The Central Valley

The Central Valley is Chile's heartland. The combination of rich soils, long, warm, and dry summers offset by cold and rainy winters, and abundant supplies of Andean meltwater for irrigation, makes this ideal farm land. It is also the perfect place to grow wine grapes, and as such, wine has been a very big deal in much of the Central Valley for four centuries.

The Central Valley is a straight shot down the Pan-American Highway between the volcanic cones of the Andes on the west and the lower Coastal Mountains to the east. As you head south, the relatively dry foliage of the short, scrubby indigenous bushes gives way to more verdant pastures and eventually to thick pine and eucalyptus forests.

It's about a five-hour drive straight south from Santiago to Chillán and nearly another hour east to Concepción, but do plan to stop and explore along the way. The valley holds something for everyone. Head west into the mountains to visit mining towns, relax at a hot-springs spa, climb rock walls, ski, or hike through a nature reserve. Veer off to the coast for lovely beaches and swimming (if you can stand the cold Pacific waters), excellent surfing, and outstanding seafood. And of course, no matter which way you turn, you can't help but see thousands of acres of vineyards and the wineries that produce some of Chile's finest wines. Most of the valleys have Wine Route (Ruta del Vino) associations that are happy to help visitors plan tours of the wineries.

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