Viña del Mar

Where to stay

Budget beds cluster in two zones: the downtown core around Plaza de Viña and the Rodoviario bus station, where you are a short walk from the beach promenade and the flower clock, and the Recreo area further north, which is the main residential zone with its own Merval train station and a more local, less touristy feel. Staying downtown keeps the beach and Quinta Vergara park within reach on foot; Recreo is quieter but requires a quick train or micro ride to the coast.

Getting around

• Buses from Santiago's Pajaritos terminal run constantly to the Rodoviario station in Viña del Mar for about a ninety-minute ride, costing a fraction of what a private transfer quotes. The bus drop-off is just a few blocks from the center, so you can walk or take a cheap colectivo to your hostel rather than hailing a taxi.
• The Merval train line connects Viña del Mar to Valparaíso in roughly fifteen minutes, making it easy to spend the day exploring Valparaíso's hills and port while sleeping in Viña's flatter, safer streets. You need a rechargeable transit card to tap in and out, available at station kiosks.
• Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are effectively twin cities, so there is little reason to book a bed in Valparaíso itself if you want a quieter, more straightforward base. The train and local micros run constantly between the two, so you can easily split your time between the port city's bohemian hills and Viña's beachfront.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest and easiest to book during the Chilean winter months of June through August, when the coast is cooler and rainier. Prices spike and beds fill fast during the summer holiday stretch of December through March, and especially during the Festival de Viña in late February, which marks the end of summer and draws domestic crowds from across the country.