Santa Cruz Wine Train
If you're in San Fernando and seeking a ride to Santa Cruz, the languid Santa Cruz Wine Train (tel. 2/470-7403; www.trendelvino.cl) may be rather pedestrian for some tastes, but hopping on board this 1913 coal-fired steam engine locomotive certainly beats taking a bus. An attraction not unlike the Napa Valley Wine Train, it's altogether touristy and very expensive compared to independent touring. Once aboard, there is a tasting of five lowly varietal wines, so pay a little extra for their tasting of gran reserva wines. There is also a folkloric dance show. There are several tour options to choose from. The basic, full-day tour departs from Santiago at 8:15am on Saturdays only and includes round-trip bus transportation to San Fernando, the wine train, lunch, a visit to the Colchagua museum, and the Santa Cruz winery. It's a heck of a lot of antiquity/museums/artifacts/history for 1 day, and you'll need to plan to spend the majority of your day aboard moving vehicles of one kind or another. It costs $108 (£72).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
