Viña del Mar and Valparaíso: Twin Cities by the Pacific
Viña del Mar and Valparaíso — separated by 10 km — are Chile's most visited twin cities; the contrast between Viña's manicured beach resort character and Valparaíso's chaotic, colourful, bohemian port identity defines the character of both places
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Cerros of Valparaíso
Valparaíso's 42 cerros (hills) – each with its own character, street art and community – rise steeply from the harbor flat; cerros Alegre and Concepción (the most visited) have Victorian architecture, boutique hotels and the finest concentration of street art in Chile; The UNESCO World Heritage List covers the historical cerros
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Lifts (mountain railways)
The ascensores – the funicular that connects Valparaíso's flat port with its steep cerros – are the city's most distinctive public transport; there were originally 30 ascensors; only a handful remain in operation; the vintage wooden cars, the steep angle and the view from the top of each climb are among the most atmospheric urban experiences in South America
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Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana
La Sebastiana — Pablo Neruda's Valparaíso house (now a museum) — is the finest of the three Neruda house museums in Chile; the poet's eccentric collection of maritime objects, his personal library and the extraordinary view of Valparaíso from the house's upper floors give the museum a personal quality that the more famous La Chascona in Santiago lacks
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Street Art Heritage
Valparaíso has the most extensive and accomplished urban street art in South America; the cerro's walls are covered with large-scale murals by Chilean and international artists; the street art is not just decoration - it reflects the city's political consciousness, its maritime heritage and its bohemian identity; guided street art tours in cerros are among Valparaíso's most popular activities
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Port culture
Valparaíso's port – the most important in Chile – gives the city its functional character; the port's container ships, the fishermen's wharf (Caleta Portales) and the marine shops of the flat town contrast with the bohemian cerros above; the city's dual identity (working port and art center) creates a creative tension that defines Valparaíso
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Cerro Alegre Dining
The restaurants in Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción—in converted Victorian houses on the cerro streets—are among Chile's finest; the combination of the cerro architecture, the Pacific view through the restaurant windows and the quality of the Chilean seafood and wine make dining at cerros in Valparaíso one of South America's most memorable dining experiences