Tours in Valparaiso

 

A South American city with a special character, Valparaiso is located on the central Chilean coast, at 33.5° latitude south, 120 km to the northwest of Santiago. This port, with 300,000 inhabitants, enjoys a Mediterranean climate. Its location by the Pacific gives it a fresh breeze on summer days as well as a wealth of seafood. Colorful houses are distributed over numerous hills, connected by winding streets and long stairways. This unique architectural inheritance has lead to the UNESCO World Heritage status for the core of the city.

This downtown of the city is characterized by a bustling business district and historic shopping. One feels as if they are taken back centuries as you browse through charming shops and cozy cafes. In contrast, the streets outside the shops and cafes are filled with the energy of modern business, street traders, fish mongers, fruit vendors and much more. A series of historic funicular railways, known as ascensors, lead you up from this downtown to the upper part of town and the residential quarters of the city. There are a multiple of fantastic and ever changing views out to the sea and across all of the other hills of the city to be enjoyed from numerous public vista points, such as the mansion of the "saltpeter baron", Baburizza, or from "La Sebastiana", the house of the world famous poet, Pablo Neruda. Valparaiso is also the cultural capital of Chile hosting numerous events such as concerts, theatre, and poetry readings. Old port pubs, tango bars and "salsotheques" enrich the nightlife.