Valparaiso

Introduction

Valparaiso 1

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Valparaiso is a city in central Chile and is the capital of the Province of Valparaiso. The city itself has approximately 300,000 inhabitants but the metropolitan area is much larger and also includes for example Vina del Mar, making it the third largest after Great Santiago and Greater Concepcion with around 850,000 people living here.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

The historical quarter of Valparaiso is on the Unesco World Heritage List - It presents an excellent example of late 19th-century urban and architectural development in Latin America. The city has also preserved its interesting early industrial infrastructures, such as the numerous elevators on the steep hillsides. From the flat city centre you can take one of those up to the historical quarter.
Also, Valparaiso has a natural beauty with several hills surrouding its harbour.
Several important landmarks include:

• Iglesia de la Matriz
• Sotomayor Square
• Courthouse
• The 16 remaining "Funiculars" (elevators), out of the 29 that once existed.
• The Concepcion & Alegre Historical District.
• The Bellavista hill.
• Monument to Admiral "Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane, 10th Earl Of dundoland".
• Monument to Manuel blanco Encalada, first Chilean President.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Valparaiso has a subtropical climate. Summers last from November to March, when it's mostly between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius during the day and balmy nights. Winters last from June to September when it's still mild, 10 to 15 degrees Celsius or even more, but nights become rather chilly. This is also the wettest time of year, summers are almost completely dry.

Getting There

By Plane

Valparaiso doesn't have commercial flights, the nearest option is the airport of Santiago de Chile, about 2 hours away.

By Train

Metro Valparaiso offers commuter trains to neighbouring municipalities like Vina del Mar.

By Car

With a rental car you can drive easily between Santiago and Valparaiso along Ruta 68 in about an hour.

By Bus

Regular buses connect Valparaiso with Santiago (1,5 hours), Vina del Mar and many other cities in the country. To Vina del Mar, you can also take a shared taxi. It's just a short drive away.
La Serena is about 7 hours away, while travelling to Mendoza in Argentina takes about 12 hours (roads might be closed in winter).

By Boat

During the summermonths many cruiseliners stop in Valparaiso's port and there are also many cargoships who travel to and from Valparaiso. You might be lucky to get a berth on one of them or on the occasional yacht that calls in.

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

Metro Valparaiso operates in the urban conglomeration of Gran Valparaíso, Chile , connecting the cities of Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache.

By Foot

You can easily explore much of Valparaiso on foot, but going up the historical quarter it's a good idea to use one of the public funiculars/elevators, at least to go up, because the hills are steep.

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Valparaiso

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Correos de Chile is the national postal service, and although relatively slow it is reliable with post offices throughout the country. On the website you can find more information about prices to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. Post offices are generally open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm and Saturday until 2:00pm, although there are sometimes longer opening hours in the bigger central post offices and shorter ones in small places. Ask around.