Los Ríos Region · Chile
Valdivia travel guide
Valdivia is a city in Los Ríos Region, Chile, home to about 150,000 people.
- Best months
- January and February
- Nearest airport
- ZAL23 km · Pichoy Airport
- Currency
- CLPChilean peso
- Time zone
- America/Santiago
- Language
- Spanish
About
About Valdivia
Valdivia is the capital of the Los Ríos Region and the province of Valdivia. It is 850 km south of Santiago at the confluence of the Calle Calle, Cau-cau and Cruces rivers, and 15 km from Corral Bay. In 2017, Valdivia had a population of 150,000 people. It was founded in 1552 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, under the name of "Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia". It was one of the first cities to be founded in Chile. During the colonial era, it was considered "the key to the southern sea", a strategic enclave for access to the Pacific Ocean.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Valdivia
Do
- FicValdivia
- Oncol National Park and Cerro Oncol
- Reserva Costera Valdiviana Trail (green)
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Valdivia to stay in
Accommodation in Valdivia is generally more expensive than other destinations around, like Pucon or Puerto Varas.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Valdivia
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Valdivia are January and February. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; June is the wettest, with about 389 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Valdivia: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Pichoy Airport (ZAL), about 23 km from the city centre in a straight line; Cañal Bajo Carlos Hott Siebert Airport (ZOS, 90 km) and La Araucanía International Airport (ZCO, 111 km) are also within reach.
ZAL · Pichoy Airport
ZOS · Cañal Bajo Carlos Hott Siebert Airport
ZCO · La Araucanía International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Valdivia
Eat
During January and February there's a feria at Niebla on the coast. Seafood stalls and folk music and dancing until 23:00. Delicious empanadas de mariscos and other asado and seafood. 40 or 50 food stalls and free entry provide a great evening of entertainment. Buses run to and from Valdivia and at closing there are several buses available. A typical dish is Curanto. This is a large serving of steamed shellfish served with a boiled sausage, boiled chicken leg, and potatoes. It is not always on the menu but try looking for restaurants with a large sign on the sidewalk or in the window that states "HOY CURANTO".
Drink
Valdivia is popular in the region and throughout Chile for its draught beer, cerveza artesanal. Some of these beers are famous beyond the borders of the city. So, the city is a good place to go to a pub. A pint costs 3,000 pesos as of Mar 2018.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Valdivia: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Valdivia?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Valdivia are January and February. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; June is the wettest, with about 389 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Valdivia?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Pichoy Airport (ZAL), about 23 km from the city centre in a straight line; Cañal Bajo Carlos Hott Siebert Airport (ZOS, 90 km) and La Araucanía International Airport (ZCO, 111 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Valdivia?
Chilean peso (CLP).
Nearby
Destinations near Valdivia
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.