Viña del Mar (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbiɲa ðel ˈmaɾ]; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast.

[citation needed] The establishment of Refinadora de Azúcar de Viña del Mar (Sugar Refining Company), CRAV in 1873 and the foundation of the Lever, Murphy & Co. by the British Richard Lever and William Murphy in 1883, that gave the necessary economic impulse to transform the young city into one of the most important cities of Chile.

[5] In 1925, the Teatro Municipal was opened in its current location in the eastern front of the city's downtown square, Plaza de Viña del Mar.

In 1928 president Carlos Ibáñez del Campo authorized the creation of a casino, securing the future and the touristy character of the city.

[6] On January 31, 1931, the Presidential Palace was inaugurated in Cerro Castillo (Castle Hill) as a summer residence for the Chilean President.

For a few years in the early 1960s, a trolleybus line connected the city with Valparaíso, and the electric route network included three branches within Viña.

According to the 1982 movie, Missing and other sources, Vina Del Mar was focal point for the plotters of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.

The city has benefitted from major investments in infrastructure that have greatly improved the traffic flow in the downtown area,[citation needed] especially in routes connecting Viña del Mar with Santiago, Valparaíso and Quilpué.

Jardín Botánico or Parque del Salitre, a large botanical garden on the outskirts of the city, was originally designed and built by an entrepreneur who became wealthy from exploiting saltpeter resources in northern Chile.

Most of the older buildings that remain are located along Avenida Libertad (Liberty Avenue), Quillota Street and Quinta Vergara, a large park in the middle of the city.

In 1995 it was declared a national monument, but today houses the offices of the headquarters of the Heritage Unit of the Municipality of Viña del Mar.

Numerous bars and restaurants have recently opened in the area around Plaza México and Avenida San Martín, offering Chilean and international cuisine.

Seafood restaurants are located on the Camino Costero (Coast Roadway) that joins Viña del Mar and Concón, a coastal town to the north.

The VTR Open was a professional men's tennis tournament played yearly on outdoor red clay courts at the Club Naval de Campo Las Salinas.

[citation needed] Another important event is the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, held at the amphitheater located in the Quinta Vergara, one of the largest green areas of the city.

As in any Mediterranean climate, the city experiences a dry, warm summer but temperatures rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F) due to the influence of the maritime current offshore.

[2] The city is the birthplace of Mon Laferte, singer, songwriter, painter (4 Latin Grammys) and visual artist, Alberto Hurtado, the second Chilean Catholic saint and founder of the Hogar de Cristo (Home of Christ) foundation, writer María Luisa Bombal (author of La Ultima Niebla (The Last Fog)), former Chilean president Patricio Aylwin, Environment minister María Ignacia Benítez, handball player Marco Oneto, Olympic champion tennis player Nicolás Massú, world champion boxer Patricia Demick, Slayer vocalist/bassist Tom Araya, composer Sylvia Soublette, and the sculptor and performance artist Tamara Jacquin.

It was also the home of Philips CEO and wealthy businessman Cor Dillen, as well as Australian fashion model, actress and television presenter Pia Miller (formerly Loyola).

Broad Front politician Macarena Ripamonti has been the mayor of Viña del Mar since 2021, while the communal council for the 2024–2028 term has the following members: Viña del Mar, along with the rest of the coastal municipalities of Greater Valparaíso, is part of the tourist area of the country, which has resulted in large dividends paid by this industry each year to the community.

With the introduction of the Gambling Casinos Act, which resulted in increased competition, viñamarino enclosure has suffered great economic losses, thus affecting the municipal coffers.

Currently performed one of the most important events in Hispanic America haute couture, together with those of Buenos Aires, Santiago, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.

This because they absorb all the traffic of workers and students moving from other municipalities to their work and study sites located in the plan from Valparaíso.

[15] It passes through Viña del Mar in a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) underground stretch (from Miramar through Chorrillos stations) opened in 2005, after major upgrade works on the line.

Valparaiso Sporting Club also held the first international football match played in Chile, in which the country's national team faced their Argentinean counterpart.

[18] Each summer, The Mackay School hosts two Rugby sevens tournaments, one for youth and one for adults (usually lasting two or three days), with participating teams coming from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.