Santiago Excursions

For a Half Day

Viña Concha y Toro: Chile's wines have soared in international reputation and some of the country's best-known tipples are produced at the Concha y Toro Winery (tel: (02) 476 5000; www.conchaytoro.com) in the village of Pirque, just southeast of Santiago. Established in 1883, Chile's largest winery is surrounded by seemingly endless fields of vines and blessed with spectacular views of the Andes. It is here that such internationally recognised brands as Casillera del Diablo and Don Melchor (both award-winners) are produced.

There are guided tours of the grounds and the adobe storehouses, which are full of huge oak barrels. Visitors are invited to sample two (‘traditional' tour) or four (‘marques' tour) varieties of wine during the tours and are given a souvenir glass to take home. Tours in English take place daily at regular intervals throughout the day, and there are also tours in Spanish. It can take one to two hours to reach the vineyard and you need to make a reservation in advance. Take the Metro to Plaza de Puente Alto on Line 4, then take the MetroBus or taxi to the winery, which is slightly more than five minutes away from the Metro station.

For a Whole Day

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: Valparaíso is a ramshackle city of multi-coloured mansions and houses balanced precariously on steep hills overlooking the historic port. Every corner turned, alleyway walked or staircase climbed reveals a vibrant street scene or sweeping view of the sea and city - it is easy to see why artists and intellectuals have traditionally been attracted to the place. Among the best-known former residents is the poet Pablo Neruda, whose delightfully disordered former home La Sebastiana, Ricardo Ferrari 692 (tel: (032) 225 6606; www.lasebastiana-neruda.cl) is open Tuesday to Sunday 1010-1800 as an intriguing museum.

The best way to reach the top of the steep hills is by the century-old funicular elevators. The heritage of Valparaíso is so unique that UNESCO declared the city a World Heritage Site in 2003. Valparaíso is also an important naval base, financial centre and, following the construction of the congress building in 1990, the seat of the national government. It adjoins the town of Viña del Mar, which has a sandy beach, leafy Riviera-style boulevards, casino and nightclubs - although some find the beach somewhat underwhelming. Buses to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar depart approximately every 15 minutes from Santiago's Alameda bus terminal. The main tourist office is situated in the Municipalidad building, Condell 1490 (tel: (032) 288 2285) and is open Monday to Friday 0900-1730. There is also a small information kiosk at the bus terminal and on Muelle Prat (the pier) near Plaza Sotomayor.