At Maitencillo, 12 kilometers north of Horcón, rocky outcrops along Avenida del Mar separate the long sandy beaches of Playa Aguas Blancas and Playa Larga, among the region’s best. Maitencillo’s dominant tourist institution, though, is the sprawling Marbella Resort (Km 35, Carretera Concón-Zapallar, tel. 0322/772020, fax 0322/772030, US$120–195 s/d), where rates depend on whether the room has garden or sea views.

Occupying most of the broad hilltop above Avenida del Mar, Marbella is an all-inclusive resort with a conference center, restaurants, and bars, with recreational facilities that include swimming pools and tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, a 9-hole par 3, and polo grounds (Chile has few public golf courses, but guests can play here).

For everything it offers, the rates are not excessive, and there’s a variety of weekend and weeklong packages; for more details contact Marbella’s Santiago headquarters (Av. 11 de Septiembre 2155, Torre A, Oficina 604, tel. 02/2065454, fax 02/2283198, www.marbella.cl).