Day Trips from Santiago de Chile
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Day trips from Santiago de Chile are proving to be very popular, not just among our clients taking extensive tours in South America but also as a one-off, add-on day for cruise clients or people finding our wine tourism site. Chile has a great deal to offer with amazing destinations such as Atacama, Patagonia and Easter Island, but there are also some superb day trips just around the corner (relatively speaking!) from the capital city.
Well-worn paths lead visitors to attractions around Santiago such as the classic day trip combo of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. Pablo Neruda’s house and museum can be visited by those interested in poetry and literature. Wine lovers can sip their way around wine regions less than an hour’s drive from their Santiago hotels, for example, the Casablanca and Maipo valleys. Outdoor enthusiasts can drive up into the Andes, a relatively short distance from the metropolis. There is plenty to do and see on any number of day trips.
However, we are always looking for something new to offer, and a recent trip to the Cachapoal Valley opened our eyes to some delicious and interesting options in this under-the-radar region. While a visit to the Cachapoal area is possible on a day trip, it requires more driving than we normally suggest to our clients. So if you only have one day available then it is viable, but if you have two days open to you the trip would be much better.
Wine, History, Cuisine and Water Wheels
Let’s assume you can find two days in your schedule, firstly let’s talk about where to stay overnight. We visited the Almahue Boutique Hotel for lunch and immediately thought “Why didn’t we stay here?”, well probably because we didn’t know anything about the place until it was recommended to us by the Clos de Luz winery. This is the place to stay in our opinion. It is a lovely experience in the heart of the region, with easy access to the attractions we mention below, serving delicious local cuisine accompanied by bottles from the owner’s personal wine production.
This hotel is a stylish step back in time, period furniture adorns the rooms, and colonial-style colonnades and porticos provide welcome shade in the blistering summer heat. There are extensive grounds to wander around, complete with some top-notch horses if that is your thing. Your pulse rate will drop while you are here, that is for sure!
