Playa Las Torpederas (Las Torpederas Beach)

A view of Las Torpederas

 Las Torpederas is a small (but the best-known) beach in Valparaiso, at the foot of Playa Ancha hill, western end of the bay. The place owes its name to the Torpedo Boats belonging to the Chilean Navy that took part in the War of the Pacific in 1879 and which used to anchor here around 1887. 

In ancient times, it was the vacation epicenter of the Chilean aristocracy, in the mid-nineteenth century, the first sea bathing facilities already existed in the place, consisting of a perforated crate which was submerged until the water reached the bather`s chest, to make sure that the swimmer did not drown and was protected against sharks and other animals. By 1919, the nascent tourist center already had a small hotel, a casino and a dance hall, where parties with live music were held throughout most of the summer.

Currently, of these facilities, only one balcony remains which has been converted into a restaurant, the rest have disappeared. However, the same festive atmosphere of that time persists, it is on this beach where the local culture appears more conspicuously. It has always been the favorite recreation site of the residents of the Playa Ancha neighborhood, who go down to the coastaline to enjoy the sun and sea.

  

The beach itself is tiny but very cozy, with its waterfront, stairways and lookouts, around there is a very nice park, which enhances the beauty of the place. This beach is ideal for learning to swim, without many waves, comparable to a giant pool although the water is rather cold and there are small stones. In addition, Las Torpederas is an excellent place to learn to dive due to its calmness, without big waves and adequate depth.

An additional interesting fact, nowadays Las Torpederas Beach is precisely the point of arrival in Chile of the undersea cable known as Curie. It is a submarine communications cable belonging to Google with a length of 10,476 km. which connects the city of Los Angeles, California with Valparaiso and the Google Data Center in Quilicura, Santiago de Chile.

Playa Las Torpederas is located in the urban area of Valparaiso and there is good access either by vehicle or public transport. 

Google Map