carrom

Hello,
I am just starting to plan a short trip (under 2 weeks) in Chile for our family of 4 grown ups towards mid February . Our primary interest is wine but we are also interested in scenery, nature, hiking, history, architecture....oh and food of course! We like to travel independently and don't mind driving lond distances. We don't like crowds and prefer small places with character to big tourist attractions.
My tentative schedule looks something like this:
Day 1: Santiago
Day 2: Maipo Valley wineries day trip or sleepover?
Day 3: San Antonio Valley sleep in San Antonio or other characteristic town
Day 4: Cachapoal Valley self drive sleep in a hacienda
Days 5 & 6: Colchagua Valley 2 nights Santa Cruz
Days 7 & 8: Aconcagua Valley sleep in Valparaiso or Vina del Mar
Day 9: Casablanca Valley and night at the airport to fly - and this is where I need most advice -
either North to San Pedro de Atacama to visit the desert
or South to Puerto Varas and the Lake district
for a further 3 nights before flying back to Italy. We have already been to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.
I still need to put a lot of research into this but any feedback from the experts at this early stage would be very helpful.
Thanks

bsteele09

It sounds like you are just starting to plan but between the two options at the end, I would go north to San Pedro. I know the Lake District is different from the far south but I think the north would be like nothing you have ever experience there. I am not a wine expert so I will let others comment there but it seems like you are hitting the hotspots for sure. Looks like a great trip.

HappyTrvlr

In Casablanca, San Antonio areas check out Matetic and Kingston Vineyards.
I highly recommend the Lake District, Puerto Varas

carrom

Thanks! Will definitely check out those wineries.
I hope to get more replies as it's 1-1 North vs South!

Huentetu

The trouble is that mid-February the whole country is heaving with local tourists converging on the lakes, the beach and everywhere else. It is going to be hot in central Chile, by the way.

How are you planning on visiting the vineyards? Were you thinking of getting a private tour or hiring a car? Is everyone going to be tasting? Chile has much stricter drink/driving laws than the US or the UK, to name two I know, so you are going to have to have a designated driver if you are renting a car. You can get a guide and driver for the day or a specific wine tour. These can vary from reasonable to very expensive.

San Antonio is just a huge port and there isn't anywhere really nice to stay. The Colchagua valley has the most places to stay and a variety of options. It is also nice countryside. Maipo, Casablanca and San Antonio can be done as day trips or there are a couple of places to stay around Casablanca and you could take two days over it. Sorry if this is a bit disjointed as I am just thinking around the various valleys you want to go to and another destination.

North or south, that's Chile! No need to worry about east or west, unless you want to add Easter Island to your list!

carrom

Hi Huentetu, we aren't worried about the heat but lots of crowds we don't like. We could go January but I don't think that would make any difference, am I right?
We wanted to rent a car for the vineyards and take turns driving. We were hoping to find posadas like in Argentina or boutique hotels, nice farmstays.... in the various valleys. We could do 2 nights Colchagua and 2 Casablanca and the rest as day trips if you think that's a better idea. And what about Valparaiso and Vina? I suppose they will also be supercrowded.
I don't think we have time for Easter Island. But I'm still undecided about the desert or the lakes. Would the desert have less visitors do you think?
Thanks!

Huentetu

In January we receive the bulk of our foreign tourists, who come from Argentina and Brazil and, in smaller measure, from other SA countries. In February most people in Chile take their holiday. Add in any foreign tourists, especially the cruise ships, and things are very full. The coast is extremely full in summer, but Valparaíso is still pleasant enough to visit as it is more a walking city. Viña has an international song festival in February just to add to the crowds. So there is a difference between January and February.

Colchagua will be the best place to find the sort of lodging you want as it is far enough from Santiago to make it worthwhile to stay a night or two. The San Antonio valley and Casablanca are to near either Santiago or the coast to have much in the way of places to stay. Matetic, the vineyard which has already been mentioned, has lodging and and there is a Hotel Casablanca (has a website and reviews on TA). Viña Casa Marin is a very interesting vineyard, between Casablanca and the coast, and has a guesthouse which might be worth looking into. Check the reviews on TA. You could stay in Algarrobo on the coast which is reached by a road off the Ruta 68 through Casablanca. That would be cabins by the beach.

You should book what lodging you want for both January and February.

carrom

Thank-you Huentetu. We are now thinking of shifting to end of Feb beginning of March.
Would this work better? : 3 nights in Santiago, rent a car visit Maipo valley as day trip.
Drive Santa Cruz for 2 nights visit Colchagua and Cachapoal
Drive to Valparaiso for 2 nights visit Casablanca and San Antonio
Back to Santiago for flight North or South....
Feedback much appreciated. Thanks!

Huentetu

By the end of February schools are back in so the crowds have gone and the weather is still good.