Coastal Tour to Valparaíso & Vina del Mar

Spend the day at the Pacific Ocean. This morning you will be driven two hours from Santiago, passing through the lush agricultural valley of Curacavi and the now famous Casablanca wine valley, to the coast. Our Chile coastal tour begins in Valparaiso, one of the first cities founded by the Spanish and today a UNESCO World Heritage site. We’ll explore the port, learning about the history of Chile’s second largest city and its importance to South America trade and commerce. We’ll ride Valparaiso’s century-old hillside ascensores (elevators) spread along the city’s spectacular steep hills among splendid aging buildings and then walk through the Concepcion and Alegre neighborhoods. We’ll lunch at a local restaurant nestled in the hills known for its fish and seafood. Visit the harbor before going on to relax at the white sand beaches of the international luxury resort city of Viña del Mar. A former hacienda in colonial times, it is known as “Ciudad Jardín” (Garden City) because of its lush subtropical gardens and palm-lined boulevards. Return to Santiago in the afternoon. (L)