Chile travel blog by Mark Berman -
April 2014
November 2019
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Valparaiso is not a place to come and see specific sights, it is a place to explore the whole city from head to toe. From the port up into the chaotic and
sometimes ramshackle neighborhoods in the hills. It's an artists and art lovers paradise, sure there are galleries but I'm not talking about these. I'm
talking about vibrant streets with walls, alleys and houses painted in a kaleidoscope of bright eye catching colors - murals, street art and then some!
1hr 25mins from Santiago
By bus from
Santiago it takes only 1hr and 25mins to get to Valparaiso but it can take up to 2hrs sometimes, depending on the traffic.
It's 109kms between the 2 cities. I spent close to 8hrs walking around Valparaiso on a day trip from Santiago and I saw a lot. I came back to Valparaiso
for a 2nd time on another occasion while staying in nearby
Viña del Mar where I found a whole new generation of murals and street art around the city.
Exploring Valparaiso
The plaza, historic buildings, views of the waterfront, port and trains are some of the sights in Valparaiso. The central area is quite nice with lots of
leafy green trees around. Sometimes you'll see horse and cart trot by. Explore the streets in the city and hills for amazing street art. The building
facades range from historical down to a little bit derelict in places, but murals always look fantastic on any wall, especially old ones!
Parks and Streets
Valparaiso
has some nice parks throughout the city with many people enjoying them and with a lot of activity going on around. There are churches scattered about
amongst the maze of old streets and buildings. There is a park and walking area all the way along Brazil Street, this is an area with many monuments
and statues. At the end of this strip are the markets Mercado Cardonal del Almendral. You can pick up a packet of dried fruit and nuts which are popular
in Chile and sold on the sidewalks everywhere.
Bohemian Neighborhood
The main tourist draw of Valparaiso are the hills of Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion above the port. This area is
well and truly a wonderland of steep streets, alleyways, cobblestone, staircases, color, abtract shapes, odd combinations, art and of course wall murals!
The streets lined with clapboard architecture have many restaurants, bars, hotels, hostels and art galleries. This is where the fun really begins.
Views of the Port and City
The
views from up on the hills of the harbor and city are stunning and a great place to watch the sun come down at days end. The sun sets behind the hills
so this is a good time for photos toward the sea, city and port. I look forward to returning to Valparaiso next time I am in
Santiago.
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Half the city is at the markets around the park in Valparaiso.
View of the Valparaiso port with containers and cranes.
Eloy Alfaro (1842-1912) bust in Valparaiso, President of Ecuador.
Museo de Valparaiso, the Valparaiso museum historical building with columns.
