Full Day around Isla Negra, Pomaire and Viña Matetic

Tour start time: 8:00 am

• In this private excursion we will first visit the colorful coastal town of Isla Negra and the museum home of the Nobel Prize for Poetry Pablo Neruda. He was perhaps the most important Latin American poet of the 20th century.
• Born in southern Chile in 1904, Neruda generated controversy with his affiliation with the Communist Party and his outspoken support for Joseph Stalin, Fulgencio Batista, and Fidel Castro. However, his poetic dominance was never in doubt, and for this he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
• The place was originally called Las Gaviotas. The poet renamed it Isla Negra because of the color of its rocks and because there he could isolate himself to write.
• Upon returning from Europe to Chile in 1937, where he was teaching and writing poetry, he was looking for a place to dedicate himself to his Canto General, a great book on American history and nature.
• "The wild coast of Isla Negra, with the tumultuous ocean movement, allowed me to dedicate myself with passion to the company of my new song" - he noted in his memoirs. "... It was mid-afternoon, we arrived on horseback through those solitudes ... - he remembers - ... For the first time I felt as a pang this smell of marine winter, a mixture of boldo and salty sand, algae and thistles ..." That's where he bought the site with a small stone hut.
• Describing the stunning ocean views, Neruda wrote: “The Pacific Ocean was off the map. There was no where to put it. It was so big and messy and blue that it couldn't fit anywhere. That's why they left it in front of my window ”.
• The most important collections kept in this house are linked to the sea: figureheads, replicas of sailboats, boats in bottles, seashells, sperm whale teeth. He also had other collections, such as oddly shaped bottles, masks, antique shoes, and pipes.
• New extensions to the house began in 1965, all with similarities to the interior of a ship. He put a zinc roof on it, to listen to the song of the rain and evoke the sensations of the house that he lived in as a child, in the rainy south of Chile. every rough area of stones / and waves that my lost eyes will never see again ... "
• As we walk through his house, we will gain a fascinating insight into Neruda's eccentric life and works.
• Then we will do a tour and tasting at Viña Matetic, located in the Rosario Valley. The visit begins in the wine cellar and winemaking building enjoying panoramic views of the vineyards.
• This is a perfect place to learn about the wine process and organic and biodynamic agriculture. The visit culminates with a Corralillo wine tasting, either in the underground tasting room or on the outdoor terrace with views of the vineyards.
• After a wine tasting, we will travel to Pomaire, famous for its interesting clay pottery and other crafts. Pomaire is a wonderful place to visit. This city became an important artisan center due to the deposits of natural clay in the nearby lands, which caused a boom in the ceramic industry. Pomaire is also known for having the largest “empanadas” in Chile! This is an excellent, relaxing day out of town.