Valparaiso, Chile 1/23/24

Valparaiso, Chile

Authored by Laurie Hardcastle Seil

If nothing else Valparaiso has one of the most colorful collages that I’ve put together lately which seems appropriate for a city that’s known as the “Jewel of the Pacific”. The glory days for this port are in the past but it is still a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning that designation because of its history, the late 19th century architecture found here, and its cultural diversity. It was a place that many English, German, French, Italian and Yugoslavian immigrants made home during its heyday, as well, of course, as the Spanish who had been here for centuries. Here along Chile’s central coast, you’ll find the usual modes of transportation, including Uber. The locals call their city “Valpo”, and it’s also been called “Little San Francisco” for the dozens of hills that surround its bay, with colorful houses dotting the hillsides. Plan so do some climbing today unless you take a funicular here or there. The original inhabitants in this part of Chile were the Chango Indians, who anchored the southern end of the Inca Empire. Around 1536 conquistador Juan De Saavedra named the city here after the one where he was born, and the Spanish settlement began. Valparaiso was one of the most important merchant ports on the Pacific coast sea routes during the 1800s and early 20th century since the harbor could handle large ships. Chile’s first banks and stock market were created here, as well as the country’s first public library. Valparaiso was one of the most important merchant ports on the Pacific coast sea routes during the 1800s and early 20th century since the harbor could handle large ships. Chile’s first banks and stock market were created here, as well as the country’s first public library. Multiple times the city has been partially or mostly destroyed by the earthquakes that this area is prone to, especially in August of 1906 when an estimated 8.2 magnitude quake caused mass destruction. The city went into decline after the opening of the Panama Canal and continued to slide until the 1990s when a grass roots effort restored the ailing funiculars and shabby homes were painted bright colors once again to help it look like the charming port of old. Near the pier is the Sotomayor, the grandest square in town. Two of the popular “ascensores” leave from near here. Ascensores are the Spanish name for the funiculars that ply the hills and are the city’s trademark feature. There were thirty of them built between 1883 and 1916 and of those there are fifteen still in use. They are cheap to ride, and you’ll probably want to try at least one. Another of the other things that Valpo is known for is its street art, whether it’s spray paint graffiti or a detailed mural, you’ll see it all over the city. Templeman Street is one that’s known for its street art, or you can visit Cerro (which means hill) Bellavista where you’ll find the Museo a Cielo Abierto, an open-air museum of street art that’s in the historical center of town. A bit to the north is the elegant sister city of Valparaiso, Vina del Mar, often just called Vina, or the Garden City. It was founded as a weekend retreat for the wealthy of its sibling, and of Santiago.

We started our day with a 2.5-hour panoramic tour of the city, which gave us time to explore on our own in the afternoon. The flower clock is famous, and we were able to drive by and snap a few pics. There are numerous parks in the city and statues abound. Lots of lighthouses (not surprising, a this was a major port at one time). The weather started out chilly and a bit overcast, but by the afternoon, sun was out, and it warmed up nicely. The Sheraton Hotel is the best in the city - hosting a yearly musical festival with all the big stars staying there. Christine Aguilera was the main attraction last year. The casino is just around the corner and provides 50% of the city's income - we know who the odds are with. A 12k step day for us as we walked from the pier into the downtown area. It is a very interesting city - about 300k residents and about 12k stray dog population. Not a skinny pup to be found, they are well fed by the residents, quite friendly and very clean. You will find them all over the city. To get to the top of the city, where most of the residents live, you can walk up many, many stairs or take the funicular. We chose the latter to head to the top. Plenty of uphill walking even there but it is worth it. Take a look at all of the artwork - graffiti to us.... It is amazing and is everywhere.... the views from above are magnificent. Had lunch at a local restaurant. Language barrier but the waiter figured out what we should order, and it was quite satisfying. We wanted a pisco sour (Chileans say they invented, Peruvians say they did - so we wanted one in both countries to compare), but they only served wine, so we made do!! History note - Pisco Peru used to be part of Chile many years ago. Tomorrow, we head to La Serena Chile, maybe we can get our pisco sour there!!! We are just sorry we did not get more time here, would have liked to explore more neighborhoods and visit an alpaca farm, (adding a pic). One of the tours went to an alpaca farm and they got to name a 2-day old baby - Serenade it is. And certainly, we missed out on the vineyards. We left early afternoon, which is a shame, the sunsets and nighttime views of Valparaiso are said to be stunning. Happiest of days to our granddaughter, Autumn, who turns 9 today!