Port cranes, grain silos, fishing nets spread out on the docks: San Antonio presents itself without makeup. It's a working port, one of the busiest in Chile, set facing the Pacific about a hundred kilometres from Santiago. Ships dock about a kilometre from the centre, and many passengers begin or end their South American cruise here. Those who stay for the day, however, have a range of outings among the most interesting on the Chilean coast, between poetry, vineyards and cities of stairways.

A range of excursions

Travellers have three directions to choose from, each with its own personality.

Isla Negra, the poet's house

Half an hour's drive to the south, Isla Negra remains the most moving outing. Pablo Neruda, Nobel Prize winner in literature, had his favourite home built here on a wave-battered promontory. The rooms, laid out one after another and designed like a ship's cabins, overflow with figureheads, seashells and coloured bottles, collections from a lifetime of travel. The poet and his wife Matilde are in fact buried in the garden, facing the ocean they never wanted to leave. From the windows, the ocean fills the entire horizon, the same one the poet gazed at as he wrote. The visit is easily combined with a return to the ship in the early afternoon.

Valparaíso, the painted hills

To the north, about an hour and a quarter by road leads to Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city clings to an amphitheatre of hills climbed by century-old funiculars. The stairways become open-air art galleries, the sheet-metal façades are covered in murals, and every lookout reframes the colourful jumble of rooftops all the way to the Pacific. You come back with your head full of images and, often, the desire to devote a whole day to it on a future trip.

Santiago, the capital at the foot of the Andes

The Chilean capital is about two hours away by road. The historic centre, the Plaza de Armas and the lively neighbourhoods can be explored well in a day ashore, with the Andes as a backdrop on clear days. The markets overflow with avocados, giant corn and still-warm empanadas, and the terraces invite you to taste a pisco sour while watching the locals come and go. Those embarking or disembarking in San Antonio would do well to plan a night or two there: the metropolis rewards those who give it time.

The vineyards of Casablanca

Between the coast and the interior, the Casablanca Valley lines up its rows of vines bathed in the morning mists of the Pacific. This cool climate has built the reputation of Chilean whites: several estates welcome passengers for a tasting of Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays served facing the hillsides, sometimes accompanied by a country-style meal. The stop combines naturally with the road to Valparaíso or Santiago, turning a simple transfer into a gourmet interlude.

Before going back on board

Those who prefer to stay near the pier can walk along the fishing port area, watch the boats come in and sample seafood in a simple waterfront restaurant. As the ship departs, the cranes resume their ballet and the Chilean coast stretches away to the north. San Antonio will have played its role without pretence: that of a door wide open onto the poets, vineyards and hills of Chile.