Getting There
By Bus -- Expresos Santa Cruz (tel. 2/764-4717) leaves from the Terminal Buses Estación Central (ex-Terminal Santiago and not to be confused with the actual Estación Central train station and Metro stop, located at Alameda 3850), which can be reached via the Universidad de Santiago Metro station. Buses run every 20 minutes Monday through Saturday from 8:10am to 9:15pm, and Sundays 1 to 10pm. The cost is $7 (£4.70) one-way.
By Car -- Leaving Santiago, take the Pan-American Highway (Rte. 5) and drive south toward San Fernando for 142km (88 miles). There is one $3 (£2) toll on Rte. 5 along the way. Pass the first exit for San Fernando and exit on the road to Pichilemu, or the "Carretera del Vino," (Wine Hwy.). Pay a 50¢ (35p) toll, and continue toward Santa Cruz 37km (23 miles).
By Plane -- AirAdventure (tel. 2/363-0870; www.airadventure.cl) works in tandem with the wine route by offering a half-day and full-day program that includes round-trip transportation from your hotel to the Tobalaba aerodrome, flight to Santa Cruz, and wine tasting at two wineries. The full-day tour includes lunch at the Hotel Santa Cruz, a visit to the museum, and an overflight of the wine country and the coast. Half-day tours leave at 8:30am and 2:30pm; full-day tours leave at 8:30am and return at 5:30pm. The maximum is three guests; the cost for a half-day is, per person, $900 (£600), $500 (£333), and $360 (£240) for one, two, or three guests, respectively. Full-day tours cost, per person, $1,200 (£800), $700 (£467), $520 (£347), for one, two, or three guests, respectively.
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.
