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Middle Chile

If you love wine, fine dining, never-ending springs, street art, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, surfing or just lazying for days on wild coasts, there's a spot in Middle Chile that was created just for you. This is Chile's most important wine-producing region, and the wineries and cozy bed and breakfasts of the sun-kissed Colchagua, Maule and Casablanca Valleys will tickle your palate and enliven your senses. For board riders, there are killer breaks up and down the coast, with surf culture exploding in towns like Pichilemu, Matanzas and Buchupureo. Hikers and skiers will love the lost lagoons and steep pistes found eastward in the Andes, while cultural explorers won't want to miss the murals and jumbled alleyways of Valparaíso and the hard-rocking musical exploits of Concepción.

Explore Middle Chile

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Middle Chile.

  • Museum

    Casa de Isla Negra

    The spectacular setting on a windswept ocean headland makes it easy to understand why Isla Negra was Pablo Neruda’s favorite house. Built by the poet when…

  • Historic Building

    La Sebastiana

    Bellavista's most famous resident writer was Pablo Neruda, who made a point of watching Valparaíso's annual New Year's fireworks from his house at the top…

  • Arts Centre

    Parque Cultural de Valparaíso

    This cultural center built from the bones of a prison has a little bit of everything the thinking traveler could ask for. There are excellent murals in…

  • Village

    Cahuil

    This little village has good ocean views and a few restaurants and cabins. Head to the bridge for a 30-minute boat tour of the Laguna de Cahuil (CH$5000…

  • Park

    Jardín Botánico Nacional

    There are over 3000 plant species in the nearly 400 hectares of parkland that comprise Chile's Jardín Botánico Nacional. It's 8km southeast of the city…

  • National Park

    Parque Nacional Radal Siete Tazas

    The upper basin of the Río Claro marks the beginning of the ecological transition between drought-tolerant Mediterranean vegetation to the north and moist…

  • Museum

    Museo de Colchagua

    Exhibiting the impressive private collection of controversial entrepreneur and alleged arms dealer Carlos Cardoen, this is the largest private museum in…

  • National Park

    Reserva Nacional Altos de Lircay

    The great range of challenging hikes at this well-organized, easily accessible national park will leave you as short of breath as the fabulous views. Its…

  • National Park

    Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta

    Between Angol and the Pacific, the coast range rises to 1550m within the 68-sq-km Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta, one of the last non-Andean refuges of…

  • Park

    Parque Nacional La Campana

    Looming large within this national park are two of the highest mountains in the coastal range, Cerro El Roble (2200m) and Cerro La Campana (1890m), which…

  • National Park

    Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja

    Some 93km east of Los Angeles you'll find the 116-sq-km Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja. Within the park is the symmetrical cone of Volcán Antuco (2985m)…

  • Plaza

    Plaza Sotomayor

    Plaza Sotomayor is dominated by the palatial blue-colored Edificio Armada de Chile. In the middle of the square lies the Monumento a los Héroes de Iquique…

  • Park

    Parque Quinta Vergara

    Nowhere is Viña's nickname of the 'Garden City' better justified than at the magnificently landscaped Parque Quinta Vergara, which you enter from…

  • Museum

    La Casa del Arte

    The massive, fiercely political mural La Presencia de América Latina is the highlight of the university art museum La Casa del Arte. It's by Mexican…

  • Museum

    Museo Marítimo Nacional

    Cannons still stand ready outside this naval museum. Much space is devoted to Chile's victory in the 19th-century War of the Pacific. Other exhibits…

  • Cemetery

    Cementerios 1 & 2

    The city's most illustrious, influential and infamous residents rest in peace in Cementerios 1 and 2, where the tombs look like ornate mini alaces. Nearby…

  • Park

    Parque Botánico Isidora Cousiño

    This stunning 14-hectare park is down the road from Mina Chiflón del Diablo, an undersea mine that's now a popular tourist attraction. Paths wind through…

  • Church

    Catedral de Chillán

    On the northeast corner of Chillán's main square stands the stark, modernist Catedral de Chillán. Built in 1941, its soaring semi-oval form is made of a…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Middle Chile.

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