Posada del Parque — Hotel in Quintero

This ecological reserve is a marvellous place to bird near the cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. We booked a three hour guided tour and were extremely pleased with the morning spent there with our knowledgeable guide, Jonathon. The reserve is comprised of many types of habitat: forest, lake, marsh, and ocean shore and so accommodates many species. We managed to see approximately 35 species, including many “lifers”. More time spent there would, of course, result in many more species. We hiked and so sensible footwear was required, especially since the tracks nearer the ocean are quite sandy. We crossed a small estuary via a small pontoon bridge which was slightly rickety – but safe. Someone who might be unsure about their balance would find this difficult. If someone were to book a birding tour they may wish to take their own guide in order to identify the birds by their English names.||||The owners, Osvaldo and Monica gave us a lift into town as they were going that way. The opportunity to talk with them led us to appreciate their serious concern for nature and habitat preservation in general and their reserve in particular. On the way Osvaldo stopped at a couple of places for us to see roosting birds, including Inca Terns, close-up. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and now regard them as friends. ||||While we didn’t stay overnight at the Posada the lodge area looked inviting and interesting. Given the opportunity, we would stay...

The location is off the beaten path and set on about 40 Hectares that abuts rolling sand dunes that lead to the Pacific. ||||The concept behind the place is pretty cool. ||||The grounds provide plenty of room for natural entertainment, some bird watching and room to 'roam around'. I'm sure it's a haven for the kids as they've got things like rope swings, slack lines, cargo net types of things to mess around with. ||||The 'mountain biking' (free) is a bit misleading unless you like to ride through sand..., but I'm sure the horse riding might be a decent way to get around on all of those dunes - Horseback riding was $10,000. Pesos Per Person (about $15 USD at our exchange rate of 692 CLP to the USD Feb 2016). ||||The staff was very friendly. ||||The breakfast was very nice. ||||The view is really nice as you can actually see the Pacific past the sand dunes, which I would've played that up from an advertising standpoint. ||||It's a place to simply chill out and unwind for a while. ||||The biggest down side for us was our room (#1). Although it was clean and comfortable, it smelled of mildew or mold to the point we checked out after the first night of a two night reservation at a 25% cash loss (we had prepaid the first day). ||||Of note: As it sits on a channel of still water the mosquitoes were pretty bad in the evening. The WiFi was pretty spotty as well. ||||||All in all it was a decent little place to relax for a day or so, but don't expect...

This small, informal posada is located on the main coastal highway between Con Con and Quintero. The posada itself is in a 300-year-old far house. Accommodations are very basic - small rooms and the water pump is turned off at bedtime. However, the staff are very warm and welcoming, and 3 meals a day are provided - typical Chilean dishes such as pastel de chocolate or humid as, along with very fresh salads and good hot bread. Also good local Chilean wines. The posada abuts a small but fecund wildlife reserve that comprises multiple habitats, including dry Orest, wetlands, meadows and seashore. In 4 hours of birding with Jonathan, the posada's very knowledgeable guide, we saw 50 species, including passerines, shorebirds and seabirds. Horseback riding is also on offer. Because early mornings are foggy, birding starts late - around 9:00 am. Therefore you could come to the posada to bird on a day trip from Valparaiso or Vina del Mar. But an overnight stay with birding the next morning...