Vina del Mar, just north of Valparaiso, is a combination of a pacific resort and a cosmopolitan city with a spicy mix of beaches, lush gardens, and nightlife. Located only 74 miles from Santiago, the city explodes in the summer, when thousands arrive to laze the day away on the beaches and crowd the expensive nightspots in the evening. It houses the Casino Municipal, South America’s premier gambling house on the Pacific. Vina and Valparaiso can be visited on a full-day or an overnight tour from Santiago. Note: Water is frigid.
