Santiago or stay in Valparaiso?

We're cruising round South America next year and we're just starting to get our head round our itinerary- so many new ports! :)

We've only got one day, arriving early morning and leaving late evening. I know it's a bit of a trek to get to Santiago but we should have time so we wondered if Santiago or Valparaiso had more to offer first-time visitors to Chile?

Santiago is a much larger city, with many attractions -- easily enough to occupy an inquisitive person for quite a few days. There is, in our view, far too much of interest in Santiago to see in a single day, let alone the few hours available during a port stop at Valparaiso -- allowing 3-4 hours for the round-trip from Valpo to Santiago and return by road.

Though much smaller, Valparaiso is also interesting and very colourful, with quite enough to occupy a day (or more). Or one could spend a few hours touring Valpo and then take a quick trip to neighbouring Vina del Mar and/or one of the wineries somewhat inland (but much closer than Santiago).

We very much enjoyed spending several days in Santiago, and it is possible to get a brief introduction to Santiago on a day trip from Valpo. However, I think it makes more sense to spend the limited time ashore in and near Valpo, and to figure out a way to visit Santiago at the start or end of a separate trip.

John

Santiago is a pleasant city, but Valaraiso is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vina del Mar is a beach town, but it does have the excellent Museo Fonck. I very much enjoyed a walking tour in Valparaiso with http://www.tours4tips.com/en.

With the one day I would not go into Santiago as the drive is 90 minutes each way between Valparaiso and Santiago.

Keith

Here is a previous discussion on this same topic:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1874608

John

We flew into Santiago early in the morning, and stayed a night in Valpariso a few months ago. We found Valpo to be interesting and charming.

We stayed at the Acontraluz Boutique Hotel, and really enjoyed it. It's what is considered a patrimonial hotel .... what was once a family's residence has been converted into a small hotel. Charming place, with a nice breakfast buffet! The hotel staff was great, and most helpful with directions for sightseeing and finding a restaurant for dinner. They made our getting from the Santiago airport to Valpo easy by arranging a taxi transfer for us.The taxi from Valpo came to the airport and met us, and then we used that same driver to get to the port the next day.

Thanks for the advice, and for the link to the previous thread. I had done a search but hadn't unearthed it.

I think what clinched things for us was not only what you all said here but also a comment from that thread:

"Valparaiso has a cultural oasis that's unique to all of Chile" and to us that is what cruising is all about: finding places with a character representative of that particular country. So Valparaiso it is!

You might be interested in a delightful little book, available only from Amazon for Kindle, as far as I know, written by Susan M White, named 'Discover the secret soul of Chile: Valpariso and Santiago'. As I recall it only cost about $5 US.

The author spent 4 days sightseeing in both places, and shares a lot of information and suggestions. We found it helpful when we spent the day before our cruise there.

You might be interested in a delightful little book, available only from Amazon for Kindle, as far as I know, written by Susan M White, named 'Discover the secret soul of Chile: Valpariso and Santiago'. As I recall it only cost about $5 US.

The author spent 4 days sightseeing in both places, and shares a lot of information and suggestions. We found it helpful when we spent the day before our cruise there.

Thanks for that!

We had 3 days post cruise in Chile after a SA cruise starting in Rio. Loved the whole thing. We had a private guide, Chris, and he took us to Museum Fonck (be sure to go inside and look at exhibits -- they are really good and the young man explaining the exhibits was excellent. Most people only do a drive by to see the Easter Island head) and a beautiful park fairly close then drive out to Vin del Mar for lunch overlooking the sea. So very beautiful. Up to the tops of the mountains on veniculars to look out and see other people getting on "our ship":mad::( then he drove us to Santiago. Santiago was good as was the ski area we visited (though it was Chile summer)the next day but the area closer to where you will leave the ship is the better place to see and do things. The airport for your information is about 60 minutes (maybe less because I don't know where we started) on a toll road and the airport is about 30 minutes from downtown Santiago -- you go past the airport to get to Santiago from Valpo.

Did the massive fires cause problems for tourists to Valpo and Vin del Mar? It really is a special place to visit. You are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.

We have taken two cruises that ended in Valpo and we flew out of Santiago. We stayed in Vina del Mar one night, but visited Valpo (our tour guide recommended staying in Vina instead of Valpo, apparently, crime is more an iesue in Valpo).

We spent a night in Santiago both trips.

We enjoyed both areas, but I would go with Valpo ahead of Santiago. Also, you left out the winery stop in route to Santiago.

I suggest doing a tour of Valpo and Vina, then a stop at a Casablanca winery in route to the Santiago airport.

We used Southexcursions for both tours and transport.

Here are the reviews of both of our cruises that ended in Valpo.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=248878

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=94024