Note: In February 2024, central Chile experienced severe damage from devastating fires, particularly affecting areas of Valparaiso. Reconstruction efforts are expected to be lengthy, and tourism may be restricted in certain locations.
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| Image: Hostal Escalera al Puerto |
Valparaiso has more than 300,000 inhabitants, making it the third largest city after Santiago and Concepcion, but Greater Valparaiso, which includes the neighboring municipalities currently connected, reaches a population of over one million inhabitants, the second urban center in Chile.
The city is also called "Pancho" and "La Joya del Pacífico" ("The Jewel of the Pacific") by its inhabitants, due to its seascape, history and picturesque architecture, with houses built on dozens of hills. During its greatest splendor in the second half of the 19th century, Valparaíso was also known among sailors as "Little San Francisco". The city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on July 2, 2003.
One of the most emblematic buildings in Valparaiso is the seat of the Congreso Nacional, which was moved here during the military government to give more importance to the regions. However, this was controversial because the legislature and the government are located in different cities. As an important commercial and military port, Valparaiso is also home to the headquarters of the Chilean Navy and numerous organizations related to maritime life.
In terms of weather, the city has a Mediterranean climate with mild and sometimes rainy winters and extremely dry summers, which often lead to forest fires. The average annual temperature is 14°C. Below is a list of interesting places to visit in Valparaiso.
Hills of Valparaiso
The chain of over 40 hills encircling its bay is one of the city's quintessential postcard images, with its architecture uniquely adapted to the steep slopes. These hills, the hallmark of the port, actually comprise distinct areas of the same mountain range. Among the most representative 'cerros' (hills) are:
Cerro Concepcion, whose name comes from the ancient fort that stood there for the defense of the city. The old buildings show the influence of the first European settlers who arrived in the area. Cerro Concepcion was chosen by the German immigrants who are responsible for the current urban layout of the place, highlighting its viewpoints, beautiful gardens and elegant mansions.
Cerro Concepcion, whose name comes from the ancient fort that stood there for the defense of the city. The old buildings show the influence of the first European settlers who arrived in the area. Cerro Concepcion was chosen by the German immigrants who are responsible for the current urban layout of the place, highlighting its viewpoints, beautiful gardens and elegant mansions.
One of the neighborhood's highlights is St. Paul's Anglican Church, constructed by English engineer William Lloyd in 1858, marking the colony's first Anglican place of worship in Valparaiso. The Lutheran Church of Valparaiso, built by Germans in 1897, is nearby. Other notable attractions include the Ascensor Concepcion, Valparaiso's inaugural funicular from 1883, scenic viewpoints overlooking the bay, and iconic spots like "Paseo Atkinson," "Paseo Gervasoni," and "La Casa de Lukas," showcasing the works of renowned Chilean cartoonist Renzo Pecchenino, known as "Lukas." Galvez, Fischer, and Templeman alleys add to the area's charm.
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A view of Hotel Palacio Astoreca
Cerro Alegre |
Among the typical places of the hill we can mention Palacio Baburizza, a historical monument built in 1916, located in Paseo Yugoslavo of Cerro Alegre, whose name comes from its second owner, a Croatian entrepreneur of the first half of the twentieth century. The house became the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts of Valparaiso in 1971. Next is the Victorian-style Palacio Astoreca, built in 1923 by the Croatian immigrant Francisco Petrinovic, who made his fortune during the golden age of saltpetre. Today, the palace has been transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel.
Cerro Bellavista, owes its name to the beautiful view it offers over the Bay of Valparaiso. Cerro Bellavista was chosen to create the Museo a Cielo Abierto de Valparaiso, outdoor tour to admire 20 street art murals so far, by renowned artists who have visited the city. You can hire guided tours to see the murals and graffiti of the hills, so visitors can observe in detail the dozens of these works and even paint their own creations. In Cerro Bellavista is also the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), inaugurated in 1904 and destined to protect the port. This sculpture is attributed to Eduardo Provasoli, a famous Italian architect of the time who designed several churches throughout Chile.
Cerro Artilleria, another hill that stands out for its incredible architecture of houses that seem to hang from the side of the hill. Its name comes from the artillery barracks located at the top. Among the attractions are the Museo Maritimo Nacional, Paseo 21 de Mayo, one of the many natural viewpoints of Valparaiso, the Artilleria and Villaseca funiculars, handicraft fairs, Casa Artilleria No. 156 (or Casa Cuatro Vientos), old house built between 1908 and 1909 by Italians Renato Schiavon and Arnaldo Barison, one of the most photographed places in Valparaiso because of its location.
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| Palacio Polanco, Barrio El Almendral Image: Robert Cutts on Flickr |
Cerro Baron, at the eastern end of the "Plan" (lower part of the city). On this hill stands the "Iglesia de San Francisco" (San Francisco Church), a temple full of history that has suffered at least two major fires. The San Francisco Church gives Valparaiso the nickname "Pancho", because in the past this temple was the most recognizable point for sailors arriving at the port. (Spanish, name Francisco = nickname "Pancho").
Nearby is El Almendral neighborhood, with many important places such as the National Congress, the Municipal Theater, the Cathedral, Plaza Victoria, the Church of the Twelve Apostles, O'Higgins Square, the Mercado Cardonal, whose two-story meccano-style building dates from 1912. It was designed by Eduardo Feuereisen, a disciple of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel; Palacio Polanco, used since 1942 as the headquarters of the Prefecture of the Carabineros de Chile, and many other interesting places.
Valparaíso Metro
The Valparaiso Metro, also known as "Metroval", is a major public transportation rail system in the port city of Valparaiso. With an extension of 43 kilometers, a frequency of circulation every 6-12 minutes and 20 stations that connect important cities such as Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache. "Metroval" has become part of the identity and pride of the people of Valparaíso in their public transportation, offering residents and visitors a reliable, efficient and affordable way to move around the city and its surroundings.
To use the Valparaíso Metro, passengers have several ticket options. They can opt for the Metroval Card, a rechargeable card that allows travel on both the metro and buses. Alternatively, there is a Tourist Attractions Card for unlimited travel, and an annual card exclusively for the cardholder. In addition, people with disabilities receive a 50% discount on fares.
The metro system is bicycle friendly, allowing cyclists to travel on weekends and holidays with the MetroBici system. This system facilitates the integration of cycling with subway transportation, promoting sustainable and healthy transportation options in Valparaíso.
The average fare between stations is about US$0.6.-
Funiculars of Valparaiso
Other important funicular of Valparaíso are the Ascensor Artilleria, from 1893, built to transport officers and sailors of the Naval Academy, its cars are the largest and interesting for its colorful painting, including modern designs. Its upper station is located at Paseo 21 de Mayo, one of the main viewpoints of the city. Ascensor Baron, since 1906, located in the homonymous hill, connects Avenida España in the lower part of the city with Avenida Diego Portales at the top, Baron was the first funicular to work with an electric motor, thus replacing the old system of water counterbalance. As we said before, the Ascensor Polanco is the only real elevator of Valparaiso. It is also very original because its entrance is preceded by a tunnel of 150 mts. long that reminds an old abandoned silver mine.
Ascensor Reina Victoria, at Cerro Alegre, built in 1902 and declared Historical Monument in 1998, so named in honor of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, who died in 1901, one year before its construction. Its route is very short, only 40 meters, but the gradient is very steep, 52°. Ascensor El Peral, since 1901, connects the Plaza de Justicia in the lower part of the city with the Paseo Yugoslavo in Cerro Alegre, one of the most important tourist areas of Valparaiso, with a stunning panoramic view of the city and where the Palacio Baburizza is located, seat of the "Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes", the main pictorial art gallery of the city.
Miradores de Valparaiso (Viewpoints of Valparaíso)
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| Mirador Plaza Bismarck |
A must see are the miradores nestled in its many hills to take beautiful pictures and admire the port city, the most visited because of its strategic location:
Paseo Atkinson, located in Cerro Concepción, along a beautiful row of gardens of old large houses belonging to the nineteenth century. Paseo Atkinson is constantly visited by national and foreign tourists, attracted by the special view, arrangement and maintenance of the large houses.
Paseo Gervasoni, is located next to Paseo Atkinson, with a great view of the bay and surrounded by large 19th century houses. Here you will also find the Casa-Museo of Renzo Pecchenino (448, Paseo Gervasoni), the Café Turri (147, Templeman St.) and the Hotel Gervasoni, which is the oldest building in the area.
Paseo Yugoslavo, was one of the first observation platforms in Valparaiso. It is located above Plaza Sotomayor, one of the main squares of the city. It is a popular place for tourists because it offers great views of the port and the entire "Plan" (sea level part of the city). Here is the Palacio Baburizza, currently converted into Valparaiso's Museum of Fine Arts.
Paseo 21 de Mayo, traditional and attractive promenade located at the Cerro Artilleria, visited daily by tourists from all over the world, is one of the most important places of interest in Valparaiso to get an excellent view of the port and the city, easily and quickly accessible from downtown.
Boat Tours
One of the attractions of the country's main port is its bay and the panoramic views of the city from the coast.Either at the port or through local agencies, you can take a boat trip in colorful boats that offer trips around the bay to observe marine fauna, merchant and war ships, all the port activities and the city. The tours last about 30 minutes and depart from Muelle Prat.
"La Sebastiana" House - Museum
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| "La Sebastiana" |
One of the houses where the famous Chilean diplomat, writer and poet Pablo Neruda, Nobel Prize for Literature, lived for periods. The name was given by Neruda in honor of his friend and first owner, the Spanish architect Sebastian Collado.
"La Sebastiana" is located at 692 Ricardo de Ferrari Street, La Florida Hill (Cerro Florida), the museum has a system of audio guides available in English, French, Portuguese, German and Spanish. During the 1973 coup d'état, the house was badly damaged in the raids and for 18 years "La Sebastiana" became a ghost house. From the 90's the house was restored with the help of Telefonica of Spain and opened to the public as a house museum on January 1, 1992. It is a 5-story architectural work with spectacular views, housing the artist's collections and curious objects brought from all over the world. ("La Sebastiana", see more...)
Museo Maritimo Nacional de Chile
Chile's coastline is more than 4300 km long, so the history of the country and the life experiences of its people are closely related to the sea.Located in the facilities of the former Escuela Naval (Naval Academy) on Artilleria Hill, its mission is to preserve and promote the history of the Chilean Navy through the exhibition of various objects such as models of ships, weapons, uniforms, flags, logbooks, letters and many valuable documents and relics. Its collections include more than 3,000 three-dimensional objects, and in terms of literature and documents, there are more than 30,000 volumes.
Address: 45, Paseo 21 de Mayo, Cerro Artillería, Playa Ancha.
Visiting hours:
Monday to Sunday: 10:00-17:30
Summer period (January and February) : 10:00 - 18:30
Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes de Valparaiso
It is the most important art exhibition in this part of Chile. Since 1971 it has been housed in the Palacio Baburizza, a 1916 building that once belonged to the Croatian businessman Pascual Baburizza. The palace is located on Paseo Yugoslavo in Cerro Alegre.The gallery houses important collections of Chilean and European paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, with pieces collected since 1895. Today it is one of the four most important art collections in Chile.
Address:
176, Paseo Yugoslavo, Cerro alegre, Valparaíso
Visiting hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Summer period 10:30 am to 7:00 pm
Museo de Historia Natural de Valparaiso
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| Image: registromuseoschile.cl |
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 hrs / 14:00 to 17:30 hrs.
Saturday: 11:00 to 16:00 hrs.
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