Zapallar

Last weekend, Claudio and I decided to do something a bit different, and escape from the city to spend a day at the beach. Although it's not quite swimming and sunbathing weather yet, we felt like a change of scenery and some sea air. And because everyone wants to go to the mountains in winter, the beach is very quiet and peaceful at the moment.

We chose to go to Zapallar, which is a little bit further north of the beaches we visited in February. Along with Cachagua, Zapallar is known for being one of the most exclusive beach resorts in the country, and many of Santiago's elite spend the summer there. However, in July, it's a nice, secluded spot for enjoying nature.

It took us about three hours of driving in total to get there, but it was worth it, as it's really one of the most beautiful beaches we've been to in Chile, and one of the most beautiful beaches we've been to overall, to be honest. Like other beaches in the centre of the country, it's surrounded by forest, making it a really picturesque setting. It also has plenty of palm trees, and different types of plants and colourful flowers, in addition to architecture inspired by various countries in Europe.

We spent a really nice afternoon walking along the sand, and exploring different pathways around the beach. It was too cold for swimming, but we did paddle in the ocean a little bit!

We also met a lovely cat called Lechuza (Owl) at a café next to the beach. She was so friendly and cute!

Overall, it was a really nice day and a great escape from the daily routine. We will definitely try to go back to Zapallar in the summer, and also to Papudo, which is fairly close. There are so many beautiful beaches within a few hours of Santiago, and we hope to discover as many of them as possible!