Travel Tips: The Best Day Trips From Santiago

I felt inspired to write this particular post today, as it won't be long until I'll be moving back to Santiago again! I'm just waiting for one more document to arrive within the next couple of days, and then I'll be able to complete the visa application. After that it will just be a matter of days or weeks before I can collect my visa and finally go!

Of course, I'm still nervous that something will go wrong, and I'm not going to lie, the recent news about the new Covid variant has been stressing me out a bit. But after so many months of waiting, I want to remain positive that things are actually going to work out at last, and that I'll be back in Santiago with Claudio within weeks. (Fingers crossed!)

Santiago is a great place to visit and live in, and I've already written about some of the best attractions in the city itself. But another thing that makes it great is its location and its transport links to other fantastic destinations. It's located pretty much right in the centre of the country, and it's easy to take a coach from there to cities across the north and south of Chile. It also has a big international airport, which offers flights to many places in South America and beyond.

But today I'm going to focus on the places that are within a couple of hours' driving distance, and which are ideal for a day trip or weekend away. My list includes beaches, areas of natural beauty, and cities, so there's plenty of variety!

Cajón del Maipo

It doesn't take much longer than an hour to get to this canyon in the Andes (but beware that the journey there is slightly terrifying, due to the narrow mountain roads!). What I like about this place is that it's an area of completely unspoilt nature, featuring mountains, rivers, and the huge reservoir Embalse el Yeso (pictured above). It's also an ideal destination for outdoor sports like hiking, skiing and rafting.

Read more here!

Pomaire

If you want to experience an authentic, traditional Chilean town, Pomaire is the perfect place to visit. This little town is famous for its pottery, in particular its little clay piggy banks, which are sold on practically every corner. You can even find the world's largest piggy bank there!

Read more here!

Chicureo

Chicureo is a small town to the north of Santiago, best known for its artificial lagoon, Laguna Piedra Roja. The lagoon is very picturesque, and is located right next to a nice shopping mall, making it a great place for a day out. Similarly to other affluent areas in and around Santiago, it has a bit of a vibe of the United States about it.

Read more here!

Vineyards of Central Chile

Chile is famous for its wine, and most of it is produced in the centre of the country, meaning that there are plenty of vineyards within driving distance of Santiago. In fact, when I was living in Santiago, my first ever trip outside of the city was to Viña Undurraga (pictured above), a vineyard in the town of Talagante. It was a really beautiful place to visit, thanks to its trees and flowers from the south of Chile, and the wine was also very tasty! Another vineyard which looks worth a visit is Viña Indómita. I've never been there but I've been past it in the car on trips to the beach. I think it intrigues me because it's a big white house located in a town called Casablanca (white house)!

Read more here!

Viña del Mar & Nearby Towns

Known as Chile's garden city, Viña del Mar is one of the most popular beach destinations in the country, and is also the location of Festival de Viña (basically the Latin American equivalent of Eurovision!). It has various sandy beaches and interesting architecture, including a French-style castle and a German-style castle. I would also recommend checking out two nearby towns as well: Reñaca (which has a really nice beach) and Concón (which has amazing sand dunes).

Read more here and here!

Algarrobo & Nearby Towns

Algarrobo has some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever visited, and what makes it even better is that it's home to lots of interesting wildlife, such as pelicans. And if you take a boat trip around Isla Pájaros Niños, you can even see penguins! Other nearby places that are interesting to see are Isla Negra (one of Pablo Neruda's houses) and Santo Domingo, which has a beach with black volcanic sand.

Read more here and here!

Valparaíso

Valparaíso has to be the ultimate day trip from Santiago, and I'd say it's a must visit destination for anyone visiting Chile. This city has been designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's easy to see why; it's full of colourful architecture in a variety of styles, its streets and staircases are decorated with creative street art, and the whole place has a very vibrant and Bohemian atmosphere.

Read more here!

I hope this article can provide some inspiration for anyone planning on spending some time in and around Santiago! It has been really fun to compile this list and to remember the great times I had in these different places. I can't wait to be back in Chile again, revisiting some of my favourite destinations, and discovering new ones!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Country Guide: Poland

Name: Poland (in Polish: Polska)

Continent: Europe

Capital (and Largest) City: Warsaw (in Polish: Warszawa)

Language: Polish

Currency: Polish Złoty

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type E

Description: Poland is a relatively large country in Eastern Europe, which borders the Baltic Sea in the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the south, as well as several other European countries. It is known for its historic cities, including Kraków, Warsaw and Gdańsk, and it's also a popular hiking and skiing destination.

Why You Should Visit: I had a really fantastic and memorable time in Poland when I volunteered there in 2019, teaching English with the Angloville programme. There are many beautiful places to see throughout the country (I only saw a few, but I would definitely go back in the future). In addition, the people are very friendly, and everything is cheap, so you're sure to have a great time!

Fun Fact: The world's largest castle (the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork) is located in Poland!

My Blogposts About Poland

Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Kraków

- Ciężkowice

- Volunteering in Poland With Angloville (Modrzewiowe Wzgórze)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Kraków)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Wawel Castle, Kraków)

- UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Kraków)

- Travel Tips: My Top Five Mountain Destinations (The Tatra Mountains)

- Charlotte's Travel Adventures is 5 Years Old! (Kraków)

Clockwise starting from top left: St Mary's Basilica, Kraków; Wawel Castle, Kraków; Modrzewiowe Wzgórze; Statue of Ignacy Jan Paderewski in Ciężkowice; Kraków Cloth Hall

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Country Guide: Liechtenstein

Name: Liechtenstein

Continent: Europe

Capital City: Vaduz

Largest City: Schaan

Language: German

Currency: Swiss Franc

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Central European Time

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type J

Description: Liechtenstein is a tiny country (the fourth smallest in Europe) located in the Alps, in between Switzerland and Austria. 

Why You Should Visit: The country is small, but it has a lot to offer, including mountainous landscapes and fairytale castles. Vaduz is definitely a must-visit city, as you can find beautiful architecture there, as well as two great museums: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and Liechtenstein National Museum.

Fun Fact: Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly-landlocked countries in the world. (The other one is Uzbekistan.)

My Blogposts About Liechtenstein

My Year Abroad Blog 2017-2018

- A Memorable Few Days (Innsbruck, Sargans and Vaduz)

Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Travel Tips: Destinations off the Tourist Trail (Vaduz)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Vaduz)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Vaduz Castle)

- Travel Tips: My Top Ten Fairytale Destinations (Vaduz)

Clockwise starting from top left: Vaduz Castle, Vaduz City Centre, Vaduz Parliament and St. Florin Cathedral, Vaduz Parliament, Vaduz City Hall

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Windsor

Last weekend I was catsitting in Oxfordshire again, and so I decided to use my proximity to a train station to take a day trip to Windsor. I was particularly interested in visiting this town because of its famous castle - I've mentioned here several times that I love castles and palaces.

Another thing I've mentioned here several times is that I completely disagree with monarchy; it is an undemocratic and classist institution, and I feel embarrassed that people in my country still treat the Windsor family like gods, whereas people in other countries have fought revolutions in order to abolish this outdated system and achieve equality.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth Windsor (the unelected head of state of this country) still lives in Windsor Castle, so I made the decision before visiting the town that I would not be paying any admission fee, as I did not want to give money to this already very over-privileged woman and her spoilt relatives. I had hoped that I would be able to explore the castle from the outside for free. After all, it is the public taxes that pay for the upkeep of this building, so the public should have complete access to it.

However, I ended up disappointed - I was told by a security guard that the only way we "plebs" can fully explore the castle from the outside is by paying nearly £25 for a ticket! How greedy and selfish of the Windsors to expect working people to pay them such a ridiculous amount, when they already receive a great chunk of our taxes, which should instead be going towards our stretched public services. Obviously, I did not buy a ticket and therefore could not enter the grounds of this national landmark.

But apart from this, I still enjoyed my day in Windsor. The castle is an impressive building, and I managed to find some decent views of it from various spots around the town.

The rest of the town is also very attractive, and I spent a nice morning walking around it.

One of the town's most interesting buildings is the Crooked House of Windsor, which looks like it's about to topple over.

And although I disagree with monarchy, I must admit I appreciated the name of this pub - the Queen Charlotte!

I had lunch in a nice shopping centre next to the train station, where I saw an old steam train and a Cuban shop! The shop caught my attention, partly because Windsor seems like an odd location for a Cuban shop, and also because Cuba is a country that intrigues me a lot, and that I'd love to go to in the future.

After lunch I went for a walk alongside the River Thames, where I found a life-size model of a Hawker Hurricane plane!

The riverside was a very picturesque place to walk, with lots of cute ducks, geese and swans happily swimming and walking around.

I walked along the river until I reached a bridge connecting Windsor to the town of Eton, known for its private school, which produces a disproportionate amount of useless prime ministers. But the town itself is quite pretty and has great views of Windsor from its bridge and its Riverside Piazza.

 

Overall, I had a good time in Windsor and would recommend it as a place to visit. But I think it's a shame that castles like Windsor Castle still do not belong to the people of this country. We should look to France as an example; its population and size are similar to Britain's, and yet it brings in far more money through tourism (which just goes to show that the old argument that the Windsors "attract tourists" is totally wrong). In addition, France has an array of beautiful châteaux and palaces to explore, as well as plenty of tradition and culture, whilst being a republican nation! Who'd have thought?

Well, perhaps I'm in the minority for now, but I'm hopeful that some day in my lifetime, places like these will belong to all of us...