Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 421

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Terminal Municipal is on Casanova, four blocks
southwest of the Plaza de Armas.
Destinations Pichilemu (10 daily; 2hr); Santiago (more
than 10 daily; 2hr 30min).
Tourist information The Ruta de Vino headquarters on
the east side of the Plaza de Armas 298 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm,
Sat & Sun 10am-6pm; T 72 2823199, W rutadelvino.cl) is
an excellent source of information on the Valle Colchagua
(see box below).

grapes. The ideal time to visit is during
the first weekend in March, when the
Fiesta de La Vendimia del Valle de
Colchagua (grape harvest festival) is held,
allowing you to sample the best wines
and the region's typical dishes.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The heart of Santa Cruz is the gorgeous
Plaza de Armas , dotted with araucarias,
conifers and palm trees, with an ornate
fountain at its centre and drinking
fountains around its periphery. Within
a couple of blocks of the plaza are
numerous places to eat and hospedajes .
The excellent, privately run Museo de
Colchagua , at Errázuriz 145 (daily:
Dec-Feb 10am-7pm; rest of the year
10am-6pm; CH$5000, students
CH$2000; W museocolchagua.cl),
displays the unmatched private collection
of Carlos Cardoen, which includes
pre-Columbian artefacts from around
Latin America, conquistador weaponry,
exquisite gold work, Mapuche weavings,
a re-creation of the San José mine rescue
and much more. Cardoen himself is a
highly controversial figure: still wanted by
the FBI for allegedly selling weapons to
Iraq in the 1980s, the former arms dealer
has transformed himself into a successful
businessman and philanthropist with
extensive interests in wine and tourism.

ACCOMMODATION
Gomero Capellania 327 T 72 2821436. Unremarkable
hotel with clean but not particularly in viting rooms , and
friendly staff. Breakfast included. Rooms CH$25,000

EATING AND DRINKING
Café Sorbo Casanova 158, on the 2nd floor of a cultural
centre. Extremely friendly café/restaurant with quality
coffee, and great choice for vegetarians. Soya hamburger
CH$6800.
Pizzeria Refranes Diaz Besoain 176. Opposite the fire
station. Traditional Chilean dishes combine with an excellent
range of empanadas and divine slabs of pizza in a pleasant
ambience. Large pizza CH$4990.

4

PICHILEMU
The drive to the surfing magnet of
PICHILEMU , 90km west of Santa Cruz,
is particularly scenic. The road meanders
past sun-drenched vineyards before
snaking in and out of patches of pine

RUTA DEL VINO DE COLCHAGUA
The Colchagua Valley has some of the best red wines in the world, not to mention the
best-organized wine route in Chile. There are fourteen wineries in all, including both large,
modern producers and small-scale, traditional bodegas ; many of them can be visited on
a drop-by basis or at short notice. The Ruta del Vino headquarters in Santa Cruz organizes
full-day and half-day tours that commence at 10.30am, taking in two or three wineries, along
with lunch and a visit to the Museo de Colchagua. Rates depend on the number of people and
type of tour; a half-day tour without lunch will cost around CH$39,000, while full-day tours
start at CH$75,000.

boutique winery producing only reserve-quality wines;
the owners directly oversee each stage of production.
Book in advance. Tours CH$10,000/person.
Viña Viu Manent Carretera del Vino Km37 T 72
2858751, W viumanent.cl. Family-owned winery famous
for its excellent reds, especially Malbec, offering horse-
drawn carriage tours as part of its attraction. Tours
including carriage ride CH$14,000/person.

WINERIES
Viña Casa Silva Hijuela Norte s/n Angostura, Km132,
Ruta 5, San Fernando T 72 2913117, W casasilva.cl.
Award-winning winery set in a colonial-style hacienda,
using modern technology to produce Carmenère, as
well as the less common Viognier, Sauvignon Gris and
Shiraz. Tours CH$10,000/person.
Viña Laura Hartwig Camino Barreales s/n T 72
2823179, W laurahartwig.cl. Small, family-owned,