Valparaiso

THE CITY OF VALPARAISO

Valparaiso is a city and port in central Chile. It is one of the country's most important seaports and an increasingly vital cultural centre in the hemisphere's Pacific Southwest. The city is the capital of the Region of Valparaíso and lies on the south side of a wide, open bay of the Pacific Ocean, at about 140 km northwest of Santiago.

The Spanish conquistador Juan de Saavedra founded the city in 1536, but it was not permanently inhabited until 1544. It was raided many times by English and Dutch pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries. Valparaiso was unimportant in colonial times, but the city flourished in the late 19th century. In that period Valparaíso started to play an important role as a major stopover port for ships travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Always a magnet for European immigrants, Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, when the city was known by international sailors as “Little San Francisco” or “The Jewel of the Pacific.”

Valparaíso’s still has a lot of monuments that testify of its former glory, such as the oldest stock exchange in South America, the continent’s first volunteer fire department, Chile’s first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world. With the opening of the Panama Canal and the subsequent reduction in ship traffic Valparaíso’s economic status suffered a lot, though the city has staged an impressive renaissance in recent years. The historic quarter of the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.

The city stands on the slopes of a semicircular spur of the coastal mountain range that ends in the rocky peninsula of Point Angeles. This point affords good shelter to the bay from southerly and westerly winds but leaves it open to those from the north.

THE PORT OF VALPARAISO

Approximately 50 international cruise ships call on Valparaíso during the 4-month Chilean summer. The port of Valparaíso is also an important hub for shipping of container freight, and exports of many products, including wine, copper, and fresh fruit. Cruises land in the port and passengers are transported in free shuttle buses to the Valparaíso Cruise Terminal.

TRANSPORT IN VALPARAISO

Most cruise ships arrive in Valparaiso at the Muelle Prat dock. This is within walking distance to town. Metered taxis are available.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN VALPARAISO

The most interesting part of Valparaiso is the old section and its many hills were most of the colonial buildings, galleries, museums and churches can be found. Valparaiso is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The “funiculars” make it possible to reach the high part of the city with its colourful hillside houses. The funiculars (or 'ascensores') are all over the city. The local people use them to go to and from there houses into the typical hillside neighbourhoods. The construction of some of the 'ascensores' goes back to 1883.

The Muelle Prat Wharf, where the cruise ships dock, lies at the foot of the Plaza Sotomayor, one of the main squares of Valparaiso. This is the place to visit a typical handicrafts market or to take boat trips around the harbour.

La Sebastiana is the house of the Chilean writer Pablo Neruda and now a museum.

The Baburizza Palace is an Art Nouveau building, constructed in 1916 for the Zanelli Family.

The Fine Arts Museum of Valparaiso. In 1979 it was declared National Monument.

The Naval and Maritime Museum wants to protect, preserve and divulge to the public the Naval and Maritime historical heritage of Chile. The museum can be found at Valparaiso, Chile, Paseo 21 de Mayo. The location offers a great view over the harbour and the by.

One of the highlights of Chilean cuisine is its diversity of seafood that is cooked in many ways, grilled or stuffed. “Pastel de Choclo” is a typical Chilean dish.