It is true that normally the people from overseas do not go to Chile for swimming and sunbathing. The country has much more to offer than this. However, coming there in January from the temperatures in Central Europe as low as minus 20 °C, the visit to Viña del Mar and bathing in the Pacific waves becomes simply a must. It was really relaxing!

And once you finish bathing, do not omit Valparaíso – the biggest Chilean port. Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are twin cities, next to each other, at sight and perhaps 10 minutes by urban bus. However, the difference could be not greater even if they would be separated by thousands of light years: while Viña del Mar is a kind of neat summer resort with urban beaches, parks and tall blocks of flats full of season visitors, Valparaiso is a dynamic port city with very specific slope arquitecture, funiculars connecting its streets and proud local people living in. Virtually we could say: while Viña is enjoying the holidays, Valpo is making the business to earn the money for.

We went there right from the Santiago International airport (SCL) after arriving from Europe. Both taxies and buses are going straight there. We left to Santiago by bus at late evening.

I was there on January 20th, 2006, a normal, bright summer day. Unfortunately, it took just a couple of hours and I could not experience the Valparaiso uptown street environment. The pics show briefly all the remaining of my impressions. Enjoy them!