The must visit and best things to do in Valparaiso in a short visit
Valparaíso is undoubtedly one of the most unique and interesting cities to visit in central Chile.
There’s a reason why is called The Jewel of the Pacific.
The city of Valparaiso is full of colorful corners, photogenic walls, gastronomy, and culture, so it’s worthwhile to take the time to walk it, slowly, take the time to feel the pulse of a port that never sleeps.
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Searching for good restaurants and bars in Valparaíso?
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Are you on Instagram? Check my favorite Photography route through the city
The city develops between the Plan and the Hills, between land and sea, giving life to a vibrant and very entertaining city to visit.
It has 95 national monuments and about 42 hills around the bay. Unique architecture and location have declared Valparaíso’s city center a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
In summer there are several cruises that arrive with tourists eager to discover its streets and taste the seafood delights.
Walking and living for a few hours at the rhythm of the port will make your mind see with other eyes, colors, smells and sensations very different from those you will live in other places in Chile.
Where to go and what to do in Valparaíso
Valparaíso has a somewhat complicated layout to walk through, is located between the Pacific Ocean and the hills, so when walking around is a good idea to organize the route in advance not to walk more than its necessary.
Put on your more comfortable shoes, because you’re going to walk a lot and keep in mind that in the mornings and afternoons it can become chilly and windy even in summer.
If you are in this area for year-end, living a New Year’s Eve in Valparaiso is an experience to live at least once in your life.
There is a pyrotechnic show in more than 10 points in the bay, which continue even beyond Viña del Mar, being one of the largest in the country and South America, which marvels all who have lived this event in the area.
Also unforgettable are the carnivals and the unforgettable Feast of the Thousand Drums that take place in the port.
The most visited places in Valparaíso are the Barrio Puerto, where you can find the port, the Senate and the Naval and Maritime Museum, the Municipal of Fine Arts.
The most touristic hills, but also the most cared and entertaining to my taste are Cerro Alegre and Concepción.
You will find a sample of the colonial architecture of the area, as well as many restaurants and cafes where to spend the afternoon and some of the most interesting museums of the city, the House of Lukas, Paseo Yugoslavo, Astoreca Palace and the Baburizza Museum.
In the hill Bellavista, the Open Air Museum and La Sebastiana, home of the poet Pablo Neruda, deserve a special trip.
An area is not part of the best-known tourist circuit of Valparaiso is the one that includes the Cerros Lecheros and Barón also has some beautiful corners to walk and explore, especially the murals of the Zenteno Population and the Lecheros elevator.
Here is the house that housed Pablo Neruda in the underground when he was persecuted by the government of González Videla and that very few know.
One of the must-see if you like fairs, is the one located on Avenida Argentina, on the same street where the Trolebuses station is and is more than 1500m in length!
Tuesdays and Saturdays it’s a normal fair, with fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and fish, but on Sundays, it becomes a gigantic Flea Market where you can find practically everything you can think of!
There is another fair that I like and it’s the Antiques Market located in Plaza O’Higgins, just behind the National Congress.
BEACH
Valparaiso is not just Puerto and Cerros, you can also escape and enjoy the beach and the waves of the impressive Pacific Ocean, which as you may have noticed, is not as peaceful as its name says.
The favorite beaches in Valparaíso are those of Caleta Portales, which is right in the MetroTren Station, there are restaurants nearby where you can have lunch, you can also visit San Mateo beach or my favorite, Playa Las Torpederas
How to move in and around Valparaíso
To get around Valparaiso there are several options. With a fairly well-organized public transport system at your disposal, if you are not going to walk all the time you can try these options.
Thanks to the great slopes that exist in its hills, were created the mythical and famous elevators of Valparaiso, that connect to the hills with the Plan.
Besides being the tourist icons of the city, they are a means of transport used daily by the porteños and they are also very cheap.
The original idea was to construct an elevator in each one of the 43 hills, being the first those of the Cerro Concepción and Cordillera.
Today there are only 15 left in operation, although there are several that are under maintenance.
There are local buses, called micros and connect the plan with the hills and also with other cities and nearby communes, such as Viña del Mar, ConCón, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache.
They are cheap and an adventure to travel in them because they usually drive super fast!
An alternative to the buses are the ‘colectivos’, which although they have a defined route as buses, and is like a taxi but shared, you have the option to pay a little more and ask to get closer to your destination.
Other transport loved mainly by tourists are trolleybuses, commonly called simply ‘Trolleys’.
There are still some very old ones in operation, but the interesting thing about the new ones is that they have incorporated a very useful stop advertising system for tourists, as they advertise the stops in both English and Spanish, as well as places of interest close to Each stop.An alternative to the buses are the buses, which although they have a defined route and is like a taxi but shared, you have the option to pay a little more and ask to get closer to your destination.
And to connect quickly with the nearby communes and bordering the sea in Valparaiso is the metro, which also connects with nearby communes such as Viña or Limache.
Where to eat in Valparaíso
Valparaiso and Viña del Mar are full of restaurants and bars of all kinds and for every taste.
From restaurants with international prizes to bites and bars that only enter those who come there by recommendation, because they are far from the tourist circuits or because they do not look very tempting from the outside.
Here you can check out more about my favorite restaurants and bars in Valparaíso, some of them are:
- Cinzano
- El horno de chile
- Mercadito Alegre
- El Internado
- Cervecería Altamira
- El Pimentón
- Mastodonte
- El Rincón de las guitarras
How to get to Valparaíso from Santiago
Valparaíso is located only 120km from Santiago, so making a weekend trip or even the day is very easy.
- You can go in your private vehicle and walk the streets on it and walk among the hills.
- If you go by bus, from the metro stations Universidad de Santiago or Pajaritos you will find the bus terminals with those who travel there.
*** One particular thing that you should know is that you can buy your a return ticket or Ida-Vuelta, which will have a discount on the total price.
If you are flexible to travel, like me, you can choose not to date the return ticket and you can use it when you need it, in case you decide to stay one more day in the area.
You can also usually choose to return from Valparaíso or Viña del Mar, although your ticket says Valparaiso. They are very close and it is a benefit that almost all bus companies give their passengers.
If you still had doubts about visiting and going to Valparaiso sometime, I hope to inspire you!
If you already know Valparaiso…Do you have any tips about things to do in Valparaíso you would like to recommend us?
We are a group of 4 mid age-older people and will be arriving in Valparaiso in about 10 days. We would love to find a local to take us around the town to see the best of the best. When we travel we often hire a taxi to take us around. Do you have any suggestions for the best way for us to see what you locals are MOST proud of? Thanks so much
Hi Sue,
Thank you very much for your message and I’m happy for your travel plans! I LOVE Valparaíso and I hope you guys will love it too.
Unfortunately, I don’t know any taxi driver to recommend you, they are usually expensive there, so renting a car or travel agency might be the best, I do have two friends that might be able to help you https://www.instagram.com/donjuanfra/ or https://www.instagram.com/hernancastro_/
Let me know if you need any help and how the trip goes!!
Such vibrant pictures. Says so much about the place! Would love to visit Pablo Neruda’s place. I have always admired his writings 🙂 The graffiti , the dancers and the architecture is so impressive. Love your shots of the beach!
Thank you so much for your words. Neruda is also one of my favorite poets and all of his houses are really cool! I really hope you can visit Chile soon!
Hi Valparaiso looks cool and I will definitely keep it on my radar when planning a trip to Chile. I would love to visit the local vegetable market that you mention – I really love to observe people’s daily routine and also I love tasting new veggies and fruits. The beach looks stunning as well.
Hi Veronika!
I can see there’s another market lover as I am! I freak out for them, lol
I hope you can visit soon and explore the city1 Let me know and I might join you if I’m there!
Valparaiso looks like a real paraiso (paradise)! I love the balance between the artsy fartsy/hippie and the nature!
Hi Trisha!
I think you will love it!! Hope you can travel there soon! Let me know if you manage to go and if I’m there I can join you for a walking tour
This is a great overview of Valparaiso. It take me back to the wonderful time I spent exploring the colorful city and the local flavors. Amazing seafood..totally right. Could not get enough of the reineta fish. Agree with you, Valparaiso should be on every visitor’s list to Chile 🙂
I’m so glad you had a wonderful time in Valparaíso! I agreed, Reineta is delicious!!!!
Awesome to know that Valparaiso is a great weekend trip option from Santiago – we recently got our first taste of Chile, a couple of days in Santiago and really loved it, so I’m sure we’ll return. Wow 95 national monuments and a UNESCO preserved City center – awesome! And the beach looks so peaceful – thanks for the introduction, I’ll add to my list for our next Chile trip 🙂
Hi Meg!
I hope you can go back soon! It’s definitely worth it and so many places to explore! Maybe next time I’ll be there and we can finally meet up!
Hugs,
Gloria
I have not been anywhere in South America, I need to change that! The city view photo is gorgeous, I am a huge fan of street art and those elevators look fun — add to the bucket list and pinning this for future travel
Valparaiso looks like a great place to visit! I really enjoy colorful cities such as this one and would love to check out the views from the hills.
Definitely need to visit Chile!
I really hope you can visit and enjoy Chile soon! It will not disappoint you!
Hi Gloria,
I love that bored old lady. Valparaiso looks like it has real flavor. Love it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ryan
Hi Ryan!
I loved that lady. I was taking a sneaky picture of her and she saw me. I thought she will be pissed off but I smiled and showed her the shot from down the street and she gifted me the best smile I got in the whole month! She reminded me how important is to be aware of others and always be kind before being scared
I would definitely stay longer than a weekend for all this. That sunset picture is love and I love going around and taking pictures of street art as well.
Hi Karla!
I agree Valparaíso is a city to explore over and over again!
Every time I go back I discover a new area or a beautiful view to enjoy!
Oooh Valparaiso looks like a truly vibrant place that’s full of character. I’m currently brushing up on my Spanish so hoping to do a big tour of south america soon! 😀
Oh wow!
A South American trip sounds like a great adventure. Learning Spanish will definitely help you as it’s not too common t find English speakers everywhere.
Let me know when you start it!
Your post has truly inspired us to visit Valparaiso! Thanks a lot for sharing this! 🙂
I wanted to get there on my trip to Chile, but didn’t make it. Not enough time to see everything. But I did a lot of research and as you’ve proven here, there are so many things to do there. I think the best part is the sort of gritty, alive feeling it has. I love the street art.
Hi Laura,
I really hope you can visit Chile again! It’s true that we never get to see everything in a destination, but that’s part of the beauty of travel, we have then a great excuse to go back and explore deeper.
Happy travels!
Gloria