vivavalparaiso.cl » trips

Chile ski season 2011

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:04:01 +0000

In Chile you find the best skiing opportunities in Latin America. Professional skiers from the Northern hemisphere find their thrills during Chilean winter but amateur snow lovers also trap on boards and skis. From Valparaiso it only takes about 2 1/2 hours to reach beautiful slopes and well equipped resorts. Where else then in Valparaiso to have breakfast with ocean view in the morning, a full day in the Andes and after ski diner or drinks in a Valparaiso bar or restaurant?
Michael from Valposki organizes ski trips with guaranteed departure on Saturdays. Groups get special rates of course.

Noches luminosas, 24-25-26 June 2011

admin — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:22:23 +0000

On the night of 24, 25 and 26 July, several restaurants, hotels, shops, etc organize an enlightening activity on Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción: Noches Luminosas (Enlightened Nights). All participating businesses will put some extra light and until midnight they will offer their services and several activities such as tastings, discounts and much more.

Valparaiso in a day with the ‘O’

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:58:27 +0000

There is way to see and understand the basics of Valparaiso’s unique geography in one day: the ‘O’.

The microbus nr. 612 is not just a part of Porteños daily transport: it takes you up the hills, through the barrios and the old center and up to a completely different part of town. It also takes you to Pablo Neruda’s famous museum, Plaza Echaurren, the central market, a unique city beach and Viña del Mar. Learn all about the ‘O’ here.

Rene and Carolina’s Valpo experiences

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:07:37 +0000

Rene and Carolina run the friendly Bed and Breakfast La Nona. They are very keen on taking their clients to the best spots and experiences in the region so that’s why I asked them what their ‘Valparaiso top 3′ is.

1. A visit to the Casablanca wine valley. Casablanca is known for its whites but is building a reputation on red wines. 25 vineyards at a short drive from Valparaiso.

2. Horseback riding in Ritoque. To Rene and Carolina this is the best way to connect with the natural beauty of Chile’s fifth region. Ritoque´s dunes, a soft sea breeze and a blue sky are the perfect setting for a ride on men´s second best friend.

3. Lunch at Deportistas. This family run restaurant, hidden in Valparaiso´s Cerro O´Higgins is only known by insiders. You can have chicken or fish but people come for the meat. The owners are proud to serve Uruguay´s best quality meat. Lunch at Deportistas is abundant, high quality and a social experience.

More information at info@bblanona.com

Biking along Valparaiso´s coast

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:51:08 +0000

Last weekend, Lalo from valparaiso expediciones.cl invited me for a bicycle ride from Valparaíso to Con Con and back. I have always enjoyed the coastal road when I visit the more remote beaches by bus, but by bike you rediscover the fifth`s region diversity of rocky coast, coastal towns and piers. I was a bit worried at first about the safety of cycling in Valparaíso, but I was surprised by the several decent cycling paths and the kind attitude of drivers towards cyclers. I listened to Lalo’s explanation about the social and geographic history of the pier Portales, I watched the body boarders in Reñaca, I had a delicious empanada in Con Con and I admired the small bird reserve at the Aconcagua river delta. Our perfect day ended with an even more perfect sunset while we headed back to Valparaiso.

Top 3 things to do in Valparaiso

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:00:19 +0000

During your stay in World Heritage City Valparaiso you will find lots of things to do. Here are our personal favourites:

1. Walk the town and the “cerros” (hills). Valparaiso grew in a very chaotic way, every porteño constructed, and constructs, their home and claimed their rooftop ocean view. Pick up a map and walk along Bellavista’s open air museum, Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion, Calle Serrano and Plaza Echaurren and if time left, discover Playa Ancha. We heard Carolina from La Nona guides you on an interesting geographical and historic city walk.

2. Enjoy a ride with the ‘O’ bus (bus nr. 612, has a big O on the front screen). This is a public minibus that will take you on a spectacular ride through the cerros, via La Sebastiana (museum of Pablo Neruda), Plaza Echaurren (old historic center) to end in Playa Ancha. Hop on a historic trolleybus, a slower introduction to ‘El Plan’ (downtown).

3. Try some local and international food and have a bite out of Valparaiso’s nightlife. Try the historic bar ‘La Playa’ in Calle Serrano and Cinzano at Anibal Pinto. More recent bars like Pajarito, La Piedra Feliz and Poblenou or renewing bars like Ambar Martini Lounge are also worth a visit.

Check our ‘things to do section’ for a complete list.

Trolley guided city tour

admin — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:16:50 +0000

Trolleys are pure charm and history. On Fridays and Saturdays at 11am-3pm-6:30pm you can enjoy a 2 hour guided tour on a trolley. Departure is at the trolley terminal on Avenida Argentina. All trolleys are in their original state, come from all over the world and are national monuments. Adults pay CLP8.000, children CLP4.000.

Valparaiso’s top 3 beaches

admin — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:35:45 +0000

Most people do not visit Valparaiso for its beaches but on a lazy hot summer day the longing for the beach and the refreshing ocean sometimes overwhelms you.

Our 3 favourite summer beaches are:

1. Playa San Mateo: only a 10 minutes walk from the port and historic center, a small and popular beach, though quiet enough and with swimming possibilities (the Pacific Ocean tends to be rough and cold so swimming is not common). Near Caleta El Membrillo, known for its seafood restaurants.

2. Las Salinas in Viña del Mar. Hop on a microbus to Reñaca/ConCon, enjoy the ride along the coast and enjoy the relative quietness of Playa Las Salinas. We like the wide and not so populated beach in front of the Esso station, at the end of Viña’s beach strip.

3. Quintay has beautiful beaches. It is also an excellent daytrip for people who like seafood and a great scenery.

Bike adventures in Valparaiso

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:42:23 +0000

Bikers, adventurers and active travellers: start paddeling. Lalo and Pato, two experienced bikers, guides and Chile conoceurs founded Valparaiso Expediciones, a bicycle and trekking tour company. Five expeditions in and around Valparaiso will tell you all about Valparaiso’s nature, culture, history, geography and all you want to know of Chile’s fifth region. We especially recommend the La Campana tour for walkers or the Cerros of Valparaiso for everybody who wants to see Valparaiso from a biker’s perspective. Riding a bike is an adventure in Valparaiso and that’s why every tour comes with 2 guides, helmets and decent bikes. Visit their website to learn about the tours or send an e-mail to info@valparaisoexpediciones.cl

Gastronomic delights in Quintay

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:46:23 +0000

If you want to get away from the city of Valparaiso but stay on the coast, then Quintay is a lovely daytrip. In the old days the village was know for whale fishery and the ballenera had about a thousand employees. The plant closed down in 1967 and is nowadays being transformed into a center for sustainable fishery. Most people, however, know Quintay for its scenery and great fish restaurants. We had Sunday lunch at La Serena restaurant and the congrio, a Chilean fish and specialty, was perfect and served by a friendly and caring waitress. The menu is an attraction too because the restaurant owners apparently used an on line translating engine. Or would the mad mayonaise have real mental problems? For a great and funny gastronomic Sunday daytrip out of Valparaiso go to Quintay