Cantamar

A VT friend

by Aquamantos

Omar (omar_samra) from Egypt was in Viña del Mar during September, so we met here.
He's a very nice person, funny and sweet.
we had a good time walking around the city :o)
Nice to have met you Omar!.

Moai and the Fonck Museum

by IIGUANA

If you don't get to go to Easter Island, you can still see a real moai.
At the Fock Museum there is one next to their entrance.
The museum itself is quite small and has some chilean natural history. Interesting is to see the goat with 2 heads.

Wulff Castle

by filipdebont

Wulff Castle - Castillo Wullf - Chateau Wulff

At Cerro Castillo (Castle hill) you find many castles and palaces, like the Palacio Presidencial, the presidents summer palace, the gardens can be visited.

Closer to the Pacific Ocean, you find the Wullf castle. This Wulf castle now houses the Museo de la Cultura del Mar.

Gustavo Wulff, a German Merchant, ordered its building, with a beautiful German and French style, beside the Pacific sea.

Initially, in 1906, the house was built with stones, later in 1920 a tower and a new part of the house, with an English style were added.

When Mr. Wulff died, the Castle was owned by Esperanza Abarca Matta.

Nowadays is a Historic Monument, and it is property of the Viña del Mar City Council.

Cerro Castillo

by IIGUANA

Cerro Castillo (Castle Hill) is located in downtown Vi?a. It was home of a lot of rich people by the early 1900's. They built their houses on this hill because of the exquisite view of the Pacific Ocean and Valparaiso. On this hill you'll find the presidential summer house and a small castle, from where the hill got its name. This castle is owned now by the policemen, and they have their "entertainment centre" there.
There are no buses to take you up, but you can always walk. Don't go there during the night, as you might find drunk people on the stairs or even burglars.

The Garden City - La Ciudad Jardin

by aero198

"Chilean Capital of Tourism"

Viña del Mar is one the favourite places for many Chileans and other South Americans to spend their summer, because of the beaches, the nightlife and the "Festival de la Cancion de Viña del Mar" a traditional music festival that is celebrated every year in february in the city.
I remember with special love this city as this is the city where I grew up, and now that I live in Santiago, I just can say that Viña is a great place to live :))
The city offers all the services that a big city offers: clinics, 5-star hotel, casino, universities, shopping centers, etc, but without all the smog and congestion of a capital. Actually many people think of Viña as the Chilean capital of tourism.

"Green"

Viña del Mar (also known just as Viña) is one of the cities in Chile with more gardens and green areas per km. that's why it's called The Garden City.
Usually it is a relaxed place, except in summer and other long holiday times, where many visitors are received.