Playa San Mateo, Sandy beach in Valparaíso, Chile

Playa San Mateo is a sandy beach in Valparaiso situated beside the Molo de Abrigo and a former military fortification. The area includes changing facilities, showers, lifeguard posts, food vendors, and a saltwater pool for children.

The beach was created in the late 1960s through a coastal expansion project by Valparaiso's municipality. This effort aimed to provide public recreation space in an area otherwise dominated by port industry.

The Chilean Navy occasionally uses the beach for troop and amphibious vehicle landing drills and for diving instruction. Bathers share the sand with these exercises, and the beach sits beside the Molo de Abrigo and the old Esmeralda fort-battery at the start of Avenida Altamirano toward Playa Ancha.

The beach is easily accessible on foot and well equipped with all essential amenities for swimmers. Visitors should note that the water is cold and sun protection is important here.

The sand here is not natural: the beach was built up artificially from the late 1960s onward through a municipal expansion project. The Chilean Navy occasionally uses the sand for troop and amphibious vehicle landing drills, and conducts diving instruction in the surrounding water.