Viña del Mar, Chile

After leaving Santiago, I hopped on a Tur Bus and headed north west towards the lovely coastal city and commune of Viña del Mar in the Valparaíso region of Chile. The bus ride was relaxing and roughly an hour and a half long (1.5 hr). From peering out the windows, you will see a lot of rolling hills, and some beautiful green vineyards that highlight the landscape in what would otherwise be a dry climate.

I also came across several roadway toll booths that Chile has throughout the country (for more about driving in Chile, click here). You have to pay to pass through and continue on. It’s a few dollars in total, and I saw some of these toll booths set up near towns with wineries around. In this case you would have to pay to enter, but not to leave.

Before I knew it, the Tur Bus arrived at Viña del Mar. Its referred to as The Garden City (La Ciudad Jardín), because of the green space and parks, and it attracts a lot of local and international visitors. Here is a list of some things to do while in Viña del Mar. Unfortunately I was not in Viña del Mar for long, but I did a fair bit of strolling around as there was a transit station a short distance from the Air BnB apartment I was staying at. I explored the Jardín Botánico Nacional, which has over 3000 plant species on the 61 hectares of parkland, as well as Reñaca and Constanera beaches along the Chilean coastline. There are lots of places to eat and have a drink at along the coastline, so you have no shortage of options to choose from. Additionally, you also have the option of going on a variety of tours depending on your interests. They sound amazing, and I wish I was able to do at least some of them just to see what they would be like for those with a mobility issue. I have been trying to find, and complete, a walking or biking tour that is modified for anyone who may need extra time to complete a tour, or may need assistance with any stairs, hills, or ramps during a tour, or may require an alternate way of completing a tour. Unfortunately I was not able to find one during my time in Chile, so everything I did was at my own pace and as a self-tour, not part of a guided group tour. 

I didn’t mention this in my previous post, but one of the things that I love about Chile is all the colourful murals, buildings, and homes that I saw. Like Santiago, Viña del Mar has them as well. However, neither compared to Valparaíso, which is my next stop along the way. 

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