12th Iberoamerican Congress on Pattern Recognition
CIARP 2007
Viña del Mar / Valparaiso, Chile. November 13-16

LOCAL INFORMATION

Chile

http://www.turistel.cl

  http://www.visit-chile.org/

Viña del Mar-Valparaíso, Chile, are two linked cities with a total population approaching 1,300,000. They are located approximately sixty five miles from Santiago, Chile's capital. Valparaiso is Chile's main port and has been declared an International Heritage City by UNESCO. Viña del Mar, founded in 1874, is the most famous and important resort-city on South America's Pacific coast. Viña-Valparaiso offers the cultural opportunities of a bustling metropolitan region and the tranquillity of a stable social environment. The average temperature in November is twenty degrees.

MONEY

The Chilean currency is the peso ($). The present exchange rate with the U.S. dollar is about $538.00 = 1.0 USD. Many local stores and banks branches do not accept foreign traveler's checks, U.S. dollars, or credit cards. Foreign credit cards are accepted in major restaurants, stores, and hotels. Best exchange rates are found in CASAS de CAMBIO (exchange marts). Most banks open only on weekdays, also from 9 am to 2 pm. USA cash or travelers checks are easier to change into pesos than other types of currency.

WEATHER

Mediterranean weather. There are some clouds in the shore all year long and the temperature is homogeneous. The annual mean precipitations is 450 milimeters during the Winter season. In continental areas, the rains reach the 250 milimiters per year.

In general, the Valparaiso region presents a varying climate, depending on the geographical area. On the coast, the weather is cool, in the Andes it is cold, and in the central sector it gets warm.

The city of Valparaiso has a sub-tropical climate, with an average temperature of 20° Celsius. The coldest months are July and August, although the winter is mild, thanks to the sea breeze that blows through the Valley of Aconcagua. The rainy season is in May.

In Viña del Mar, the climate is generally considered to be Mediterranean, with rains restricted exclusively to the winter season. Proximity to the sea means that the land temperatures are regulated by ocean currents during the Summer and Winter seasons (October to March and April to September respectively) making the former warm and pleasant and the latter mild, with temperatures ranging between 10 and 22 degrees C. The mild climate and lack of morning frost in winter has helped the growth of robust vegetation, including both autochthonous and imported species, with such plants as the bougainvillea, hibiscus and golden thimbles, whose gilded petals can often be seen creeping up between railway sleepers.

LANGUAGE

Some interesting links are:

Viña del Mar

  http://www.visitevinadelmar.cl/

Valparaíso

http://www.municipalidaddevalparaiso.cl/depturismo/