2 Best Sights in The Central Coast, Chile

Vacation apartments keep creeping closer to the beach, which gets its fair share of sun worshippers in summer. There are two ways to reach Playa Grande: through the town, following Avenida Teniente Merino, or through the gated community of Santa Augusta. Amenities: food; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

Fundación Quintay looks after this former whaling station, which operated from 1943 to 1967 and processed approximately 13,700 whales. It's been converted into a quaint museum that gives you a window into this coastal town's past. The museum, along with the skeletal remains of a whale, are just a stone's throw away from the handful of brightly colored fishing boats at the wharf.