Camper vans from the Garden City to the palm groves of La Campana and the hairpins of Portillo
Compare campervan and motorhome rental companies in Viña to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a campervan in Viña del Mar starts your trip in Chile's most popular seaside resort, nicknamed the Garden City for its tree-lined avenues, its flower clock and the large park of Quinta Vergara. Behind the city, the Aconcagua Valley leads within a few hours to the Chilean palms of La Campana National Park, the vineyards of San Felipe and, up the Caracoles hairpins, to Portillo, on the pass road that crosses the Andes. Our partner company Camper Travel hands over its vehicles at its depot in Viña.
Valparaíso, joined to Viña del Mar, is also a departure city of our partners.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Inland, the road runs through Quilpué and Limache, known for its tomatoes, to Olmué, a small town of campsites and cabins at the foot of Cerro La Campana. The Granizo sector of the national park opens the trail Charles Darwin followed to the summit, from where you can see both the Pacific and the Andes. The Ocoa sector, near Hijuelas, shelters one of Chile's largest forests of Chilean palms, an endemic species; you return through the avocado orchards of Quillota.
Route 60 CH climbs the Aconcagua Valley through San Felipe and its wine estates to Los Andes, the last town before the cordillera. It then follows the river past Río Blanco and Juncal and tackles the Caracoles, some thirty hairpin bends, up to Portillo, a ski resort set on the shore of Laguna del Inca, a high-altitude lake ringed by peaks. The Los Libertadores border post lies a little higher: turn back before it unless your rental company has agreed.
Further north, the coastline turns wild. La Ligua, inland, is known for its woollen weaving and the pastries sold by the roadside. Beyond, Pichicuy and Los Molles line rocky coves; at Los Molles, the Puquén nature sanctuary sends the swell shooting up through a rock chimney. Pichidangui and its long beach, then the village of Quilimarí, round off the outward leg before a quick return on Ruta 5.
Mild weather without the crowds: highs of 18 to 20 °C, little rain and eleven to thirteen hours of sunshine a day. It is the right time to climb Cerro La Campana before the strong inland heat, or to drive up to Portillo, whose road is usually clear. In March, the grape harvest brings the Aconcagua Valley estates to life.
The heart of the Chilean holidays: Viña del Mar fills up, its beaches from Caleta Abarca to Reñaca are packed and, in February, the International Song Festival fills the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre. Rain is almost absent and the sea reaches 15 to 17 °C. The hotter inland valleys stay quieter on weekdays.
June alone gets more than 120 mm of rain, brought by Pacific fronts, and snow covers the cordillera, opening the ski season at Portillo. On the coast the cold stays moderate, and Viña, left to its residents, can be visited without queues between two grey days.
The southern spring turns the slopes of La Campana green again, the scrubland blossoms and hikers return to the park. Rain becomes much less frequent, but the sea stays cold, around 12 to 13 °C, and mornings are often hazy. It is also a good season to follow the Los Molles coast, still empty, before the summer visitors arrive.
Most pleasant months: November to April.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 °C | 15 °C | 3 mm | 13 h/day | 15 °C |
| Feb | 21 °C | 15 °C | 1 mm | 12 h/day | 17 °C |
| Mar | 20 °C | 14 °C | 3 mm | 11 h/day | 16 °C |
| Apr | 18 °C | 13 °C | 27 mm | 10 h/day | 14 °C |
| May | 17 °C | 11 °C | 47 mm | 8 h/day | 13 °C |
| Jun | 15 °C | 10 °C | 126 mm | 7 h/day | 13 °C |
| Jul | 15 °C | 9 °C | 67 mm | 8 h/day | 12 °C |
| Aug | 15 °C | 10 °C | 67 mm | 9 h/day | 13 °C |
| Sep | 16 °C | 10 °C | 21 mm | 10 h/day | 12 °C |
| Oct | 17 °C | 11 °C | 14 mm | 12 h/day | 13 °C |
| Nov | 18 °C | 12 °C | 8 mm | 12 h/day | 13 °C |
| Dec | 20 °C | 13 °C | 5 mm | 13 h/day | 14 °C |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
The Valparaíso metro, the Merval, links Viña del Mar with the neighbouring port in a few minutes and serves Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache inland. Leave the vehicle in Viña to visit Valparaíso: its hills of steep, narrow streets, listed by UNESCO, are far better explored on foot and by funicular than in a campervan.
Above Juncal, the pass road is exposed to snowstorms and avalanches during the southern winter: it can close for several days, and chains become compulsory whenever the carabineros require them. Check the pass status before leaving Los Andes, fill up there and make sure your contract allows mountain roads.
The wooded hills around Viña del Mar are highly exposed to forest fires, as the deadly blaze of February 2024 in the city's upper districts showed. In summer, light no fire outside designated fireplaces, throw away nothing burning and follow CONAF alerts: La Campana may close on high-risk days.
Camper Travel, our partner company, hands over its vehicles at its depot in Viña del Mar; the exact meeting point is given in your booking confirmation. To widen the choice of models and dates, also search from Valparaíso, right next door, or from Santiago de Chile, 99 km as the crow flies, other departure cities of our partners.
The rate depends on the season, the length of the trip and the vehicle you choose. January and February, peak beach season on the central coast, are the most requested months; the southern winter is much quieter. Search with your exact dates: the prices shown include mandatory fees and can be booked straight away.
Only if the rental company expressly agrees: it must provide a vehicle exit authorisation and insurance valid in Argentina, to be requested when booking. The Cristo Redentor tunnel, beyond Portillo, then leads towards Uspallata and Mendoza: check that it is open before driving up. On the way back, Chilean agricultural control confiscates fruit, meat and fresh produce.
Yes, subject to availability: Copiapó in the north and Temuco, Pucón or Valdivia in the south are also departure cities of our partners, all more than 600 km away as the crow flies. These one-way trips save you driving the same road back. Enter the return city when searching: any fees are then included in the price shown.
They have always responded quickly to all my requests and their website is very functional!
Fast service
The booking process is very smooth. I had very good communication with the Cooldrive team. As for the follow-up, it will be seen on site during the vehicle pickup.
Visitors can drive in Chile with their national licence, ideally together with an international driving permit, which some rental companies and the carabineros may ask for. Traffic drives on the right. The minimum age and years of driving required vary by company: they are listed in the conditions of each offer, to be read before booking.
Viña del Mar has no commercial airport: international flights land at Arturo Merino Benítez airport in Santiago, about 110 km away via Route 68. Frequent coaches link Santiago with Viña in just under two hours; a private transfer from the airport is more direct. Tell the rental company your arrival time.
No: the coast, the Aconcagua Valley and the Portillo road are paved, and a campervan or camper van handles them easily. The access roads to the La Campana sectors sometimes end with a few kilometres of dirt, passable with care. In winter, equipment matters more than four-wheel drive on the pass road.
Olmué, at the gateway to the Granizo sector, has many campsites and grounds with cabins, often shaded. Inside the park, camping is only allowed on pitches set up by CONAF, when they are open; check before you go. Overnight stays outside these places are forbidden in Chilean national parks.
Several months ahead for a departure between Christmas and the end of February: the end of the year, with fireworks launched across the whole bay, then the long Chilean summer holidays fill the city. Book just as early for the Fiestas Patrias in September. The rest of the year, a few weeks ahead is usually enough.
Viña del Mar offers a calmer start than the capital: you pick up the vehicle by the Pacific, between Wulff Castle perched on the rocks, the Fonck Museum and its moai from Easter Island, and the national botanical garden. In a single day you can go from the beaches to the Chilean palms of La Campana, from the Aconcagua vineyards to the snows of Portillo, or head for the quiet coves of Los Molles.
Camper Travel, our partner company, has its depot here, while Valparaíso, right next door, and Santiago de Chile, 99 km as the crow flies, widen the choice. Copiapó, Temuco, Pucón and Valdivia make long one-way trips to the desert or the lakes possible. With a mild climate, free of strong heat and especially pleasant from November to April, Viña suits travel almost all year round.
