A few weeks ago, I decided to take a quick trip to Papudo — a small coastal village in Chile’s 5th Region, roughly two hours away by car (170 kilometers) in a northeasterly direction from Santiago. I was looking for an alternative to the popular sites of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, and Papudo seemed like it would fit the bill — a population of around 5000 inhabitants, exquisite seafood, and long stretches of soft, white sand.