Archive for the 'vina del mar' Category

Discover Chile with our Santiago tours at Casa Newen

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Casa Newen offers travelers and tourists our fun santiago tours for the summer of 2010! We organize and arrange private and group tours to the must see attractions that Santiago and Chile has to offer. The tours are with experienced bilingual guides and can be personalized to fit your needs.

There are 10 tours throughout Santiago and central Chile catering to every want imaginable! If you fancy the beach and coastline we offer tours to the iconic port city of Valparaiso and the resort city of Vina del Mar as well as the enchanting fishing town of Zapallar. The Isla Negra and Pomaire tour will take you on a journey into the life of Chile’s Nobel Prize Winner Pablo Neruda, visiting the poets home and Pomaire, the traditional potters village known for it’s handmade arts and crafts.

If you love Chilean wine then the tours in Chile offer a smorgasbord of lush green valleys and vineyards. The Wine Train Tour is a popular tour in Santiago and features an original steam train and a trip to the Colchagua valley. There are also wine tours to the Maipo Valley featuring the vineyards of Concha y Toro, Undurraga. The Colchagua Ranch Tour is a unique experience of Chilean wine and culture with a traditional folklore dance and rodeo as well as visit to the Colchagua Museum.

If you are the outdoors type then a tour of Cajon del Maipo and San jose is a sure bet. Here you will find various activities at your disposal. Trekking El Morado National Park to the San Fransisco Glacier is unforgettable as well as a visit to Colina Thermal Baths, a natural wonderland with the Andes Mountain range as your backdrop.

And finally the Dinner and Show tour highlights the best attractions that Santiago has to offer! The cultural center that is Santiago’s main square, the majestic Cathedral of Santiago and the resilience of the Presidential Palace. Finally a traditional restaurant of Santiago will introduce you to Chile’s typical dances, wines and gastronomy.

Visit our website at www.casanewen.com and view our Tours section for more info. You can also book a tour by clicking on “bookings and enquiries” or by Clicking Here you can also reach us by sending an email at contact@casanewen.com or by Tel:+56 02 716 9007 (Santiago de Chile)

We pride ourselves on providing travelers, guests and tourists our renowned personal service and friendly advice so we hope you discover Chile with our Santiago tours

Alejandro Carvajal
Casa Newen Tours Santiago Chile

Happy New Year!!

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Another year is gone… we have meet so many nice people from all over the world and the most important thing is that we have learned from each other, sharing our culture differences, the languages and even sharing some political point of views! What we really like is for guests to leave Casa Newen and Chile with great memories and new friends.

One of the great things that happened last year was related to the wine industry in our country. One of our wines was awarded by the Magazine “Wine Spectator” as being amongst 100 top wines from all over the world, our “Clos Apalta 2005” from “Casa Lapostelle - Colchagua Valley” won 1st Prize.

The Colchagua region is located about 128km southwest of Santiago. It enjoys a balmy, Mediterranean climate matched in only a few other places on earth. Currently the Colchagua Valley has about 50,000 acres of vineyards. The predominant varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Malbec, and Syrah, with lesser amounts of Chardonnay, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Blanc. Most of our guests visit the picturesque town of Santa Cruz, located in this region.

Talking about wine we would like to rise our glasses with a nice Chilean Carmenère and say SALUD! and wish all our guests from the past years and the future, a very Happy and rewarding 2009!!

After being spectators to the magnificent fireworks in Viña del Mar, we are ready to welcome the New Year and of course our new guest!

Day Trip to Vina Del Mar!

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

Vina del Mar has the reputation of being the glamourous playground of the wealthy and is often referred to the Chilean Riviera.

Our guests usually leave only one day to Valparaiso and go on a cruise, but in our opinion there are plenty of things to do and gems to discover onshore just by strolling from Vina del Mar to Valparaiso, then dancing the night away at the bars and clubs in town.

The key here is to soak up the picturesque coastal town atmosphere, strolling in the backstreets and seeing where the day takes you .

The flower clock, the museum and the botanical garden in Vina del Mar, are the must see´s, but if you have no idea where to start, here´s my list of our favourite tucked away gems and things to do in Valparaiso-Vina del Mar..

Not so common things to do in Valparaiso or Vina Del Mar.

:: For New Year´s Eve :: Don’t do as the locals do who watch this popular spectacle on TV. Get up early and stake out a place somewhere along the coast of Valparaiso or Vina Del Mar. At 3min past midnight, the sky explodes in the biggest fireworks displayed in all Latin America. Book accommodation way in advance.

:: Go to Pablo Neruda´s House:: ¨La Sebastiana¨ in Valparaiso, Chile,where he wrote all those famous love poems. Tuesdays to Sundays, 10.10 AM to 6 PM, CLP $3.500 per adult. Down “Ferrari” Streer, on Bella Vista hill.

:: Outdoor Market :: If you like perusing flea markets for antiques and collectables, Vina Del Mar holds a large outdoor fleamarket right in front of the main flower clock tourist spot in ¨Las Salinas¨ on Sundays and public holidays. 10am to 5pm.

::Horse carriages:: See the city lights in an old style horse carriage called ¨Las Victorias¨ along Plaza Vergara and Plaza Colombia around the corner from our Valparaiso Villa holiday house, in Vina del Mar, Chile. Short ride CLP$6,000 or long ride CLP$12,000.

:: See a smaller scale authentic Moai statue:: It was brought from the Easter Island in 1951 to Vina del Mar, Chile, and is standing besides the Francisco Fonck Museum, Nº 784, 4 Norte, open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 6pm. Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 2pm.

::Wharf:: Take a stroll on the wharf and check out the catch before dining in one of the many restaurants with a view overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Caleta Higuerilla Av. Borgoño,Viña del Mar, Chile.

::Go for a salsa dancing lesson:: At salsa club La Piedra Feliz (The Happy Stone). The fun starts at 10pm on Thursdays. Errazuriz 1054, Valparaiso.Chile. Ph:(32) 256788. http://lapiedrafeliz.cl

::Go for a midsummer nights dip:: At glamourous Renaca beach, Viña del Mar, specifically at ¨El Cementerio¨ the jetset hangout area on the beach.

::Sea Lions:: Take a hike out on the rocks on the coastal road linking Reñaca and Concón at the Mirador Lobos Marinos (Sea Lion Lookout) where you can meet some local sea lions. It is not easy but it´s worth it. Avenida Borgoña Viña del Mar, Chile.

::Try an ¨empanada¨:: The national savoury pastry snack filled with mince meat, egg and olives, at any corner bakery.

::Rioja Palace:: (Palacio Rioja). Get dressed up and visit this French style Palace which is now an environmental museum and cinema. It is located on one of the Vina del Mar’s main streets “Quillota”. Open Hours10am-2pm, 3pm-6pm Mon-Sun. Ph.+ 56 32 883322.

::Sports Club:: Parque Sausalito (Sausalito Park ) is an excellent place for the more active tourist wanting to fit in a bit of tennis, swimming, jogging even a bit of shooting practice. Avenida Sausalito Viña del Mar, Chile. Open 24 hrs.

::Valparaiso Sporting Club:: Enjoy a day at the races. At a very English style Derby day the first Sunday of every February. The first Derby Day, based on the British race, was held in 1885. On Saturday before the race, the traditional antique cars parade takes place through the streets of Viña del Mar, with the Queen of the Derby making a special guest appearance in the parade. Los Castaños 404, Vina del Mar, Chile.