How each beach town is different
Maitencillo (Puchuncaví) is the sportiest and busiest. It has several beaches in a row, including Aguas Blancas, El Abanico, Playa Chica, Los Pocitos and Playa Grande; waves for surfing and bodyboarding, and paragliding from the cliffs. It is the favorite of those looking for action.
Cachagua (municipality of Zapallar) is calm and residential. Its long beach is great for walking and jogging, and just offshore is the Isla Cachagua Natural Monument, with Humboldt penguins you can watch from land.
Zapallar is a small bay with blue water and forest reaching the sand, with a fishing cove and a promenade to walk. It has strict beach rules: check them before you go.
Papudo is the most family-friendly. Playa Grande and Playa Chica are its swimming beaches, and it has a fishermen's cove, a coastal walk and historic heritage. To the north are El Lilén beach and the Pullally area, at the mouth of the La Ligua River.
When to go
Beach season runs from November to March, peaking in January and February. In those weeks there are lifeguards at the designated beaches, more services open, and also more traffic and full parking lots.
- December and March: a good balance of weather, services and fewer people.
- January and February: peak occupancy; get to the beach early and book ahead.
- April to October: almost empty towns, ideal for walking, watching the sea and eating at the fishing coves. It rains more and afternoons are cold.
The water is cold all year and the wind usually picks up after midday. Bring a warm layer for the evening, even in summer.
Getting there and around
From Santiago there are two routes: Route 5 North and then toward the coast, or Route 68 to Viña del Mar and the coastal road north. From Mendoza you enter via the Los Libertadores Pass and Route 60 CH.
To reach Maitencillo from Route 5 North, since December 2025 the Puchuncaví bypass, about 7 km of dual carriageway, connects to the south entrance of the town. It uses free-flow electronic tolling, so check how you will pay before using it.
Between towns, the coastal road F-30-E connects them in a few minutes. There are buses from Santiago to Maitencillo, Zapallar and Papudo, but to combine beaches in one day a car is the most practical. Each destination has its own guide: Maitencillo, Cachagua, Zapallar and Papudo.
Top beaches
- El Abanico (Maitencillo): the meeting point for surfing and bodyboarding.
- Aguas Blancas (Maitencillo): to the south, more exposed and with big waves; paragliders take off from the heights above it.
- Cachagua beach: several kilometers of sand facing Isla Cachagua.
- Zapallar beach: a sheltered bay, linked to the fishing cove by a pedestrian walkway.
- Playa Chica and Playa Grande (Papudo): the town's swimming beaches, right by the center.
- El Lilén (Papudo): to the north, with a rock barrier that forms a lagoon in the sea.
Swim only at designated beaches with lifeguards, and respect the flags. To eat at the fishing coves, check our guide to Central Coast seafood.
Rules that change from one municipality to another
Each municipality has its own waterfront bylaw. In Zapallar and Cachagua, pets on beaches and swimming areas, audible speakers, bonfires and camping are banned. Papudo's 2025 bylaw also bans pets on its beaches. In Puchuncaví, the waterfront bylaw bans camping, bonfires, horseback riding outside authorized areas and driving on the beach. Before heading down to the sand, check the municipal signs in each area.
Stay in one town and explore the others on day trips along the F-30-E: Maitencillo, Cachagua, Zapallar and Papudo are minutes apart and each is best understood on foot.
Guide reviewed by the VivExplora team · October 2026