Zapallar Beach

The small town of Zapallar is located on Chile's Central Coast, about three hours north of Santiago. The wealthy and famous of Chile like to spend a weekend by the sea in one of the fabulous old villas that cling to the hillside overlooking the beach. As a result, visitors are especially well catered for, with some excellent shops and cafes. The town has an exclusive feel to it and makes no claims to be a vacation destination.

The beach is a fine crescent of golden sand nestled in a densely forested bay. Zapallar beach is often deserted during the week and out of season, but it gets quite crowded during the summer months. While there is plenty of frolicking on the beach, the water is never quite as inviting as it appears, with the Humboldt current keeping the water temperature appropriately frigid. The Humboldt current is also to blame for the clouds that appear to hover over the beach for much of the day. The good news is that this usually dissipates by mid-afternoon.