Ester's Erasmus Experience in Viña del Mar, Chile

Source

How long does the grant last? How much money do you receive as support?

My grant is only for a semester. For help with grants, you can apply through Santander bank, but at my home university, many other grants exist like the one I received to help with travel costs (it was around 850€). But, in general, there isn't much financial support for us Europeans, especially for those of us who cross the pond.

What is student life like in Viña del Mar?

Viña del Mar is a university city, which means, aside from the summer season, the majority of people are university students and there are always parties.

Source

Would you recommend the city and the universities in Viña del Mar?

I recommend this city to future Erasmus students, but be well informed of the university that you choose here because there are many different ones.

What is the food like in Chile?

In general, the food is very similar, particularly in terms of fruit and vegetables, to that of the Mediterranean diet, but fast food is much more expensive here than in Europe. The best thing to do is to go to Mercado Central and buy all the fresh fruit and vegetables possible.

Source

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Viña del Mar?

It is difficult to find accommodation here - it was particularly difficult for me as I arrived in summer and the city was completely full of tourists. They also don't really trust students much, never mind foreigners, and they therefore usually ask for your passport, proof of bank account details and an acceptance letter from your university in order to draw up a rent contract.

How much does it cost to Viña del Mar?

It depends according to whatever your budget is, but, in general, rent for a normal house would be anywhere between $400. 000 CLP and $500. 000 CLP shared amongst a group.

Source

What is the language like? Did you go to any language classes at the university?

Well, in my case, I am Spanish and even I found it hard to understand them; they have different words to the Spanish for some things and they speak very very quickly. However, in the end, you adapt to the language here and it's not that difficult. Their most used words are: po, chucha, cachai and weón.

Which places would you recommend for nightlife in Viña del Mar?

I would recommend going out every Thursday to an event called 'Saint Jueves', but the best nightclub, in my opinion, is Scratch.

And cultural hotspots?

Being accustomed to Europe, Viña del Mar, by comparison, has less places of interest to visit, but it does have lots of natural hotspots, like:

• the Con Con dunes
• the urban street art in Valparaíso
• the different hills
• and, Pablo Neruda's Valparaíso house, La Sebastiana.

Source