San Antonio

About San Antonio

San Antonio is Chile's main commercial port and one of two cruise options (with Valparaíso) for Santiago turnarounds. It is a working container port, so most passengers head straight to excursions or transfer to Santiago. Day trips include the Casablanca wine valley, Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's coastal home), and Viña del Mar's beaches. SCL airport is roughly two hours away by motorcoach.

• San Antonio has surpassed Valparaíso to become Chile's busiest cargo port in the 21st century, handling the largest volume of containers (TEUs) of any port in the country.
• The port is located just 100 km southwest of Santiago, making it a natural gateway for cruise passengers heading to the Chilean capital — one of South America's most cosmopolitan cities.
• San Antonio sits at the hub of Chile's central fishing zone, with the fishing industry stretching along the coast from Rocas de Santo Domingo to Cartagena (the Chilean town, not Colombia).
• The city is in the Valparaíso Region and serves as the capital of San Antonio Province, though it is often overshadowed in tourism by its more famous neighbor Valparaíso.
• Nearby Cartagena (Chile) and Rocas de Santo Domingo are popular beach resorts for Santiaguinos, drawing weekend crowds from the capital — a contrast to the industrial port character of San Antonio itself.