Viña del Mar, also known as the Garden City, is Chile’s top tourist destination after Santiago. And no wonder, with all the things to do in Viña del Mar. Beautiful parks, Pacific Ocean beaches, iconic buildings and a Song Festival await you in this city, the ideal place to go on holiday or just spend a few days.
This beautiful coastal city is located in the northwest of Chile, in Valparaíso, and is a haven for tourists and locals seeking a temperate climate all year round. Its maximum temperatures are 25ºC in summer and 16ºC in winter, making Viña del Mar an ideal place to enjoy the coast in the warm months and take long walks through its gardens in the cold ones. We invite you to discover this wonderful Chilean city with us, read on!
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Things to do in Viña del Mar, Chile
The Flower Clock
This beautiful garden clock is one of the city’s main attractions. With its Swiss machinery, it has been telling the time on the Castillo hill since 1962, when the football World Cup was held in Chile that year.
Wulff Castle
This idyllic castle is one of the most recognisable sights of Viña del Mar, Chile. It was built in 1906 by German philanthropist Gustavo Wulff and declared a National Historic Monument in 1995. The castle has been remodelled several times. Originally it was not finished in stone and had three towers instead of one, but it has always maintained the European style in which it was designed. The Wulff Castle has served multiple purposes, such as a Naval and Maritime Museum, Museum of the Culture of the Sea and, at present, headquarters of the Heritage Unit of the Municipality of Viña del Mar and exhibition centre.
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00-13:30, 15:00-17:30 / Monday: Closed. Free entry.
Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden of Viña del Mar is, without a doubt, one of the reasons why this city has been popularly nicknamed Garden City. This enormous 400 hectare space is the ideal place to spend an afternoon in nature within a big city. It has picnic areas and barbecue grills, cycle paths, a swimming area as well as a pleasant lagoon that looks like something out of a fairytale. Come here to relax and watch ducks and other birds.
Open every day of the year from 9:00 to 18:00. Price: Adults $2000 (€2.15) Children, students and senior citizens $1000 (€1.07).
Beaches of Playas de Viña del Mar
The coastal city of Viña del Mar has many beaches that are worth visiting, whether you are only spending a few days or a few weeks. Although the most popular is Reñaca on the outskirts of Viña del Mar, there are others with great attractions to offer. An example is Cochoa beach, with dark sand and a beautiful viewpoint where you can watch sea lions on the rocks. Another is Caleta Abarca, probably the most frequented due to its central location and its proximity to the Flower Clock. During the summer it becomes one of those beaches where it is difficult to even find a place to put your parasol, so we recommend arriving early. However, a point in its favour are its beautiful gardens.
It is important to note that Viña del Mar is mainly a holiday destination, so in the summer season many people go to its beaches to cool off. However, some of them are not so crowded, so if you prefer quieter beaches, we suggest you go to Las Salinas or Los Marineros.
Francisco Fonck Museum of History and Archaeology
This museum honours Dr. Francisco Fonck Foveaux, a German doctor, explorer and politician with a passion for Chile and archaeology. Here we find rooms that delve into the different Chilean cultures through domestic objects that have managed to survive over time, as well as the country’s native wildlife. However, the most famous artefact which attracts most visitors is a moai sculpture from Easter Island, one of the few to be found outside the island.
Opening hours: Monday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 / Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00 / Sundays and public holidays: 10:00 – 14:00.
Ticket price: $3000 adults (€3.20) / $600 children (5-14 years) (€0.64)
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The most important music festival in Latin America takes place every year in Viña del Mar. The Festival Internacional de la Canción started in 1960 and happens in the last days of February. It brings together international artists such as Elton John, The Police, Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny, among many others. The event is held in the Quinta Vergara Amphitheatre and has a capacity of 15,000 people. The 2021 and 2022 editions of the Viña del Viña Festival have been suspended due to health safety reasons.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What to do around Viña del Mar, Chile?
Go to the beach in Reñaca
Just over 5 kilometres from the centre of Viña del Mar is Reñaca, a town with one of the most popular beaches in Chile. Reñaca beach is famous not only for its blue waters and young atmosphere, but also for the curious architecture that surrounds it. The buildings are adapted to the hilly landscape of Valparaíso, in the form of white terraces that are sure to impress you.
Visit Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city that deserves a trip of its own, so if you’re spending several days in Viña del Mar, we recommend taking advantage of one of them to visit Valparaíso. This lively city is built on 45 hills, so be prepared to discover one of the most colourful cities in the world on its constant slopes.
Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción, two of the most visited hills in Valparaíso, are a must on your walk around the city. In both neighbourhoods you’ll find the magnificent houses and colourful murals that give the city its unique personality. It is also essential to climb up to La Sebastiana, the house where Pablo Neruda lived. We say “climb” because it is in the upper part of Valparaíso, so to get there you will have to go up a steep hill. However, the views of the sea and the whole city are worth the effort. Finally, we recommend visiting the port of Valparaíso to enjoy its fishing atmosphere.
Get to know Valparaíso in more depth in our post Things to do in Valparaíso
Visit the Dunes of Concón
The Punta de Concón dune field is another spot you must not miss on your travel itinerary when you go to Viña del Mar. It is approximately 10 kilometres away from the city and is another of the many gifts that nature offers us in Chile. It is a set of stable dunes that date back to the Quaternary Period (approximately 2 million years ago) and offers a beautiful view of the sea, safeguarded by rich mountains of sand. Here, tourists and professional athletes take advantage of this amazing orography to practice sandboarding (€25 for adults and free for children under 11 years of age).
Where to stay?
As a city that lives largely off tourism, there is a wide variety of places to stay. We recommend some of the best below.
- Novotel Viña de Mar, Chile: A luxurious 4-star hotel less than 1 kilometre from the centre and Acapulco beach. Facilities include a gym, sauna and buffet breakfast for €13. Double rooms from €125 per night.
- Sheraton Miramar Hotel & Convention Center: A 5-star hotel with luxurious rooms with panoramic views of the bay of Valparaiso. This hotel is 50 metres from the beach and 5 minutes from the Wulff Castle. It has an outdoor swimming pool and heated pool, as well as a spa and hairdressing and massage services. Double rooms start from €246.
- Hostal Traslaviña: This pleasant hostel is located less than 1 kilometre from the centre, close to places of interest such as the Flower Clock and the Wulff Castle. It is 2.6 km from the beach of Caleta Portales. The hostel has a nice communal lounge and terrace and all rooms have private bathrooms. The average price is around 50 euros per night and breakfast is included.
- Dei Templi Apart Hotel: 200 metres from the beach, these apartment-hotels overlooking the ocean are a great option for those who prefer to stay in Reñaca, 9 kilometres from the centre of Viña de Mar. It has a private pool and a delicious breakfast included and served in the room. Rates range from €75 to €100 per night.
Where to eat in Viña del Mar, Chile?
- Illo Mapu: The perfect place to try authentic Mapuche food with a fusion twist. With a price range of between €9 and €19, at Illo Mapu you can find dishes, as they say on their website, prepared with “a deep respect for the mother and native nation”.
- Divino Pecado: One of the best rated restaurants in Viña del Mar. It is an elegant Italian restaurant with delicious pasta dishes, seafood and vegetarian options. Prices range from €15 to €129.
- Cuzco Sabores: a restaurant with authentic “Peruvian food” as stated on its menu. At Cuzco Sabores you can try the best ceviche in Viña de Mar and other dishes such as corvina a lo macho (a typical Peruvian fish dish) and duck a lo chiclayana, among many others.
- El Tintico de Botero: A cosy café in Renate with delicious sweet and savoury breakfasts and snacks.
What to do in Viña del Mar in one day?
- Visit the Flower Clock and have your photo taken with it. Legend has it that if you visit it you will return to Viña del Mar sooner than you think.
- Admire the spectacular moai statue at the Fonck Museum.
- Watch the waves crashing against the Wulff Castle.
- Spend the afternoon in Reñaca and watch the sun set over the sea.
Tips for your trip to Viña del Mar
- Have your money exchanged into Chilean pesos beforehand. Currency exchanges at airports are very expensive.
- Always carry cash. Not all shops accept card payments.
- Bear in mind that in Chile there is a rounding law and there are no 1 and 5 pesos coins, so your bill will be rounded to the nearest ten.
- Bar and restaurant bills include a 10% tip already calculated. This is a suggestion, you can leave that amount, more, less or nothing at all if you don’t want to.
- Wear comfortable shoes. This area is known for its enormous amount of hills, so you will be going up and down a lot of slopes.
- If you want to save some money, travel in December, when the weather is pleasant but it’s not high season and hotel prices are lower than in January and February.
How to organise your trip to Viña del Mar?
- Get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
- Add the spots you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
- Organise your itinerary by days and according to their location (you can take inspiration from the routes presented in the post).
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make the necessary modifications and you are ready for your trip.
- Finally, share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you have visited to the app so you can inspire other users.
If you have any doubts about how to plan your itinerary, you can read our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.
Read Things to do in Chile to find out more about this wonderful country.
Frequently asked questions
Buses to Viña del Mar leave from Santiago station every day of the week every 15 minutes or less. From 6:00 to 22:30 and for 3000$ COP (<1€).
Viña del Mar is a city with a wide variety of services and activities suitable for children. For example visiting and swimming at the beaches (if the temperature permits), going to the Botanical Garden and doing an adventure trail above the trees at Be Happy Park or spending the day at the Aviva Water Park.
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