas). It’s open daily except Mondays and admission is free (as of May 2024) with guided tours on the hour.
