Viña del Mar and its nearby towns and cities are home to a captive audience, being just 1.5 hours away from the capital with close to 7 million people. They also attract tourism from the nearby Andes in Argentina, which brings tourists to the city every summer. The surf school area is home to more than 20 surf schools, which operate all year round, along with a cluster of culinary excellence, which makes this the most popular area in terms of surf lessons and recreation.