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Valparaiso
A bohemian port city of colourful hillside houses, historic funiculars and street art
A bohemian port city of colourful hillside houses, historic funiculars and street art
The most visited hills, with colourful houses, murals, cafés and viewpoints. Historic funiculars (ascensores), some over a century old, connect the hills with the lower town.
Photo: Carlos Figueroa Rojas, CC BY-SA 4.0
The quirky house of the poet Pablo Neruda, high on Cerro Bellavista, now a museum with views over the bay. The surrounding streets form an open-air museum of murals.
Photo: Mikel Santamaria, CC BY-SA 2.0
A modern resort city next to Valparaíso, with beaches, gardens, the flower clock and the Fonck Museum, which has a moai from Easter Island. Reñaca beach is popular in summer.
Photo: Gabrielinfante92, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try seafood such as chorrillana (a huge plate of fries topped with meat, onions and eggs, said to come from Valparaíso), empanadas de mariscos and fresh fish.
Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción have many restaurants with bay views.
Buses run frequently from Santiago, taking about 1.5 hours. The Merval metro train links Valparaíso with Viña del Mar. Use funiculars, local buses or taxis to reach the hills.
Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and many other countries can visit Chile visa-free for up to 90 days; a digital tourist card is issued on arrival. Check current rules for your nationality before you travel.
Valparaíso is a little cheaper than Santiago. Chile uses the peso (CLP). Card payment is widespread. Foreign tourists who pay for hotel rooms in US dollars or by foreign card can often avoid the 19% VAT (IVA); ask when booking.
New Year fireworks bring very high prices.
Hills, poetry and beaches.
Take a free walking tour, ride the funiculars and explore Cerro Alegre and Concepción.
Visit La Sebastiana, then take the train to Viña del Mar for the beach at sunset.
Theft is common; avoid empty streets and the port area after dark and keep valuables hidden.
Wear comfortable shoes for steep streets and stairs.
Some of the best street art is on Cerro Bellavista’s Open Sky Museum.
The New Year fireworks over the bay are spectacular but very crowded.
Quick answers for planning time in Valparaíso.
Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and many other countries do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
Yes, its historic quarter was listed in 2003.
By bus in about 1.5 hours; buses leave frequently.
The tourist hills are generally fine by day, but petty theft is common; take care at night and around the port.
Valparaíso is a historic, bohemian port; Viña del Mar is a modern beach resort next door.
Offline maps are essential in the desert, Patagonia and on Easter Island, where signal is limited.
Free
Spanish is the language, spoken fast and with local slang; English is limited outside tourist services.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Chile travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.