Drive two hours north from the jumble of Valparaiso, through the crisp modern condos of Vina del Mar, the aging step-back apartments of laid-back Renaca, the commercial anarchy of Concon's roadside stands.
Take the coast hugging option coming out of the traffic circle and cruise past Ritoque's magnificent coastal dunes. Avert your eyes from the crude industrial copper mine then slip into the sparse coastal hills. The houses get bigger, more Mediterranean-cubist as you approach Cachagua. From here you can smell the wealth of Zapallar.
And you've arrived.
Park under the shade of the monstrous pines, reserve a stretch of billowing sand with your towel and venture to the water's edge. It's as far as you will get unless your blood runs as cold as the Antarctic Humbolt Current.
But then follow the curving stone path around the promontory on the right and enter a genteel enclave of seaside privilege.
Pristine green-blue surges, flecked with spotless foam, polish the granite outcrops with sun-sparkle power.
Riding the swelling hillside, extravagant summer homes face down the extreme views with broad terraces and expanses of glass.
Tended gardens flow down forbidding slopes into pockets of red and yellow wildflowers teasing the edge of high tide.
At the extreme reaches, adventurous architects challenge the elements with sturdy structures balanced on massive outcroppings.
Zapallar may be a day's escape from Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, but it's a magnificent world unto itself.
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For an alternative day-trip out of Valparaiso, consider:
- a vine tasting expedition to the Casablanca Valley half-way back to Santiago (right)
- a pilgrimage to Pablo Neruda's sea front refuge at Isla Negra.
