Day Trip up the North Coast from Renaca

Pelicans at Zappalar
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We headed up for a drive further north up the coast from Horcon to the beach towns of  Maitencillo, Cachagua, Zapallar and Papudo. On the way back we took the inland road and visited The farm in the country where Roberto grew up.

We gave the first two beached a cursory look as we drove through on our way to our main beach destination for the day - Zapallar. The beaches are lovely and Maintencillo and Cachagua both are quite long beaches compared to the ones we have been at so far. Both perfectly nice beaches and Cachagua is also one on the central coasts seabird breeding sites and home to thousands on humboldt penguins.  We  had reluctant teenage travellers so there was no stopping here.

Headed up for a drive north up the coast from Horcon

Cottage on the beach - Zapallar
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We moved on towards Zapallar which my book says is the  most exclusive of Chile's coastal resorts. Quite right in fact. No high rise developments to spoil the beach here. The beach is a smallish cove set down at the bottom of the hills - walking into it from one end and a small winding road down to the other. No commercialism except for one confectionery barrow at one end and a fabulous but laid back seafood restaurant at the other. The beach was simply lovely and was pretty full the day we were there. Kids playing pata tennis all over the beach and people relaxing on the beach or strolling along the small promenade where there was a display of local sculptures. I truly could have stayed here no trouble at all. We set ourselves up on the beach and stayed about an hour and enjoyed the sun and soaked up the relaxed atmosphere.

restaurant at the beach - Zapallar
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Then after a drive around the winding streets of Zapallar and a look at some of the most fabulous homes I have seen in south America we pushed on to Papudo. Unlike Zapallar and like all the other beaches along the coast, this beach is on the main road again with highrises across from the beach. very quaint though.

From Papudo we headed inland to La Ligua which is famous for its cakes - we had already tried them the day before in Horcon - and also for it's knitwear. Someone should give this town a few fashion magazines - the styles were positively antiquated. However we strolled around the shops, and the square and Dee spotted a cafe with "really cheap" empanadas and wanted to stop there for lunch. We all took one look at the place and she was out-voted 4-1 Honestly though, if I have to eat one more bloody empanada I"ll go heave - I'm craving for meat and veg meals, or at lease a fabulous seafood meal. On my last night I am determined to find a restaurant and eat everything I haven't tried yet!! The food here generally is really nice, although you seem to eat bread until the cows come home. Roberto has started the bread boycott, but I notice that last night some made it's way into the basket while we were sleeping! Sweet pastries are simply delicious and I have had to really ration myself. Meal eating is really irregular and I am looking forward to routine meal times again.....and broccoli and spinach! The Chilean Idea of a salad is tomato and onion, and they eat plate fulls of it and it looks fabulous. However I really dislike tomato so opt for any other kind of salad which usually consists of litte piles of potato salad, carrot, shredded cabbage, corn and the like, dotted around the plate. I had a field day at the vege market the other day!!

Roberto chillling at the beach - Zapallar
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Anyhow back to the subject of the day. We left La Ligua and the teenage passengers revolted so we abandoned any other town visits and headed home via the countryside - still to howls of protest from teenagers that we were not going the quickest way.

Now you should read the "thing to do" section as this was by far the highlight of the day. I am so glad for Roberto's deterination in the face of protest as this would have been an experience I wouldn't have missed for the world and it would have been tragic to bypass and go straight home......

Zapallar Beach
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After the trip down memory lane it was getting onto 7pm. Everyone was hungry so we headed "straight home" - a 40km drive.

Now that actually means... go to Quilpue and visit Roberto's friend Max, then into Vina to do some grocery shopping - I took the opportunity to get a new last minute things - extra storage card for my camera, CD's to burn my photo's on to take home and some underwear that I really liked and decided to buy more. By this time it was 9.30 and I was famished and could not imagine driving home and cooking dinner - so I suggested we eat at the mall and then head home. I could have eaten a horse! Instead we went to SchopDogg and we had steak (really thin) fried onions, eggs and chips. so much for spinach and broccoli but you have no idea how good it tasted! On the way home we stopped at the supermarket at Renaca as the one in Vina was too full and the supermarket shopping had been abandoned when Danica and Roberto saw the length of the line at the checkout. Shopping finally done we finally arrived "straight home" at 11pm.

And again
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Straight to bed for me