Beach and More
By: Gotsaga

The beautiful Viña del Mar also known locally as La Ciudad Jardín (Spanish for "The Garden City"), is a thriving coastal city in central Chile, in the Valparaíso Region and province. The population stands at 318,489 (April 24, 2004), making it Chile's fourth largest city. It is best known as a tourist and beach destination (with multiple beaches including Reñaca, Las Salinas, Miramar, Casino, and others). One of its key attractions includes a gambling casino and a yearly music festival (Festival de la Canción de Viña del Mar). The city also hosts a yearly ATP tennis tournament in clay courts (Movistar Open). The current mayor is Virginia Reginato. Visitors and locals enjoy the parks and water fountains of the city, including a large clock (Reloj de Flores) with its numbers made up of flowering plants, near Caleta Abarca beach and Miramar Hotel. The Valparaiso Sporting Club horse racing track is another major landmark. Jardín Botánico or Parque del Salitre is a rather large botanical garden on the outskirts of the city, originally designed and planted by an entrepreneur who got rich from exploiting saltpeter resources in northern Chile. The city's gambling casino is the oldest in Chile and also the most visited and luxurious. The casino was designed with clean art deco lines so influential in the early twentieth century and it is surrounded by magnificent gardens (hence the city's nickname). In 2002 a hotel (Hotel del Mar) was annexed to the 1930 building, resembling the architectural features of the original building. Palacio Rioja, a magnificent mansion built by Fernando Rioja in 1907, located on Quillota Street, houses an environmental museum. The Fonck Museum, located in Cuatro Norte Street, has a large exhibition of pre-Columbian articles and a large moai (Easter Island statue made of volcanic rock), the only one in mainland Chile, is also on display. Palacio Carrasco, built by Emilio Carrasco in 1912, now houses the Municipal Library and also is used for arts exhibitions. The building is also surrounded by nice gardens adorned with fine sculptures including a Rodin. Palacio Vergara located in Quinta Vergara was built by Blanca Vergara (daughter of José Francisco) in 1906 and it is now owned by the municipality. It currently houses the School of Fine Arts and has produced important Chilean artists like the painter Giancarlo Bertini.