Viña del Mar – Tourist Destination & Student City

Despite Viña being one of the largest cities in Chile, it had the perfect size for me personally. In the center, almost everything is within easy walking distance. However, the area extends backwards into the Cerros. The Cerros are the more elevated parts of the city, which tourists should avoid anyway.

As Chile only has access to the Pacific Ocean, it’s no wonder that the water temperature never rises above 20 degrees. That’s why I immediately fell sick after my first longer swim. So, if, like me, you can’t resist, better equip yourself with some warm clothes and hot tea.

I spent a total of four months in Viña del Mar as I completed my exchange semester at the university here. That’s why it’s not easy for me to keep this article short. In the end, the city doesn’t have that much to offer though, and you can see most of it within one or two days. Nevertheless, the city invites you to spend some time here, with beautiful sunsets and great destinations for excursions nearby (Places to visit around Viña del Mar).

How to get here

Viña is very easy to reach from Santiago de Chile. There are two main terminals in the capital, Alameda and Pajaritos, from where buses depart at regular intervals to most destinations throughout Chile. You can buy tickets online in advance or simply buy them directly at the terminal. There are also numerous direct connections between Viña and destinations in the north and south of the country.

Chile in general has a really well-developed public transport network throughout the country. Long-distance buses are even by far better equipped than our not quite luxurious Flixbuses in Europe.
Insider tip: You have the best view from the first row on the upper floor.

Accommodation

During my time in Chile, I stayed with a host family (unfortunately I can’t provide you with their contact details). However, I can give you a very good recommendation for a great hostel. One of my fellow students stayed at La Posada Coliving for the whole four months. That’s how I discovered it. It’s a super cute hostel, very clean with a very lovely owner. If you should ever be there, just tell her I said hello.

What to do

The highlight of Viña is of course the wonderful beach promenade, which stretches the entire length of the town. You can easily spend a day there and just relax. As long as the weather is good.

The first time my mom and I went to the beach to walk along the seafront, it was really foggy. Of course, the best time to visit Viña is in summer, which means between November and February.

Playa del Deporte invites you to play sports on the beach and you will find numerous stalls for souvenir shopping along the esplanade. There is also a small pier, a few small castles and a casino. The flower clock „Reloj de Flores“ at the southern end of the beach is also worth visiting. At the northern end you will find a small bay at Playa las Salinas, where you can go swimming when the weather is fine.

But Viña del Mar is not only a great place to soak up the sun and relax. It also has some cultural attractions to offer. Art enthusiasts will be delighted by the constantly changing exhibitions at the Museo Palacio Vergara. There is also a beautiful park and an amphitheater where the famous Festival de Viña del Mar takes place every year on the third weekend in February.

Cross Plaza Vergara and walk along Avenida Libertad to Museo Fonck. The exhibition in the museum is quite interesting. But the real highlight awaits right outside the entrance. A real Moai from Easter Island. One of the two that made it to the mainland (the second is in the British Museum in London but is being reclaimed). So, if, like me, you can’t make it to the actual island but still want to learn something about the history (or just want a cool shot), a short stop is recommended

At the end of Avenida Libertad you will find a large mall that also invites you to linger. There are stores, restaurants and a large movie theater where films are regularly shown in English too.

Where to eat

This will probably become my favorite part of my posts. Not only am I an enthusiastic cook, but I also love good food in general, preferably vegetarian and not too expensive, of course.

Avenida Libertad is not only home to a Moai, but also one of my favorite coffee shops, where I spent a few afternoons studying or doing homework assignments. FIKA Coffeeshop has a total of three locations in Viña. It mainly offers Swedish specialties and vegans will definitely have a good time here too.

You can find more incredibly delicious cakes, coffee and pastries at Bakery Lynch. However, you will have to dig a little deeper into your wallet here.

If you prefer something a little more unusual, I can recommend El Bar Rosa. As the name suggests, you’ll find a pink bar here, meaning really everything is pink. The building, interior and even most of the drinks and food.

For chocolate lovers like me, the Fondué Chocolate Bar is located directly across from Bar Rosa. I loved drowning my homesickness in chocolate here. In addition to typical desserts, they offer fondue with a selection of chocolate and various fruits and pastries for dipping. A dream!

As a matter of fact, my favorite pizzeria in Viña del Mar (possibly the only one I’ve tried…) is also located in the same street, right next to Bar Rosa. Although the pizza is not necessarily cheap, Roberta Pizzeria immediately won me over with its original Neapolitan pizza with fancy toppings.

If you prefer something more traditional, visit one of the oldest restaurants (or even the oldest?) in Viña. La Flor de Chile offers classic Chilean home cooked meals as well as international dishes. We only went there for coffee and pie. The atmosphere immediately reminded me of an Austrian pub („Wirtshaus“). A piece of home in a foreign country.

In addition, there is a restaurant called El Austriaco, meaning the Austrian. Apart from Schnitzel, „Nockerl“ and apple strudel, however, there aren’t many Austrian dishes on the menu. Fearing to be disappointed, I never went there myself.

Specialties in Viña

The typical dishes in Viña include not only the traditional Chilean dishes, but also more interesting combinations that I think can only be found here.

Viña wouldn’t be Viña without its Completo. The Chilean completo is a hot dog topped with avocado and mayonnaise. What may sound a bit weird is in fact not that bad. It’s actually pretty tasty. Like an upgrade from a regular hot dog. Vegetarians like me can also try the specialty at Vegan Place. There you can generally choose from numerous traditional vegan dishes that are super tasty.

Another somewhat strange variation of a dish is sushi in Chile, usually pronounced „zushi“. For Chileans, classic sushi is maki, which is fried as a whole in breadcrumbs and then sliced. Sometimes it is also sold unsliced as a „hand roll“. So it’s like a kind of burrito. A popular student meal because it is cheap and filling. We’d rather not look at the nutritional values. A good place to try this specialty is Koala Sushi Viña.

Of course, you can’t miss out on empanadas during your stay in Viña. At Empanadas Emilu they offer dumplings with numerous fillings, made in the oven (del horno) or deep fryer (frita).

The best vegetarian chorillana by far, chips with various toppings, can be found at Bar 3T.

Bars & Clubs

If you like to go out to clubs at night, you are probably better off in Valparaíso, the neighbouring town. When it comes to clubs, I can only recommend the Patio Central in Viña, which is particularly busy during the week.

Viña impresses with its unusual, fancy bars, such as the Psiquis Bar or La Fórmula Racing Bar.

As you can see, Viña has a lot to offer, especially in terms of its cuisine. But I stayed there for four months and was therefore able to try a lot. If you’re a little overwhelmed by all these recommendations, I would definitely recommend trying a completo, a hand roll (I waited until my very last day to try one myself) and chorillana. These dishes are a must when visiting the coastal city.

My conclusion

If you are travelling in the centre of Chile, you should definitely not miss out on a short trip to Viña. It’s also a great starting point for day trips in the surrounding area (Day Trip Destinations Around Viña del Mar). For more insider tips, feel free to send me a message via Instagram or leave a comment. I’m always happy to share more tips and recommendations. Until then …

Bussi Baba!

Also check out my Instagram post about Viña del Mar:

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A post shared by Romi | Solo Female Travel • Backpacking (@romifrank_)