VIÑA DEL MAR
Not only are there beaches in Viña del Mar; the city has magnificent gardens and green areas waiting to be discovered by visitors who come in search of its coasts.
Viña del Mar is known as the “Garden City” due to the numerous green areas, large parks and gardens surrounding it. A good choice to get shelter from the scorching summer sun is visiting its “green areas”.
This is all about learning more about the history of the place while having constant contact with nature.
If you are interested in going on this ecological tour around the natural sceneries of Viña, start the tour downtown. In the area behind the church there is a sign indicating the entrance to the Vergara Farm park. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the coast of Chile. It has wide avenues full of exotic plants. Inside, there is Vergara Palace, nowadays a branch of the Fine Arts Museum, and the spectacular amphitheater where the International Song Festival is held.
Family History
Vergara Farm is located in a natural depression surrounded by hills and has a peculiar history told by its sceneries as the tour moves on. During colonial times, this place was the shell of estancia “Las 7 Hermanas”, which belonged to the Carrera family. In 1840, a wealthy Portuguese businessman called Francisco Alvarez bought the entire ranch and used it as a residence. His wife, Dolores Pérez, was fond of plants and it was in those days that the garden was created. His son, Salvador, like his father, traveled to the Far East and Australia, and brought exotic plants for his mother’s garden. Thus, some species which did not offer any resistance to the kindness of the soil were introduced in Chile.
Salvador’s daughter, Mercedes, was living with her grandmother in the shell of the estancia when she met José Francisco Vergara, who married her. She was the only heiress in Viña del Mar. Vergara took charge of the administration of his wife’s possessions and he was responsible for the organization of the city foundation in 1874. The farm was named after him.
After enjoying the fresh shade of the place, we continued the tour along Uno Norte Avenue. In Los Castaños Avenue, there is the entrance to Valparaíso Sporting Club, where equestrian sports are practiced. Here, the well-known National Derby which gathers famous jockeys from all over the world is held annually. Its English style architecture is worthy of admiration. It has a wide dirt track and another one inside, with well-cared grass.
After visiting the racetrack, it is possible to continue along Los Castaños Avenue up to the Laguna Sausalito resort, an ideal place to have a picnic. The site offers bathrooms, a resting area and, in the middle, a wonderful water mirror where ducks and geese can be fed.
Walking up Sausalito Avenue, the entrance to Granadilla Country Club can be reached. In this place there is one of the best golf courses in the country. Besides, it has a swimming pool and a tennis court.
To end this green tour, we advise to take El Olivar trail and get to El Salto area, located in the National Botanic Garden, where, like in Vergara Farm, visitors can enjoy lush gardens, the crystal-clear waters of the natural lagoon and many trails with more than 3,000 plant species of singular beauty.
After all, in summer, man cannot live by beach alone.
Carriage Tour Around Viña del Mar
Just like in some privileged cities in the world, Viña del Mar offers the possibility of enjoying an amusing ride on a carriage around the city. Another way to see the surroundings.
The city was teeming with tourists who gathered at the main beaches. The sun beams were a gift and we were feeling very much like seeing the commercial center of the city.
In the surroundings of Hotel del Mar, we found a hundred ancient carriages the locals call “victorias”. With their corresponding horses in front, they were waiting for some tourist to ask for a ride.
Touring around in a victoria is an unusual way of enjoying the place. These open carriages pulled by horses let riders admire the charms of Viña del Mar as they relax.
In general, they are chosen by entire families or couples who are attracted by these hundred-year-old carriages.
Slowly and steadily, our victoria took Perú Avenue bordering the waterfront up to Acapulco Beach. After that, it continued up to Vergara Pier, where we went off the carriage in order to observe that place now turned into a tourist attraction.
We continued with the traditional tour around the city. We took 8 Norte Avenue and Libertad Avenue. As we advanced, we could observe the particular architecture of the city. The residential neighborhoods house beautiful chalets surrounded by gardens, built in the early XXth century and inspired by the most varied styles, with multiple windowed towers.
On the seafront, architecture is framed by a series of tall buildings that stand out due to their balconies onto the Pacific Ocean.
We stopped at Libertad Avenue to watch the Gothic architecture of the church of the Carmelites and, farther ahead, we crossed the entire commercial center up to 3 Norte Avenue, to turn right once more and go back to the point of departure.
Before that, we stopped in front of the Municipal Casino for a couple of minutes so as to have a photograph of us taken on the victoria with the particular buildings in the background.
It was a quiet and unusual way of making contact with the natural beauty of the city. This is a recommended tour to soothe the typical stress from the journey, letting the senses rest in front of the magnificence of the roaring sea that bathes these central shores.
Cultural Architectural Heritage at Viña del Mar
We went on a tour around the most important buildings in the city which make up the most refined cultural and historical heritage in the region.
Viña del Mar offers various cultural interests in the core of the city. The number of historical buildings represents a great attraction for those who enjoy the refined architecture built in old styles and the vast green spaces around them.
When visiting these ancient buildings, we could access their facilities and discover more information about the local history and the various processes the city went through until it turned into the “garden city” it is today.
This exciting tour around the architectural heritage of Viña may start at Ross Castle, located a few steps away from the flower clock. This building was designed by architect Cruz Montt in 1912 and was built in the Tudor style. The outstanding stoneworks reminded us of the Scottish residences built in the mid XIX century. Club Unión Árabe works inside the venue and it has an impressive presence on Marina Avenue, which borders the city.
Following along the same artery, we came across Wulff Castle, a beautiful building that gets into the sea. This is a two-storey house joint to a fortified tower through a bridge. Gustavo Wulff, a German merchant with a large fortune coming from the exploitation of saltpetre and coal, had it built in 1906. It was conceived in a Neo-Tudor style, with German-French design, though years later, in 1920, the fortified tower and an English wing were added to it. This enabled the building to be well inserted between the sea and the seafront. It houses artistic displays of paintings, photography and sculpture by well-known national artists.
Opposite this building, Mount Castillo may be accessed in order to appreciate the famous Brunet Castle. This work by French architect Alfredo Azancot is reminiscent of the Romantic-Gothic period in France. Over its lintels, some gargoyles may be observed. In 1974, its name was changed into Palacio de Carabineros, as it was acquired by this Chilean safety force. It may only be observed from the outside, as it is the residence of distinguished visitors or the venue for special social events.
When descending from the hill along Álvarez Street, we arrived in the parish called Our Lady of Sorrows and, behind it, we entered Vergara Park in order to admire the palace bearing the same name and housing the Fine Arts Museum. Beautiful and vast, the lawn is a romantic and attractive promenade. Inside Vergara Palace, the work of famous paintings from the XVIIth century Italian school and the XVI Venecian school may be observed. Behind the emblematic building, we accessed the outdoor amphitheater, where the Viña del Mar International Song Festival takes place.
On the way back to Sucre Square, we ran into the Viña del Mar Club building. Opposite Vergara Square stands the Municipal Theater.
After having a short rest, we crossed Libertad Bridge and at 3 North we found Carrasco Palace, where the Cultural Center, the Vicuña Mackenna Library and the Tourist Office operate. Its gardens display the sculpture called “La Defensa”, by Auguste Rodin, which pays tribute to the heroes of Iquique.
It was Alfredo Anzancot who was inspired by the high French Renaissance trends to design the palace. It is a two-storey building with a garret and it features two outstanding bodies. The entrance is made up by a portico with three Norman arches.
After a few minutes inside the palace park, we left towards 4 North up to Quillota Street and called it a day when we saw the Rioja Palace Museum.
Just like most important buildings, the works were in charge of architect Anzancot. With Neoclassic French style, it houses Baroque, Empire, Rococo and Chesterfield furniture specially brought from Spain and France. This palace is the venue for the Epoque Museum, which gives testimony of the architecture and furniture in fashion in Chile in the late XIXth and early XXth centuries.
Thus, our tour around the most emblematic buildings in the city came to an end. These constructions undoubtedly give evidence of the lifestyle of rich merchants in the years of the Chilean belle époque.
Walking around the waterfront promenade in Viña del Mar
As most seaside cities, Viña del Mar has an important promenade along which there are numerous restaurants, handicraft markets, tea-houses, recreational facilities and impressive buildings that make the city the first place visitors wish to see.
One of the best ways of touring around the seaside is on foot and the best moment to do it is when the bright sunshine begins to cool down, as the sun finds its way behind the horizon upon the cold waters of the Pacific ocean.
The tour is fifteen blocks long, approximately. We started the walk at Caleta Abarca beach, on Marina Avenue, opposite the much photographed Clock of Flowers. This symbol of the city was acquired in 1962, due to the first football world cup held in Chile. Ever since, and with some changes in its mechanism, it has shown the time in Viña el Mar.
We headed northwards to a small bay towards the Miramar beach, where the Hotel Sheraton Internacional lies. We continued walking and in a blink of an eye we were in front of Ross Palace, venue of Club Unión Arabe. Farther ahead, in a sharp bend on the rocks, we found Wulff Castle, which seems to steal the panoramic view of the city due to its architecture and beauty.
Following the coast, and crossing the estuary, we got to Perú Avenue. As soon as this road begins, an impressive white construction captivates the tourists' attention: It is the luxurious Hotel del Mar and the Casino Municipal which works in its facilities. This place deserves another visit, even by those who are not fond of games of chance. Inside, there are two first-class restaurants, a theater, a disco and the typical gambling rooms.
Next to the casino lies Colombia Square. At this point, there are two choices: renting a bicycle or going for a ride on a Victorian carriage pulled by horses up to the end of the promenade.
We decided to go on walking for 5 more blocks along Perú Avenue, always northwards. On its sides, there are wide sidewalks full of seats. Important residences are built on one of their sides, and they have privileged views of the surroundings. Perú Avenue ends in 8 Norte Street. At this point we had to take San Martín Avenue to continue our seaside tour. This street is a spot full of life during weekends. The most important bars, ice-cream parlors, restaurants and pubs are placed there. It is the gathering point preferred by youth.
Always northwards, our next reference point was Acapulco Beach. Here, the best thing to do is to take off the shoes and walk on the fresh fine sand.
Opposite, we found Vergara Pier. Built in 1910, after 73 years, it was refurbished for the first time in order to change it into a popular recreational site. Many people visit it everyday to try fishing lines and nets to get crabs and jaibas.
We stopped at the promenade near the pier so as to observe the colorful handicrafts. Nice souvenirs can be bought at good prices.
The tour continues in front of El Sol Beach, and then on Jorge Montt Avenue, where the facilities of the Chilean Navy Building, the Museum of Cannons and the Stella Maris Sanctuary are located.
We decided to stop and admire the sky turning slightly red before the immense sea. Slowly, the western wind became more intense. Staring at the orange sun, we got captivated by its slowly vanishing shape. In silence, we only heard the seagull honk, which seemed to fly looking for it and wishing the day did not end, that it lasted for some minutes more before giving way to the night and the stars.
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