Location
The Federico Santa María University is in Valparaíso, in just an hour and a half northwest of Santiago.
Near to Viña de Mar, the 'Garden City', is one of Chile's premier beach resorts, with excellent hotels and shopping. While Valparaiso has a historic charm, immortalized in the words of Pablo Neruda, is one of South America's most charismatic and historic ports, with its charming ascensores (funicular railways) and colorful hillside constructions.
Getting to Valparaíso - Viña del Mar
The Valparaiso - Viña del Mar urban area is located about 100 km (60 miles) from the International Airport of Santiago. Alternative to get to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar:
Bus (from the airport to the bus station) + Bus (from the bus station to Valparaíso or Viña) + local taxi:
Take the airport bus towards Santiago. The bus stops right outside the airport building. There are two companies: "Centropuerto"; is a light blue bus (1.350 CLP- http://www.centropuerto.cl/, and "TurBus" is a light green bus (about 2.500 CLP). The ticket is paid at the bus.
Get off the bus at the first stop (about 15-20 min drive), called "Pajaritos" (sounds: Paharitos; ask the driver to drop you there). Pajaritos is a small bus and subway station. The bus station to Valparaíso and Viña is on the other side of the building from where you got off the airport bus. Buy a bus ticket to Valparaíso or Viña del Mar at the corresponding ticket office (the best companies are Tur Bus and Pullman Bus). The seats are numbered, so you must purchase the ticket at the office. Buses run every 10-15 minutes but you may have to wait up 30 minutes for your bus, depending on the rush hours. This ticket is about 4000 CLP (8 USD). The trip from Pajaritos to Valparaíso and Viña takes about 95 minutes.
The Bus Terminal of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are near downtown
Taxi:
There is a taxi service from the airport, called "Taxioficial"*, round-the-clock. The price is $ 89.000 CLP per taxi to Viña (175 USD); the taxi can carry up to 3 persons with luggage. Web page: www.taxioficial.cl - Tel. (+56-2)-26019880.
*If you decide to take a taxi of a private taxi driver, you should try to negotiate the price.
UTFSM indication map
You can download the UTFSM indication map here
