Ritoque

Ahhhh, Ritoque. Thank goodness we already had a ticket booked to Argentina, or we might still be there. Ritoque is a small town on a beach 1 hour north of Valparaiso, and life immediately slows down once you arrive. We found a hostel, Ritoque Raices that was just a few steps away from the beach, and it is easy to see why all of the people working there were initially travellers just like us, who ended up staying much, much longer than initially planned. The place has a laid back vibe with airy wooden cabanas and sunny decks overlooking the beach. Fantastic place to rest, chill and relax - all in that order.

We started our first day off with a delicious meal of fresh fish at a restaurant on the beach, where we got to do some salamandering in the sun while drinking the local beer. As it was the weekend, there were plenty of Chileans escaping the city and this provided endless entertainment in the people watching department.



Surfing is the popular local sport, and we were excited to catch some waves. Unfortunately the "olas" did not cooperate, staying at their lowest during our visit. Ben still braved the cold pacific water with wetsuit and board and managed to get a good session in, catching a few waves and enjoying that peaceful feeling of looking out over the ocean as the sun sets on the water.

Patricia found a local who offered sunset yoga lessons in the sand dunes and was rewarded with fantastic views and a memorable experience.

Otherwise we spent the days cooking and drinking wine at night in the cabana´s kitchen, catching some zzz´s in the hammocks in the afternoon, and strolling the beach or playing beach paddle board to blend in with the Chilean vacationers.





At the end of our stay we had to tear ourselves away to return to Valparaiso and catch our bus to Argentina. We left feeling refreshed and ready for the next adventures to come!