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- Find a Spanish school in South America - CatchtheLingo
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- Destinations
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- Chile
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- Santiago and Central Chile
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Viña del Mar
...renowned for its long stretch of fantastically clean beaches and calm, swimmable waters... its bustling community of students keeps this almost-pompous beach city down to earth.
Images of Viña del Mar
Expect: Beaches, students and the best music festival in Latin America.
Pack: Trunks and sun cream for the day, dancing shoes and stamina for the nights.
Viña del Mar
Just 15 minutes from the mazed madness of Valparaíso, Viña del Mar is Chile's top beach destination, par excellence. A quiet, tranquil town, it is renowned for its long stretch of fantastically clean beaches and calm, swimmable waters. The safe, chilled out vibe makes it popular with families. Fortunately its bustling community of students also keeps this almost-pompous beach city down to earth. Viña del Mar is one of Chile's four university towns, and you can't help feeling that without this trove of long-haired, energetic and topless (only the guys, sadly) students the town would be irrevocably dull. But what am I moaning about, they are here and so are the, house parties, beach football and the general good times they deliver. Come to think of it, I didn't see a single library; oh well.
Sadly a victim of Chile's habit of recklessly throwing up high-rises on the beachfront, Viña del Mar, redeems itself with busy, pedestrianised walkways and leafy plazas. Not for nothing is this tranquil spot known locally as La Ciudad Jardín (The Garden City), an abundance of pocket parks, tree-lined avenues and sparkling fountains lends Viña an air of open cool and natural class that is rare in South America. Originally the playground of the rich and famous, most of the city's 19th century buildings have been flattened by the stuttering, seismic waves of the numerous earthquakes to hit the region. However, a number of stunning, colonial mansions still line Avenida Libertad, and a brief stroll down this famous avenue lends a look into the city's glamorous past.
Once a year this quiet city transforms into the buzzing centre of the continent's music scene. La Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar (The Viña del Mar International Song Festival) has been descending on this unassuming city for the last 50 years, and if you're around (by that I mean in Latin America) you should try your utmost to make it. What makes this festival unique is the intensity of the crowd. Nicknamed "El Monstruo" ("The Monster"), the audience members at this mad musical mass are not satisfied to just bob their heads and sing along. No, "The Monster" makes and breaks bands. If they like you, the shouts and screams, encores and ecstasy, will make your career. The reviews will be wild, your record will sell, and you can sit in your elevator watching the floors tick by, as you ride your way up the charts. But if The Monster doesn't take to you, then it's all over. You won't even get to the end of your set, and you leave in disgrace; a job at McDonalds awaits.
recommended books
- destinations
- Argentina
- Chile
- Peru
- Bolivia
- Iguazu Falls
- San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Santiago, Chile
- El Calafate, Patagonia
