Travel to Valparaiso

hugely important before the opening of the Panama Canal

Set on the coast around 100 km northwest of the capital Santiago, Valparaiso is an historic city and one of the most important commercial ports on the west coast of South America.

Although a small port and village was established here by the Spanish as far back as 1536, Valparaiso really started to gather momentum after a cargo pier was constructed in 1810.

Throughout the remainder of the 1800s the city grew and prospered, as maritime traffic around Cape Horn dramatically increased, with Valparaiso becoming the de facto resupply station on the Pacific side.

During that period the city gained a worldwide reputation and became very cosmopolitan, attracting immigrants from around the world, particularly from many European countries, who set about building the wonderful assortment of architecture that ranges up the steep hills behind the port.

The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 brought about an abrupt end to marine trade and Valparaiso fell into a long and deep decline.
From around 2005 groups of artists, poets and painters started to move into the area, reclaiming the grand dilapidated buildings, restoring them and painting them in what has become the characteristic rainbow of vivid colours.

Simultaneously there has been a huge expansion of educational facilities, with our universities and many colleges, giving the bohemian atmosphere a further, youthful boost.

This development has been accompanied by the opening of some rather cool boutique hotels and tourist numbers have been steadily increasing.
Modern day Valparaiso is alluring and romantic on the one hand, whilst being chaotic and run-down on the other. It’s a love it or hate it kind of place. But dull it certainly isn’t.

To enjoy the city, you need to appreciate that this phoenix is only just starting to emerge from the ashes and, above all, you need to embrace the fact that graffiti and grunge is very much a way of life around here.

Finally we should mention Viña del Mar, the vast modern holiday resort just to the north, whose high-rise hotels and packed palm-lined beaches are much loved by upcountry Chileans, but are of little appeal to most international travellers.

The best time to visit Valparaiso is generally considered to be during the Oct-Apr warm dry summer season.

Valparaíso has a Mediterranean climate, with two clearly defined seasons.

During the Oct-Apr summer season conditions are usually warm and dry, with lots of sunshine. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 20C/68F, with nighttime lows holding up around 13C/55F. Sunshine is up around 9 hours per day, peaking in Dec-Jan.

During the May-Sep winter season the weather is usually cool and humid, but with rainfall remaining relatively light at 75mm (3”) per month. Average daytime temperatures usually manage to reach around 15C/59F, with nighttime lows dropping only to around 9C/48F. Sunshine drops to only around 3 hours per day in June.

Getting there

Valparaiso does not have an airport.
The usual way to get here is by road from Santiago, a journey of around 3-4 hours.

The areas between Santiago and Valparaiso are filled with high quality vineyards, so many visitors combine nights here on the coast with a stay at one of the chic lodges of the wine country, again making the connections by road.

Where to stay

The main reason to come to Valparaiso is to explore the old city, so the best place to stay is usually the historic Cerro Alegre suburb, immediately above the old harbour.

much in decline, but with a Bohemian feel