Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast.
Often referred to as La Ciudad Jardín, the city is located on the central coast, on the basins of the Reñaca and Marga Marga streams and along the shores of Valparaíso Bay.
Getting to Viña del Mar
Beyond frequent coach bus service between Santiago and Viña. Numerous operators, abundant seating, about a 90-minute ride (but considerably longer if there's traffic) for approximately 10,000 pesos one way (January 2026).
Worth seeing
La Quinta Vergara - a beautiful garden with trees and plants from all over the world. Inside the park you can find the arena La Quinta Vergara, home to the yearly Festival de Viña takes places every year in the last week of February. The festival always marks the end of the summer in Chile and popular in the entire country.
Things to do
Spend time on the numerous beaches found along the coast. They are quite pretty but not very friendly for swimming. Viña del Mar has a casino, so if you like gambling, this is the right city for you. The Casino and Hotel Enjoy of Viña del Mar is at Avenida San Martín 199, near the mouth of the Marga-Marga River. If you are in Viña del Mar during February, there is a music festival taking place in Quinta Vergara.
Where to eat
A very popular treat in Viña del Mar is the alfajor, a typical Argentinean/Uruguayan type of cookie that has also popularized in the village. They can be purchased in several small pastry shops around the downtown area. Usually, alfajores are filled with manjar, fruit, or other sweets and then covered in chocolate. They are a delight for the visitor.
Getting around Viña del Mar the local way
- Get aroundColectivos are taxis painted in black with yellow roofs that run fixed routes, and are a very common mode of transport between (and within) Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, and other surrounding areas.
- Get aroundRather than a funicular, it is the only vertical elevator whose entrance is at street level.
- Go nextTake a colectivo from Calle 12 de Febrero, behind the bus terminal, they leave as soon as they fill up.
From Wikivoyage: Valparaíso, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.