Viña del Mar: Chile's Garden City by the Sea
Viña del Mar — Chile's premier beach resort, 120 km from Santiago — is called the 'Garden City' for its flower-lined boulevards, its parks, and the famous Reloj de Flores (Flower Clock); the Casino Municipal and the Pacific beaches make it the most visited destination in Chile after Santiago
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Reloj de Flores
The Reloj de Flores (Flower Clock) - a large working clock set on a hillside and completely planted with flowering plants - is Viña del Mar's most iconic image; the bell (operating since 1962) changes its flowers according to the season; the combination of the flower plantings, the working clock mechanism and the Pacific Ocean background make it one of the most photographed clocks in the world
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Casino Municipal
The Casino Municipal de Viña del Mar – inaugurated in 1930, one of the oldest casinos in Latin America – is the social heart of the resort; the elegant building on Avenida San Martín, the game rooms, restaurants and show theater make it the center of Viña del Mar's nightlife; the casino's architecture and its location between the city and the Pacific Ocean define the character of the resort
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Pacific Beaches
The beaches of Viña del Mar and the adjacent Reñaca - stretching over 10 km - are the most visited in Chile; Playa de Viña del Mar (the city's main beach), Playa Acapulco and Reñaca beach all have fine sand, lifeguards and the cold Humboldt current that Chileans brave regardless of the temperature
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The Botanical Garden
The Viña del Mar Botanical Garden — 40 hectares of gardens with more than 3,000 plant species from five continents — is one of South America's finest botanical collections; the garden's succulents (with specimens from the Atacama Desert), the Chilean native plants and the European formal gardens make it more than a municipal park
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Festival de la Canción
The Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar – held every February in the outdoor amphitheater Quinta Vergara – is the most important music festival in Latin America; the festival has launched the careers of dozens of Latin American artists since 1960; the festival's tradition of audience participation (the audience rates each performance with cheers or joy) is unique in the music world
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Cerro Castillo
Cerro Castillo – the hill above Viña del Mar with the President's summer residence (Castillo Presidencial) – offers the finest view of the city, the beaches and the Pacific Ocean; the palatial presidential palace (not open to the public) and its surrounding gardens on the hill are the most distinctive architecture in the city