Valparaíso

Valparaíso (or Valpo, as locals call it) is the city that made Chile rich. From the 19th century until the opening of the Panama Canal, it was one of the most important port cities on the Pacific coast of the entire America, where fortunes were made in trade and banking. That heritage is celebrated today in a UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic quarter that's perfect for walking tours.

Downtown there are many beautiful buildings to explore around Plaza Sotomayor and the seafront area of El Plan. From here, Valparaíso is spread over a series of hills, with the main historic areas concentrated on two in particular: Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion, with their fine mansions, colourful shacks and tremendous views.

It’s impossible to visit Valparaíso without noticing its street art. From small tags to murals covering entire buildings, intense faces to political messages, this colourful city has it all. 

Valparaíso’s street art tradition traces its roots to the 1980s, when it was used as an anonymous way to criticise the Pinochet dictatorship, and then continued to grow and evolve throughout the 1990s until it became an integral part of the city’s fabric.

Street art walking tours are on offer for those who want to delve further into the artists and history of this essential part of Valparaíso’s character.

Valparaíso is a city of hills, and one of the best ways to get around is by funicular railway. There are 15 of these ascencores that carry people up and down the steepest slopes, with the oldest dating back to 1883.

Try the Artilleria funicular for great views of the city, and El Peral, Reina Victoria and La Concepcion funiculars for the best access to Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion. Polanco (technically a vertical lift) takes you to an excellent viewpoint looking out over the bay.

A flatter, but equally historic, way of getting around Valparaíso are the vintage trolleybuses that run around the downtown: another iconic sight of the city. 

Valparaíso is home to one of Chile's most thriving food scenes. As you’d expect from a port city, menus lean heavily into seafood, but to that you can also add chef taster menus that explore organic produce from across Chile, hillside restaurants in historic houses with roof top views, and cocktail bars in the port area alongside more traditional restaurants. Near the beach and port, your dining companions are likely to include local pelicans and sea lions.

As well as seafood, Valparaíso is famous for one dish in particular: chorrillana. This is a pile of French fries topped with steak and sausage, cheese and a fried egg. It’s far from health food, but it's classic Valpo bar food, and a deliciously good way of soaking up a beer or two.

For many, the main reason to visit Valparaíso and the surrounding countryside is the possibility of visiting the home of Pablo Neruda, Chile's national poet and Nobel Laureate, who died in 1973.

Neruda was a prominent political character, and somewhat eccentric in his style of living. His house, La Sebastiana, high on Cerro Florida, has been kept as a museum to his life, and is one of Valparaíso’s most popular attractions. There is something quite special about reading a poem describing the port city, whilst looking over it from the very desk at which it was written.

The route between Santiago and Valparaíso passes through the Casablanca Valley, which is one Chile’s most celebrated wine-producing regions.

The cool damp air from the Pacific Ocean’s Humboldt Current combines with the warm granite foothills of the Andes here, to produce a terroir that is perfect for Pinot Noir. The Casablanca Valley has become even more famous for its crisp white wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

There are a number of excellent vineyards that can be visited en route between the two decisions, or base yourself in Valparaíso as a base to spend the day visiting a number of the premium wineries.

Although Valparaíso is easily visited on a day trip from Santiago, its charms are such that you might happily spend a night or two here soaking up in the atmosphere. The city has a good selection of accommodation to suit all budgets, including some gorgeous boutique hotels in lovingly-restored historic buildings.

To make the most of your time in Valparaíso, base yourself in the Cerro Alegre or Cerro Concepcion districts, where the hilltop views are the best in the city.