Greetings! Chile is a long and narrow country knifed in between the Andes mountain range to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country's climate is quite suitable for wine production such that Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wine in the world after France, Italy, Spain, and Australia.
With this in mind, during
my stay in Santiago, I took a full day excursion to visit a winery, then Viña del Mar, a coastal resort town, and Valparaiso, a port city on Chile's coast, about 120 km (75 miles) north west of Santiago.
First stop was at Casona Veramonte winery where red and white wines were available for tasting and purchase. The main building is nice with high ceiling and large windows. All around the building are grape vines, shining in the sunlight. I walked around the vineyards a bit and watched the staff loading wine barrels onto a truck, presumably to transport them to a store.
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| Grapes at Casona Veramonte |
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| Vineyards basking in the Chilean sun |
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| Red or white or both |
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| Wine barrels |
Second stop was at Viña del Mar beach front. The town looked very developed with many residential buildings and vacation rentals. We passed by a casino but did not go in. The beach was nice and mostly empty, probably because it was a weekday. We also visited the Flower Clock before heading to a local restaurant with ocean views for a delicious seafood lunch.
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| Ocean view, Viña del Mar |
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| Viña del Mar beach |
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| Viña del Mar flower clock |
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| Viña del Mar promenade |
The third and last stop was Valparaiso, the port city, known for its steep funiculars and colourful houses. I read that Valparaiso was built on forty two hills. Well, I walked seven of them before taking El Peral funicular, a historic monument built in 1902, to ground level to visit the busy port.
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| View of Valparaiso port |
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| Hillside houses in Valparaiso |
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| Colourful houses in Valparaiso |
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| A pretty balcony, Valparaiso |
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| Valparaiso, Chile |
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| Downhill towards the sea, Valparaiso |
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| El Peral funicular, Valparaiso |
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| Valparaiso port, Chile |
I enjoyed the excursion very much. I'd recommend visitors to Santiago to venture out of the city, either to the Pacific coast, and/ or to the Andes mountain range, for a variety of wonderful sights and experiences that Chile has to offer.
I would enjoy the wine tasting. It is a great way to discover favourite wines, and I like knowing about the landscapes and cellars where the wines are produced.
ReplyDeleteJude
B.C. has many wineries so you're in the right place for wine tasting and discoveries. Thank you, Jude, for stopping by.
DeleteIt's funny to think of it as a wine region - I always forget.
ReplyDeleteChile's Central Coast has many wineries, enough to make it the 5th largest exporter of wine in the world. Thanks, Lydia, for stopping by.
DeleteI've tried a few Chilean wines - here in Aus - & love visiting wine regions. Those hills look mighty steep!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Jo. Valparaiso hills are steep. The funiculars help but it takes time to board them when there is a queue. Thank you for dropping by.
DeleteMore beautiful photos Natalie and I think I've tasted Chilean wine. It definitely has to be on my bucket list now to visit Chile thanks to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue, for your kind words. Glad my photos convinced you to add Chile to your bucket list :)
DeleteThe photos are stunning and yes you have convinced me! Thanks for linking up also to #MLSTL and I'm sharing on social media. xx
DeleteThank you, Sue, for hosting during your A to Z Challenge. You and Leanne write so well and daily, and that's impressive to me.
DeleteThat was a busy daytrip, especially when you add all the climbing! I like Chilean wine, so a wine tasting tour would be fun over there. The colors of the houses in Valparaiso are very attractive. Steep hills, indeed! :-)
ReplyDeleteThere are many wineries about an hour outside of Santiago so you can easily spend time visiting them. Valparaiso steep hills would give good workouts for sure. Thanks, Liesbet, for stopping by.
DeleteWhat a wonderful holiday, Natalie. "Vineyards basking in the Chilean sun" sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt was a really nice excursion, Donna. The view of the vineyards spread out all the way to the foot of the Andes on a sunny day was beautiful. Thank you for dropping by.
DeleteNice photos, Natalie. The colourful houses on the hill sloping towards the water reminded me very much of San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen. Yes, the steep hills in Valparaiso are similar to SF.
DeleteSo stunning! I can't believe how steep those streets are!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amy, for you comment.
DeleteThank you for the wonderful travelogue...you are amazing! Great pics and words.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining #lifethisweek 15/52. Next week's optional prompt is "what is friendship?" Denyse x
Thank you, Denyse, for your kind words, and hosting. Hope you're settling nicely in your new home.
DeleteWhat a beautiful excursion you had...love those photos! I'm sure walking those hills in Valparaiso was quite the workout, but still stunning! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Candi, for visiting and your kind comment. Valparaiso sights and sounds made me forget about the steep hills at the time, and the one funicular ride helped.
DeleteI've not really explored Chilean wines, let alone Chile- and while my knees may not handle those hills, they will handle a walk to the wine store! Will check out the Chilean section this weekend!
ReplyDeleteWelcome Agnes, and thank you for your comment. Yes, give Chilean wines a go and let me know what you think.
DeleteI love reading all your travel adventures Natalie - you certainly are an Explorer - and you go to places I can't even imagine visiting - so this might be as close as I ever get to Chile!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with us at #MLSTL and I've shared this on my SM xx
Thanks, Leanne, for your kind words and for hosting the link up even during your A to Z Challenge. It's fun for me to recap my adventures and share some photos.
DeleteWhat a really cool trip. I learned so much. Thanks for sharing this. #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteI learned a bit about Chile, too. Thanks, Patrick, for stopping by.
DeleteOh you've brought back so many happy memories for me. The beach, the flower clock, the funicular, the views. So glad you enjoyed Valparaiso too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jo, for your comment. Glad we shared similar happy memories of Chile :)
DeleteI don't really know much about Chile. Your gorgeous photos make me want to visit
ReplyDeleteWelcome, and thanks, Jenali, for your comment. I hope that you'll have an opportunity to visit Chile.
DeleteThis all sounds so exciting and your picture are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Victoria, for your comment. Glad you liked my pictures.
DeleteI love going on wine tours and tastings. Looks like a beautiful area.
ReplyDeleteThe winery area that I've visited in Chile was very nice. One could easily spend a full day to explore a few wineries. Thanks, Cherie, for stopping by.
DeleteNice to know a bit more about one of my favourite wine regions
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thanks, Sonia, for your visit and comment. Glad you enjoyed my post.
DeleteI love visiting wine regions and this looks like another lovely one! I don't think I have ever tasted Chilean wine! #TeamLovinLife
ReplyDeleteThere may be a Chilean wine section in your local liquor store. The wines I tasted in Chile were quite good. Thank you, Min, for stopping by.
DeleteWhat gorgeous places and although I've heard of Chilean wine I don't think I've ever had any! (Also I haven't been wine tasting in a very long time and it's something I should add to my list!)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deborah, for dropping by. I hope your cruise went well. It would be fun to do a wine tasting tour with friends, or check out the Chilean wine section in your local store.
DeleteI was just looking at a map of Chile the other day to find out exactly where it fits into the rest of South America. Your post is timely! Looks gorgeous. #teamlovinlife
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leanne, for stopping by. Glad my post is timely.
DeleteGreat landscape shot . Please tell something about my capture on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aditya, for your visit and comment.
DeleteRare pics of Chile.Have a nice time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Murthy, for your visit and comment.
DeleteHOpe to see this beautiful country someday.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Thank you for your visit and comment. I just left a comment on your Ireland post.
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