Valparaíso, along with Santiago, is the most common gateway for first-time visitors to Chile. An hour and a half by bus from the capital, the port city offers something no other Chilean city has: a historic center declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, built across more than 40 hills connected by century-old funiculars.
The hills you shouldn't miss
Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción hold the highest concentration of street art, viewpoints and colorful houses in the historic quarter. You can walk them in a couple of hours, riding up one of the heritage funiculars -Reina Victoria or Concepción are the most touristy- and walking back down while enjoying the bay views.
What else to do with a full day
- Walk the Paseo Yugoslavo and Paseo Gervasoni at sunset, when the light changes the color of the facades.
- Visit La Sebastiana, one of Pablo Neruda's houses, with a panoramic view of the whole port.
- Have lunch at a restaurant with a bay view on Cerro Concepción or Alegre.
- Go down to "el plan" (the lower part of the city) to see the National Congress building and the real, working port life, not just the touristy part.
Valparaíso works well as a day trip from Santiago, but if time allows, staying one night lets you see the city lit up from the hills at night, one of the most photographed sights in Chile.
