Cities and Vineyards Adventure

Trip Summary

• Historical city tour, Los Dominicos Village
• La Montana & Perez Cruz vineyards
• Matetic vineyard, Valparaiso city tour
• Valparaiso at leisure
• Transfer to airport

Trip Details

Day 1:

Upon arrival to Santiago's international airport, a driver and guide will pick you up and take you to your hotel. After checking-in, they will take you on a historical city tour.
We start our tour of Santiago at the central market, a colorful conglomeration of fish and seafood, fruits, vegetables, and flowers housed in an exquisite 19th century wrought-iron building designed by the famous French architect, Gustav Eiffel. We will later continue down the main avenues of the civic center and the seat of government, the neoclassical La Moneda Palace, built during the 18th century. Then we'll visit the Plaza de Armas, Santiago's main square, a picturesque plaza surrounded by the 18th century Metropolitan Catedral, the National Historical Museum, and the Central Post Office.  Leaving downtown, we will head towards the Forestal Park, leading to the Fine Arts Museum and Bellavista, the bohemian artsy center of Santiago. 

Your next visit will be to the handicraft village of Los Dominicos.  Here you will find an impressive variety of handicrafts including works by various indigenous groups from across the country.  The beautiful Colonial-style architecture of the center and its picturesque Andean backdrop make this visit one of a kind.  You will also have an opportunity to watch the craftsmen as they work with pottery, copper, stone, wood, wool and glass products.

Next we will have lunch and a wine tasting at the Bocanariz Restaurant in the Lastarria district. Bocanariz is a wine bar as well as an innovative restaurant where the cuisine has been designed to promote pairing with their extensive selection of wines. Served by its owners and a trained team of sommeliers, the ambiance is warm and casual, where the magic of an old restored house and the technology necessary to provide excellent service are united. Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy their delicious food accompanied by a tasting of some of Chile's excellent wines.
After lunch, you will have the rest of the evening at leisure.
Overnight Aubrey (an Australian/English owned small friendly boutique hotel situated in Bellavista).  (L)

Day 2:

This morning after breakfast, your driver and guide will pick you up and take you about 45 minutes south of Santiago to The Maipo Valley, Chile's oldest and most famous growing area. It's a sub region within the larger central valley region and lies just south of Santiago. Although Maipo isn't the largest area, it contains a considerable concentration of vineyards and a large representation of important producers, largely due to its close proximity to Santiago. Ocean breezes and elevation provide a number of cool growing areas within the region. For the most part, this is red-wine country, with cabernet sauvignon the most celebrated and widely planted variety. There are also good examples of chardonnay, merlot, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and semillon being produced.
Once here, we will visit the La Montana Winery.  La Montana (The Mountain) takes its name from one of the fundamental geomorphologic elements of this territory; located at 700 meters above the sea level, the enological objective of La Montana is to produce high quality wines that reflect the environmental conditions of Maipo Alto. Founded in the year 2000 with a different concept linked to the search for elevation with significant presence of native flora. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cot, and Petit Verdot currently coexist in an initial 4 hectares of vineyards, which will be extended to 20 hectares. With a yield of 3,000 kilos per hectare, its enological objective is to produce high quality concentrated wines that reflect the environmental conditions of the zone through an assemblage that brings together the best attributes of each variety.

First we will hike about 1.5 hours through the beautiful landscape of the Chilean Central Valley. Next, you will be given the chance to experience one of the most exhilarating ways to see the valley-- by zip-line (optional).  The zip-line is a breathtaking adventure over scenic canopies, 4 separate cable rides stretched across 1km over the La Montana Vineyards.  It will leave you amazed by the beauty of the valley, by the lushness of the scenery and by the thrill of traveling suspended at speeds approaching 50kph (30mph).  This tour is a great way to explore the wines and landscape of Maipo Valley.     

After your adventure, a tasty Chilean style barbecue will await you, with the chance to taste some of the remarkable and elegant La Montana wine.
After lunch, your driver will take you back to your hotel in Santiago.
Overnight Aubrey. (B)(BBQ)

Day 3:
This morning after breakfast and checking-out of your hotel, your driver and guide will take you to the Casablanca Valley.
The Casablanca Valley is located between the coastal mountain range and the Pacific Ocean. Vineyards have grown here since 1875, but only since the 1980's was the true potential of this valley discovered, when it was determined that the soil and the conditions were in many ways similar to the Napa and Sonoma valleys in California.  This valley is located in a temperate semi-arid climate zone, characterized by alternating short, relatively rainy winters and long, continually dry summers.  The valley is oriented in such a way that daily ocean breezes cool the grapes on the vines and result in intensely fruity wines. Additionally, very favorable sunlight conditions influence the grape ripening process, creating unique conditions that provide its wines with unique features.
Our first stop today will be to the Matetic vineyard, which was designed by their team in cooperation with the architect Lawrence Odfjell.  It is a state-of-the-art wine-making facility, constructed so as to complement its glorious setting.  In other words, harmony has been reached between the winery's organic agricultural practices and the natural landscape of the valley. This winery, which has a 300 thousand-liter capacity, relies on a gravitational-flow design that optimizes management of the grapes brought in from the nearby vineyards. During your tour here, you will learn about the different phases of wine production while appreciating the stunning views of the vineyards and the beautiful Rosario Valley.

Afterwards we will enjoy a delicious lunch served in the vineyard's Equilibrio Restaurant, run by the prestigious chef Matias Bustos. 
After lunch, your driver and guide will take you to the coastal port city of Valparaiso, where we will take a historical city tour.
Our tour starts off at Errazuriz street where examples of early 20th century British influenced architecture can be seen.  We will visit the 21 of May view point with its excellent vistas of the colorful hillside houses, the port and across the whole bay. Then we will take the Artilleria elevator (funicular) and descend to take a trolley that will lead us towards Concepcion Hill.  Our vehicle will be waiting to takes us up a few blocks.  We will then walk through a couple of alleyways and descend the Concepcion Hill through the Los Perales funicular that will lead us towards the Sotomayor Plaza, where we will find a monument dedicated to a few Chilean heroes.
Later we will take the coastal road to the neighboring city of Vina del Mar, which is also known as The Garden City. Here we will visit the floral clock and the Vergara pier, the municipal Casino and the famous Peru Avenue. Our trip continues as we ride along the coast where we can observe the beauty of this unique place. We will then return to the center of Vina del Mar, where we will finish our tour with a visit to the Francisco Vergara plaza, the Municipal Theater and Sucre Plaza.
After our tour, you will check-in at your hotel.
Located in the heart of Cerro Alegre and facing an impressive view of the bay of Valparaiso, Casa Higueras is the first boutique, design hotel to open in this port town.  After careful restoration work in this stately 1920's mansion, Casa Higueras offers a combination of modern comfort and warmth from the past, a reminiscent sense that reflects the city's own rhythm and atmosphere.     
Overnight Casa Higueras. (B)(L)

Day 4:
Today you will have at leisure in Valparaiso.
Overnight Casa Higueras. (B)

Day 5:
Today after breakfast and checking-out of your hotel, your driver and guide will take you to Santiago's airport for your flight.
(B)