TerraVina

Rooms

The colonial-style bedrooms are more or less identical: spacious, with oak flooring, pine wardrobes and French doors leading to small tiled patios where white wicker chairs overlook the vineyards. All the wicker is made in the nearby town of Chimbarongo, which is well-known for its solid woven furniture.

Our kingsize bed was plumped high with comfy Danish cotton bedding; some rooms are set up as twins, others triples. Argentine bed throws, original folk art and a wicker sitting chair make things lovely and homey inside. Bathrooms have showers (no bathtubs), toiletries and piles of fresh towels changed daily (though you can request towels are kept to save water costs). And all rooms have free WiFi, cable TV and a safe.

For small families, or couples who want a bit more space, there is a Master Suite on the ground level, which has a separate living room with a terrace, plus a large ensuite bathroom.

We were on the top floor of the hotel, which we slightly preferred to the ground-floor rooms, although the patios feel less private when the neighbouring one is occupied. Creamy linen curtains block out the morning sun through the French doors, though there’s nothing to block the noise, because there isn’t any! That’s what happens when you fall asleep in the middle of a vineyard…

Features include:

• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

A buffet breakfast is available until 10.30am (11am on weekends) in the dining room off the main lobby. Fresh juices, fruit, yoghurt, muesli, bread, cheeses and meats are laid out on the wooden buffet table - you can sit at the pine tables or take your coffee/tea out to the patio. Anne is usually in the breakfast area, and will often stop by your table to chat or check if you want a plate of scrambled eggs as well.

Since our last visit TerraVina has added their onsite restaurant, Los Poetas, serving Chilean fare with a focus on fresh seafood - we're yet to try it ourselves but we hear the food is delicious! It has floor-to-ceiling windows and a garden overlooking the vineyards, providing stunning views at sundown and a perfect setting for a post-dinner cocktail. The set 3-course menu changes daily, as the dishes are made with local, seasonal produce.

You're only a short walk to lots of other local restaurants and bars in Santa Cruz; the hotel has a helpful list of the best spots in town. We walked to La Casita de Barreales, a Peruvian restaurant just 3 minutes away, for a quick ceviche fix on their front patio (and returned later for a Pisco Sour under the trees at the back). Nearby Vino Bello, a family-owned Italian-Chilean restaurant, is a popular spot for dinner. Their pasta looked most promising and we went for two tasty tortellinis, one stuffed with crab, the other with morcilla sausage.

We borrowed a torch from the hotel for the walk back, although plans are to light the way with solar lamps. And we couldn't resist a post-prandial in our room - a generous plate of cheese, smoked ham and olives, with, at Anne’s suggestion, a glass of her favourite of the Laura Hartwig wines, the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

TerraVina has a good selection of maps and brochures of sights in the Colchagua Valley and there is a list in the rooms of suggested activities. These include:

• A Tour of the Laura Hartwig Winery
  Book the horse-drawn carriage to take you there, or walk through the vineyards for a tour of this well-respected boutique winery, which has 85 hectares of vineyards, 5 of them surrounding TerraVina. The winery produces Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc
  
  
• Tours of Colchagua Wineries
  Other wineries nearby that are open for visitors are Las Ninas, Casa Lapostolle and Montes, which has a botanical hiking tour. Further along the Carretera del Vino is the largest producer in the valley, Casa Silva, and Viu Manent, both with their own restaurants
  
  
• Hiking, Horse and Bike Riding
  Horses were once an integral form of transportation in the valley so relive the past with a guided horseback tour arranged by the hotel; bikes can be hired locally, or staff can point you towards hiking trails
  
  
• Colchagua Museum
  This small museum in Santa Cruz punches above its weight with a notable collection of pre-Columbian ceramics and textiles and Conquistador-era Mapuche silver jewelry, along with fossils, vintage cars and an exhibit celebrating the life of the huaso (Chilean cowboy)
  
  
• Village Rodeos
  Speaking of cowboys, most villages still host a rodeo on Sundays with displays of horse-riding skills and folk dancing open to all; the village of Lolol has the most authentic of indigenous huaso culture
  
  
• Fishing
  Dangle a rod in the sea at Pichelemu or in Lago Rapel
  
  
• Cookery Lessons
  Learn how to whip up modern Chilean dishes with an English-speaking chef; you accompany her to the market to shop for ingredients first
  
  
• Pool Time
  Back at the hotel, TerraVina’s curvy pool gets the sun all day (it’s not heated) and you won’t tire of the mountain view from the loungers

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cooking classes
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Museums / galleries
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children are welcome and will enjoy the pool, wandering through the vineyards or riding bikes around the grounds. Extra beds/cots can be fitted in the rooms for a small supplement.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Terravina is on camino Los Boldos, on the Barreales road into Santa Cruz, less than half a kilometre from the centre of town. Santa Cruz is in Chile's Colchagua Valley, 200km from Santiago.

By Air:
There is a small airfield near Santa Cruz, called Tobalaba, where planes land at the Club Aéreo del Unco (Unco flight club) but it's mostly for private planes. Most people fly into Santiago and drive here. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving Santiago.

From the Airport
A taxi will cost approx US$160 from Santiago but we'd recommend hiring a car (see below) for ease of getting here and so you can visit wineries on the Ruta del Vino through the Colchagua Valley.

By Car:
The hotel is a 2-hour drive from Santiago. For car hire please see our car rental recommendations.

By Bus:
There are buses from Santiago to Santa Cruz every 15 mins - the trip takes around 3 hours.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Chile and getting around