Experience Valparaiso

Overview

Valparaiso or Valpo is nestled on Chile’s coast, an important port city known for its many colorful hillside neighborhoods with stunning Pacific views. It is known as the ‘Jewel of the Pacific’ and is a colorful city filled with an abundance of street art, edgy murals, and boho neighborhoods. There are trendy shops, cute cafes, and charming restaurants boasting terraces with panoramic views. It's a culturally fascinating city with houses cascading down the hillsides to its port. There are winding stairways and iconic funicular elevators to reach the hilltops. Its historic downtown area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with a maze of narrow streets and winding alleyways. The kaleidoscope canvas city is a spectacular eye-catching destination home to unique architecture, beautiful beaches, fascinating cultural institutions, and excellent gastronomy.  

Things to see and do

Visit the many hills of Valparaiso! Step into the city’s famous funiculars (elevators built on rail tracks) that travel to the highest neighborhoods and sites of the main port. Discover the true beauty of the “Pacific Jewel” and take a journey on Ascensor Artilleria which transports you to some of the best lookout points in the city at the summit of Cerro Artilleria. Another spectacular viewpoint over Valparaiso Bay is at the top of Cerro Bellavista. Ascensor El Peral connects passengers with Cerro Alegre where the beautiful Yugoslavo Boulevard is located and the spectacular Baburizza Palace, home to the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts. Ride the Ascensor Cordillera to visit the city’s first observatory. 

Visit the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts inside the Baburizza Palace, this is a fun way to see the museum’s large collection of both Chilean and European Artworks from 1800-1990, it is one of the most important collections in the country. There are guided tours offered daily. 

Check out the beautiful huge main square by the water in Valparaiso; Plaza Sotomayor (it can be reached via Ascensor Reina Victoria and Ascensor El Peral). A popular place in the city where locals hang out, visitors can do some people watching, relax under the shaded trees and read a book, or have a picnic. The plaza is known for its eye-catching monument that is dedicated to the seamen who lost their lives in the lquique Naval Battle. Some beautiful outdoor cafes surround the plaza as well as shops and markets. It's just a short walk to the harbor where you can wander around the port and look at the ships. 

Valparaiso is filled with spectacular street art, the city's building facades, walls, stairs, sidewalks, and streets are an open canvas for muralists and artists to display their colorful artistic passions. The city supports the arts and many restaurants and cafes are happy to have their walls painted with murals and art by great Chilean and International artists. There are a few areas that stand out including Templeman Street which is known as one of the best streets for street art in the city. Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion feature the densest concentration of murals. Famous pieces include the Beethoven Street piano stairs in Cerro Concepcion, the “We Are Happies Not Hippies” mural, and the Plaza Los Poetas which is decorated by mosaics taking you to the top of Cerro Bellavista. 

Head to the beach! Valpo is home to some beautiful beaches like Playa Torpederas where many restaurants, shops, and bars line the beaches just adding to the benefits of a beach day. Vina de Mar is a short bus ride outside of town and home to Caleta Abarca Beach which is great for sunbathing on the warm, golden sands. The affluent area of Renaca is about an hour away and is known for its beach parties, sports, and nightclub scene. 

Visit one of the many museums in the city. One of the most famous is the La Sebastiana Museum which was the former home of Nobel Prize-winning poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda, it was the subject of one of his poems. The four-story home is one of the poet's three homes that have been turned into museums and showcases his collections and some of his most famous works. A glass bottle collection is among one of his favorite passions. La Sebastiana contains many original possessions including the armchair where he wrote and read poems. 

The Museo Maritimo Nacional (The Maritime and Naval Museum) is a great place to visit to learn about Valparaiso’s naval, and seafaring history. There are temporary and permanent exhibitions displayed through 17 showrooms. The museum is run by the Chilean Navy and features a huge collection of over 3,000 objects including flags, medals, uniforms, and miniature replicas of vessels. 

Art lovers will rejoice at the Museo a Cielo Abierto which features unique showcases of the city’s famous street art. There are 20 colorful murals on display in this museum that were created between 1969 and 1973 by students from the Universidad Catolica’s Instituto de Arte. 

Shopping

The port city of Valparaiso or Valpo as the locals call it offers shoppers some exciting shopping experiences. The city is a treasure trove of shops, Valparaiso actually has more shops than any other city in Chile after Santiago. The colorful hillside city is brimming with colorful markets, authentic stores, craft stores, charming shopping districts, luxury boutiques, and modern shopping malls. Shopping opportunities are dotted around Valparaiso’s many colorful neighborhoods, and many charming stores can be found nestled down the winding streets and alleyways in the historic center. The city buzzes with local artisans selling their handmade handicrafts and there are dozens of workshops where visitors can watch local artisans making different things. There are many great handicraft stores found in the bohemian neighborhoods of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre. Explore Valparaiso’s charming shopping streets to discover a unique blend of shops that reflect the city's rich cultural heritage.

Mercado El Cardonal is a lively and popular market known for its fresh produce and local delicacies. A variety of local vendors sell clothes, jewelry, handcrafted items, and souvenirs here, it is also well known for its delicious street food serving traditional Chilean dishes. The market opens daily.

Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion are some of the popular shopping districts in the city, home to some artsy, eclectic shops with unique finds. Sotomayor Square is located in Cerro Alegre, one of the most popular shopping districts in Valparaiso. A charming area decorated with colorful houses and charming windy streets brimming with a great variety of shops and boutiques. Paseo Atkinson is a popular street market in the Cerro Alegre neighborhood with a wide variety of vendors selling clothing, jewelry, and street food. The historic quarter in the city is another great shopping destination known especially for its colorful art galleries where art lovers can pick up paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. Marina Arauco Mall is a modern mall with a great collection of stores and dining opportunities. Mall Plaza Oeste is another popular shopping center with a wide variety of stores and restaurants to choose from and a movie theater.

Dining

The vibrant port city of Valparaiso is filled with great cafes, restaurants, and bars as well as some chic alternatives like artisanal breweries, outdoor terraces boasting spectacular views, lively clubs with live music and DJs, and exhibitions providing visitors with plenty to do. The city is home to some of the best restaurants and wine bars in the country, and the city’s cuisine has long held international recognition. There are plenty of seafood restaurants in the coastal port city with fresh catches of the day that are brought in daily. The city’s bohemian vibe brings the option of many vegetarian-based and health-conscious restaurants for visitors to choose from. The wine lists in Valpo’s restaurants include some of the best rich reds (and whites) from the nearby Casablanca Valley Vineyards. There are gourmet bistros, international food joints, and excellent street food. Popular dishes included ceviche, seafood empanadas, Chorrillana (sausage, steak, and kebab, with onions and cheese, served on top of fries), a chacarero (green bean sandwich), and ajiaco (barbecue stew). There is plenty of fresh fish on menus throughout the city especially in Vina de Mar, especially these two soft, white fish; Reinata (pomfret), and Merluza (hake) two of the most popular.

Some authentic Chilean dishes include caldillo de congrio (fish stew with tomatoes and potatoes), and ceviche using fresh bass and scallops. Locally sourced fresh ingredients are used to make Chilean specialties such as machas a la parmesan (razor clams layered with cheese, white wine, and lemon juice), along with seafood stews using freshly caught fish from the Pacific. Other classic popular dishes include Empanadas typically filled with meat, cheese, or seafood and then baked or fried. Completo is a Chilean-style hot dog loaded with toppings like sauerkraut, diced tomatoes, pebre (spicy salsa), and generously adorned with mayonnaise. Pastel de Choclo is a traditional hearty casserole dish made with ground corn, seasoned meat, onions, and olives, then topped with a golden crust made from cornmeal. Alfajores is a sweet dessert of soft, delicate cookies filled with dulce de leche.

Nightlife

Valparaiso offers a vibrant nightlife scene and lively atmosphere after dark. There are many eclectic neighborhoods that are home to a great variety of restaurants, bars, pubs, lounges, and clubs. In this city, there is always something exciting happening. The coastal port city offers many restaurants, bars, and clubs where you can dance tango and salsa all night. These establishments are set right on the amazing beaches and along the waterfront, making it a great place to capture a sunset and then party the night away in a tropical setting. Many clubs and other establishments stay open late and into the early hours. Thursday through Saturday nights are the busiest and start to get crowded around 11:00 pm and midnight and last until dawn. A large concentration of Valpo’s nightlife scene can be found on Subida Eduador, Cumming Street, Avenida Errazuirz. Cerro Concepcion Alegre and Bella Visa offer some beautiful terraces for stunning nighttime views of the city. Be sure to try the delicious local wines from the nearby Casablanca Valley, varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Syrah. Pisco Sours is the most iconic cocktail in Chile, made with pisco, tangy lemon, and frothy egg whites, you can try one in a number of places in Valparaiso, it is best accompanied by a great view from one of the many rooftop terraces.