Pichilemu is Chile's best-known surf town, a low-key Pacific resort three to four hours south-west of Santiago. It has dark sand beaches, wind, seafood, and a relaxed mix of Chilean families, surfers, and weekenders from the capital.
The serious reason to come is Punta de Lobos, the long left-hand point break south of town. Even if you do not surf, the headland is worth the trip for the cliffs, the wave watching, and the sense of the Chilean coast opening out into something colder and wilder.
Pichilemu also has more history than many beach towns. Agustín Ross Park and Cultural Centre recall the early-20th-century plan to turn the town into an elegant seaside resort, while the old railway station and seafront streets keep a slightly faded resort-town feel. Add the salt flats and lagoons around Cahuil, and Pichilemu becomes a good short break rather than just a place to rent a board.