Valparaíso, Chile

Santiago's Port City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jun 28, 2007 Nicholas Gill

Valparaíso, Chile is an odd mix of architecture, coast, hills, and strange hedonistic culture that makes it one of the oddest and starngely wonderful cities on Earth.

Valparaíso, Chile is just an hour from Santiago on the Pacific coast, making it the most important seaport from the country’s capital. Nicknamed the “Jewel of the Pacific” or “Ocean’s Sweetheart,” Valparaíso is considered on of the most unique, eccentric, and beautiful cities in the world.

The bustling, rowdy port city was always look down on by Santiaguinos, but the recent listing of it to the UNESCO World Heritage registry has caused the country to take a second look and today more than 50 cruise ships dock there each summer.

Many of the sites in the city were listed as endangered, until the bohemian community came together and have restored Valparaíso. In the last few years boutique hotels, trendy restaurants, and cool shops have sprung up on the once empty streets making it one of the hippest cities in South America.

Architecture

One of the most important landmarks are Valparaiso's Ascensors, or elevators that take the people from lower points of the city to the top of the hills that much of the houses are set on. The funicular elevators, which are located all over the city, cost merely pennies to ride and are one of the most popular activities for tourists.

The houses are a mish mash of pastel colors lining the hillsides, making it a photographer’s dream. The strange, modern building home to the Chilean National Congress is the strangest and largest piece of architecture in the city. Congress was moved here during Pinochet’s regime and the building was built on the site of one of his boy hood homes.

History

The city was founded as early as 1536, when ships met Diego de Almagro was exploring Chile to drop off supplies. It blossomed during the California Gold Rush as boats stopped to gather supplies after rounding Cape Horn, leading to swells of European immigrants. Earthquakes have been a continued problem inValparaíso, most recently in 1906 which devastated the city and killed nearly 20,000 people. Pirate raids were frequent as well. Sir Francis Drake sacked the city in 1579, leading to the city’s other nickname, “Pancho,” a dimunitve of Francisco.

Festivals - A New Year’s Festival (New Year’s by the Sea) is heldthe last three days of each year more than a million tourists attend. This is the biggest fireworks display in all of Latin America and the coastline is filled with people looking out to the bay. Chilean poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda watched the fireworks every year from his home in Valparaíso, La Sebastiana, now a museum.

Getting There: To get to Valparaíso, buses leave every few minutes from Santiago’s main bus terminal. The city is 120 km (74 miles) from the capital, and just a few minutes by bus or train from the popular beach resort of Viña del Mar.

The copyright of the article Valparaíso, Chile in South America Travel is owned by Nicholas Gill. Permission to republish Valparaíso, Chile in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Valparaiso, Chile