Attractions Services Vi a del Mar, Chile's best known seaside resort, is a popular weekend destination for Santiago residents. Vi a has several long and sandy beaches, but the nearby suburbs of Re aca and Conc n have equally popular spots. Many beautiful mansions have now become home to some interesting museums. It also offers an extensive array of luxery hotels and restaurants with beautiful views of the beaches.
Further north is a string of seaside communities with unique charms worth visiting.
In the ramshackle fishing port of Horc n, local artisans set up their tables beneath large umbrellas along the beach, and small-scale fishermen use draft horses to haul their launches out of the surf. Maitencillo has beautiful summer homes and the woodsy Marbella Resort, complete with golf course and polo fields. Just north of Maitencillo, the upscale resort of Zapallar is the region s real garden spot, whose densely forested streets descend to the beach. Beyond Zapallar, Papudo is a more democratic destination which has been a bathing resort since the turn of the century.