Pichilemu Beaches in Central Chile

A sleepy coastal town of about 4,300 residents, Pichilemu transforms into a bustling summer holiday escape for many Santiago residents. Vina del Mar, this is not.

Instead, Pichilemu’s charm lies in its home style seafood restaurants, horse-drawn carriage taxis, early morning vegetable vendors selling their produce on wagons and its tranquil coastline.

While Pichilemu appears like the Chilean "campo" of the coast, it also is an internationally known surfing mecca. Year round, wet-suit-clad surfers from all parts of the world can be seen plying the waves on Pichilemu’s miles of beaches.

One can easily spend a full weekend at Pichilemu exploring and hiking its surroundings or simply sitting back and enjoying its seaside tranquillity. A friend from California described Pichilemu and its coastline as what California once was some 100 years ago.

According to several life-long Pichileminos, Pichilemu is rapidly changing. While its scenic waves are attracting an international clientele, Pichilemu also is enticing Santiaguinos looking for a laid back country alternative to Vina.
Driving into Pichilemu from San Fernando, you arrive at the principal beach, Playa Principal, along the main, tree-lined Avenida Ortuzar. As you look up into town from the beach, you can not help but notice Ross Park — an imposing, well-kept area surrounded by a colorful balustrade enclosing palm, eucalyptus, and pine trees.

To me, it looked more like an overly manicured backyard. I questioned several people and, not to my surprise, it was a backyard. A Chilean entrepreneur and a member of a prominent family, Agustin Ross Edwards, built the park to face his home, which was later converted to the century-old Hotel Ross. The current owner, a woman from Santiago, opted for this more peaceful town to raise her seven children.

The hotel now has been in her family for the last 30 years. The hotel, along with its park and now defunct casino, bear witness to a once grand past. Today, Ross Hotel show signs of many years gone by and possibly a more difficult present.
The building’s beautiful architecture with a once-inside courtyard, French windows, and hardwood floors needs much repair. But the dining room overlooking the park is impressive with high ceilings and detailed wood moldings, housing original turn of the century furniture. I can imagine Mr. Ross entertaining his guests and appreciating the park and the ocean beyond, no doubt drinking pisco sours and eating mariscos.

A similar hotel, though far better maintained and more charming, is the Chile-España Hotel, also a century old, according to its owner. The rooms lie off a lovely interior courtyard. Both hotels are located in the center of town, which only runs about four to five blocks of paved road. The rest of Pichilemu extends southwest along meandering dirt roads. This is the "campo" and tranquil beaches I speak about — cows, chickens, horses, vegetable vendors along a quiet coastline.

The beaches along this southern end of town extend for a few miles, with high cliffs and interesting rock formations, the most notable and well known being Punta de Lobos. Off the rocks of Sea Lion Point, a visitor can spot pelicans, a curious sea lion and, more likely, groups of surfers.

Few of the surfers could tell you much about Chile, but all spoke highly about the intricacies of Pichilemu’s famous surf. For me, waves are waves, some bigger, some smaller. But Punta de Lobos does offer pretty views of the coastline, the cliffs and naturally, the surfers below.

Visitors can take an interesting hike along Cerro La Cruz, tucked in the center of town and visible from Punta de Lobos. Sections of the hill are forested with pines shielding larger summer homes from the winds. At the summit — only a 15-minute walk up — the layout of the town becomes clear. It is fun to explore here as it shows both ocean views and the valley on the opposite side.

If you are feeling curious and hungry, visit the fishing and salt-producing town of Cahuil, a quick 12-kilometer drive south of Pichilemu. This time of year, you can watch the harvest of the salt ponds on the Cahuil Lagoon. Ocean water is trapped in enclosed ponds evaporating the water and leaving the crystallized salt behind.

Cahuil, though a small village, has about seven restaurants, all full for lunch. Apparently, folks from nearby towns come specifically to Cahuil to savor its local fresh seafood. We were treated to a feast of chupes de mariscos, locos, machas a la parmesana, congrio frito and a few bottles of good wine at the Marisol Restaurant.

Pichilemu can be reached either through San Fernando driving east through Santa Cruz to Pichilemu or through Melipilla-Lituenche-Lake Rapel to Pichilemu. The town is less than four hours by car, or slightly longer by bus.