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One of my must-sees for my time in Chile was Isla Negra, the favorite home of Nobel Laureate poet Pablo Neruda. Of his three houses, the others being La Chascona in Santiago and La Sebastiana in Valparaíso, Isla Negra is the best-preserved and the most interesting. It’s definitely worth the trip from Santiago.
Tour with Turistik
Isla Negra is about 90 minutes from Santiago. To save time and make things easier, I took a tour provided by Turistik. It wasn’t cheap, but they dropped us off near the house, took care of admissions, and even took us to a vineyard on the way back to Santiago. The current version of the tour doesn’t stop at the vineyards, but instead at the resort town of Algarrobo and Viña Casas del Bosque. It costs CLP$79,000 (as of April 2024).
A service bus picked me up at 8:15am at Patio Bellavista in Santiago (they offer hotel pick-ups as well). It took me to a central Turistik bus depot where everyone on the bus joined their tour for the day. I ended up sleeping the whole way to Isla Negra, and I don’t think the guide was too happy about that.
Arrival at Isla Negra
The bus stopped on a small road, and we walked five minutes to the house. When we arrived, it was busier than expected, so our group waited in the café overlooking the Pacific Ocean until it was our turn. The views were amazing, and I could immediately understand why Neruda chose this as the setting for his home.
Self-Guided Tour
When it was time for our group to start, we were given individual audio guides and one hour to finish the tour. As in the other Neruda homes, I was able to see a collection of artifacts Neruda acquired from his travels. Each artifact was meticulously placed in a certain spot by the poet for a reason. In addition, each room was designed specifically to mimic the feeling of being on a ship, or in a rail car. He even positioned his bed so that the sun would rise at his feet. Listening to every detail was entertaining and interesting. Unfortunately, photography is forbidden inside the house. Admission is CLP$9,500 (as of April 2024) and it’s open Tuesday through Sunday.
One of my favorite parts of the house was a small boat fixed on a rock on the outside. Neruda would sit in the boat with friends and pretend to be a captain on the sea. He loved to entertain guests and never ate alone, so I could only imagine how fun it would be to have a dinner at any of his houses.
In the last few rooms of the house, I was able to see some of Neruda’s most prized possessions: a model of a horse he had wanted to buy as a boy (and finally did 50 years later), his favorite writing desk, and his seashell collection.
Grave
The tour ended with a visit to his grave, a spot where he had wished to be buried with his lover, Matilda Urrutia:
“Friends, bury me in Isla Negra, in front of the sea I know, close to every rugged area of stones, and of waves that my lost eyes no longer may see.” (Disposiciones)
Lunch
After we finished the tour, the bus took us to lunch. It pulled up to a building with absolutely nothing else in sight. Lots of different flags were hanging outside and in the dining hall. I could only describe it as a literal tourist trap. The food was terribly overpriced and portions were tiny. As if the tour wasn’t expensive enough! The cost of the lunch was the only negative thing about the tour.
Viña Matetic
On the way back to Santiago, we made a stop at Viña Matetic, a biodynamic vineyard in the Casablanca Valley. It was founded by a Chilean family of Croatian heritage.
Tours are offered Monday through Friday and cost CLP$45,000 per person for a 2 ½ hour tour of the vineyard, a tasting of four wines, and bread and olive oil (as of April 2024). You can also stop by just for the four wine tastings with bread and olive oil for CLP$25,000 per person (as of April 2024), and that takes about 35 minutes. You can reserve your tour or tasting online.
We had a tour and explanation of their winemaking process by a very knowledgable guide, followed by a stop in the cellar. We finished the tour with a wine tasting of their premium Equilibrium line of wines – two reds and two whites. I liked one of each, but don’t remember exactly which ones. We had a cabernet, chardonnay, pinot noir, and a syrah.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a good tour. It would have been impossible to do both Isla Negra and the vineyard in a day by bus, and more expensive by renting a car. If anyone decides to take this tour, don’t be shocked at the price of the lunch. You’re better off packing your own snacks and saving the money.
