Conny

Hi everyone,

We are a family of 4 including our two girls aged 8 and 10 years who are in the early stages of planning about two weeks in Chile this January.

I am looking for some ideas to start planning our trip. We will fly into and out of Santiago so that city is a definite stop for us. Typically, we enjoy smaller towns and villages, yes we enjoy good wine and food as well. We prefer to stay in perhaps three different bases at most during the trip rather than bouncing around. We'd rather get to know one region well than end up exhausting ourselves (and our tempers) touring about constantly.

While we are not hikers, a stay by the ocean would probably be great for us at that time of year.

We very much want to experience the Chilean culture, people, history, crafts and of course scenery (I'm a photography hound).

I know this isn't much info to go one, but I'd really appreciate some pointers and tips to get me started in the right direction.

Any recommendations on small inns or b&bs would also be great - we much prefer staying in a more intimate setting than a large hotel.

Your ideas and suggestions are very much appreciated!

mikemo

In Santiago, the Hotel Orly in Providencia was great, but get the large "queen room".
In the Mercado, the seafood restaurants are wonderful and inexpensive.
The funicula past/above the zoo was worth the time and few pesos.
The Hacienda Los Lingues about 80 mi S just N of the Colchagua Valley (Montes Vineyards; Sta Cruz, etc) is outstanding and expensive.
The Hotel in Sta Cruz is very good and the lunch was super - had a bottle of Montes Alpha Chard with same.
We would probably stay in Santiago for the next trip as we are city folks.
M

hills27

Have you thought of going to Patagonia? We spent 6 nights at Explora (http://www.explora.com/patagonia_theplace.php) in Torres del Paine at the end of December several years ago. There were a lot of families at the lodge with kids the same age as yours. With the exception of one or two trails, the hiking is not technical at all - there were two 80-year old women on their second trip to the lodge! The guides are fabulous and great with kids, and the food is outstanding. I think your daughters would enjoy it tremendously because almost every species in the area gives birth in November and by January there are babies everywhere. Not to mention, most of the species are unique to Patagonia. You would enjoy it because it is one of the most beautiful places to photograph on the face of the earth. And I've never been anywhere more relaxing.

Note, it's pretty pricey, but everything is included (except the flight to Punta Arenas and tips), and we found it well worth the expense. It was one of the most memorable weeks of my life.

You can also visit a Magellan penguin colony just outside Punta Arenas, and the babies come out of their burrows in January. There are two colonies - one on an island and one on the mainland. While the island colony is bigger, the seas are rough, so I recommend the mainland colony. Personally, I found 6,000 penguins to be sufficient.

Outside Santiago, make sure you take a day trip to see Pablo Neruda's house. His collections are incredible. You can combine it with a vineyard (e.g. Veramonte) and lunch in the beach town of Valparaiso. Your hotel should be able to schedule a driver/tour guide to take you.

Conny

Thank you both for your hotel and itinerary suggestions.

Patagonia does indeed sound wonderful and Explora fantastic (but unfortunately I think too pricey for us).

I think we will return to Chile again after this trip since it is so geographically diverse & far flung!

This time around I'm thinking we will stay within a 5 hour drive or so of Santiago. Any suggestions for interesting towns within that radius?

Thanks again for all your tips and info.

hills27

There are other hotels within the park that are less expensive. But I haven't stayed at any of them, so someone else will have to chime in.

We only stayed in Santiago for two days, so I'm afraid I can't help much there either.

msteacher

It sounds like Vina del Mar would be a perfect spot for your family. It is a lovely beach town a few hours drive from Santiago. You can also visit the city of Valaparaiso while you're there, (I'd reccommend staying in Vina and just doing a day trip into Valaparaiso.) Buen viaje!

helenoftroy

Hi Conny!

Usually the best spots for turists in Chile are Easter Island, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Atacama Desert, Lake District.

But since you want to stay in the central valley and near the beach i would strongly recommend you to visit Viña del Mar and Valparaiso.

Valparaiso is the second biggest city in Chile and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, due to its historical importance, natural beauty, original architecture and layout.

You can visit one of Pablo Neruda's 3 houses in Valparaíso. His other 2 houses are in Santiago and Isla Negra on the coast and this one, known as La Sebastiana, is perched high up on a hill with spectacular views of Valparaiso and its bay.

http://www.fundacionneruda.org/ing/home_ingles.htm

http://www.vinayvalpo.com/vinadelmar/about.html

helenoftroy

some other ideas, follow this link:
http://www.gochile.cl/Info/MChile/DesNChico.asp