Places to Go in Viña del Mar

Viña del Mar is more of a residential area than a commercial area (the opposite of Valparaíso). That being said, there are still plenty of places to go visit in Viña for a good chilean experience. Viña is more of a "buy local" economy than what I have seen in Santiago and Valparaíso, although there are many mom&pop shops everywhere you go. I have a few favorite places to go in Viña and I'm super excited to tell you about them.
First of all, you absolutely have to go to the feria de verduras (the vegetable fair). The feria that I am talking about is very close to the Viña bus terminal and the Viña del Mar station for the metro. At this feria you can find fresh fruits and vegetables from 20+ different vendors. It doesn't matter at what time you go, it is always super busy, although that is probably due to the fact that it has some of the most delicious fruits and vegetables you can find in the area and the best prices. You can easy get 1 kilogram (about 2 pounds) of any fruit or vegetable for a dollar or two. It is absolutely worth the visit. It is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so you should plan your trip around that fact. If you plan to visit the feria, you will be right by the downtown area (that I will tell you about in just a bit) that will help you to fill up your day with wonderful Viña experiences. The feria has booths that are covered in blue and yellow canvas and is down under a bridge. Very interesting place to visit.

This is the church that you will see
upon exiting the station. If you keep
it to your left you will come to Quinta.
(Sorry, I couldn't find any pictures of
the shops)

Next, downtown Viña area. If you get off the metro at the Viña del Mar station, walk out the only exit and keep going straight (do not cross the road to the side with the church or the restaurants....unless you want to eat real quick), you will cross a little path way that you can go down if you want to, or keep walking until you get to Quinta and turn right. You will see a bunch of shops and people. You have officially found the downtown area. There are a lot of small shops and restaurants that you can stop at. This is a nice place to just walk around and see how people make money in Viña. If you follow Quinta to the end (about three blocks) and look to the right you should be able to see the feria not too far away. If you only have one day to spend in Viña, I would recommend going to this area. It is a good way to see how life is in Viña. Warning: everything is closed on Sundays.

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Chile is right here in Viña. If you go to the Miramar station and walk towards the ocean (take the larger exit and walk strait), you will eventually come across the Reloj de Flores (flower clock). I was constructed for the FIFA World Cup when it was held in Chile so many years ago. The idea was that people would come for the World Cup, but would travel to see the Reloj de Flores and help the economy in the Viña-Valpo area. Since then the size, flowers, and hands have been changed many times. The picture to the right is a current photo, but it might be different when you get here. Even with the changes, it is still a very impressive thing to see. As long as the clock is working, there will be a bunch of people taking pictures. If it's not, there probably won't be many people, but to me, that's the perfect time to take the picture because then you won't have a bunch of strangers in it. And while you're in the area, just walk over to the beach to relax a little bit.
So, this area is definitely more of an area to visit than just one thing. You have to find your way to Libertad. Libertad is a well known street in Viña. There are several micros that have "Libertad" as one of their signs/locations. If not, from Valpo, just take a micro that says Viña, and from anything after the Miramar station (Viña del Mar, Hospital, Chorrillos), take a micro that says Valpo. Once you get to Libertad, just walk the street. When you come to the cross road of 4 Norte (4 North), turn right and you will find the Fonck Museum (Museo Fonck). This museum has a lot of interesting things and some staff that speaks English. You can learn about the Mapuche (native tribe of the area) all the way to the araña rincon (corner spider). Out side of the museum is yet another of the statues from Easter Island.
If you keep walking Libertad, take it all the way to 15 Norte (15 North) to find the Mall. Yes, we all know what malls are like in the United States, and it is fairly similar, but it is still nice to see these kinds of places. The shops tend to be a lot smaller (unless it's a chain). And from the mall, if you cross Libertad and continue a block or so, you will come to a very nice beach (which I talked about in the previous post). This is another good way to spend a full day in Viña.

Now, not to promote gambling or any other bad habits, but if you follow the coast line back towards where you came from, you will eventually come to the Casino. I have never been, but the outside looks nice. Anyhow, along that walk, you will come across many street vendors and even carriages (that you can take for a tour of Viña). It's a very beautiful walk.


So, as you have read, I have said that you should walk to a lot of these places. The reality is that walking is the easiest way to get around. Remember to pack your comfortable (but not too touristy looking) shoes so that your feet aren't mad at you at the end of the day.