Valdivia/Villarrica/Pucon/Vina del Mer - Recommend?

Would highly reccommend Hosteria de la Colina in Villarrica. A great spot with some of the best food in Chile. You can easisly do the volcan villarrica from here. Tour operators everywhere.....homesteader

Valdivia has no beaches it is on the river, but someway upstream from the Pacific. Pucon is more of a resort thn Villarica and you can easily climb the volcano while staying in Pucon. The main and only highway in Central Chile is away from the coast so it is difficult to make it there without going out of your way. Viña is a resort while Valparaiso is perhaps the most fascinating city in Chile to wander around.

Is Valdivia worth a stop off or should we wait until after Pucon for beach chill out?

Valdivia is a nice city but not with too many highlights and definitely not a beach place. Head for Pucon.

Is Villarrica a nicer place to stay than Pucon? It looks a bit more chilled out but we would like to do the volcano climb if conditions permit

Villarrica is more low-key, thats true, but in Pucon you will get amazing views and the town itself its beautiful and full of life.

From Villarrica to Vina del mAr any good beach spots easy to access by bus along the way?

90% of the buses go through the Panamericana or Ruta 5, the central highway which goes through the valley and never touches the shore, at least in the route you describe.

Is Vina Del Mer a nicer place to stay than Valparisio(last stop before Santiago where not planning on spending more than a day)

Viña is a nicer place. Its more developed and beautiful, although Valparaiso has "that charm" that foreigners love, so in this you should definitely give it a try. Their very near, anyway (15-20 min in public transport) in case you want to go from one place to the other.

We have not booked accommodation/itinery for this time so any suggestions on activities/hostels would be greatly appreciated.

Cant help here, sorry. Maybe if you check with www.wikitravel.com?<BR><BR>Cheers!

Viña didn't appeal to me at all, though it is 'nicer' in some senses than Valpo, I suppose. It really depends on what you are looking for...if it is the beach and relaxation, Viña. If it is a cool town, Valpo. They are close, so you can decide when you get there...

Anne

I recommend you to skip Valdivia and go directly to Pucon. Pucon is much nicer than Villarrica, closer to the volcano, and you can spend a few days there, visiting some national parks, hiking, biking, kayaking...

There aren't many beach resorts south of Vina. Besides, the Pacific ocean is cold. The best beaches are a few kilometers north of Vina, in the towns of Quintero, Horcon and Maitencillo. Otherwise, Pichilemu is a good spot (in the 6th region, south of Santiago), especially for surfers, but it's less easy to reach.

Otherwise, Vina and Valparaiso, although neighbours, are very different. Vina is a rich beach resort, without any special charm. Valparaiso is poor, but has an attractive and very special architecture, and is really worth a visit. I live there, so if you want more infos, you can write to me: tompous@gmail.com

I would definitely vote for Pucon, you can do a lot of trips (if weather permits definitely do the climb up the volcano Villarica) from there. (Keep in mind that in jan. it will be very busy as it is high season). For relaxing you can go to one of the termas nearby.
Valdivia is a nice town, but I would definitely vote for Valpo as it is such an amazing town!
Viña in my opinion is just an overpriced beach town, nice, but Valpo is much better. The beach is nice, but the current is very cold.

Thanks for your replies

We´ll head for Pucon and probably make time to see both Valparis and Vina.