In between the holidays in December we still had time to visit Valparaiso, the artistic city Neruda fell in love with!
This UNESCO World Heritage site is very hilly (42 hills), colorful and picturesque, specially the trolley buses are very beautiful! It has a little bit of San Francisco mixed with Lisbon and Porto.
The big seaport of Valparaiso plays a huge role on the city's dynamic, not only economically speaking, as well as on its urban profile. While the port dominates most of the coastal line, hundreds of little houses with narrow streets fill the surrounding hills, where a surprise awaits at the end of each street!
The big seaport of Valparaiso plays a huge role on the city's dynamic, not only economically speaking, as well as on its urban profile. While the port dominates most of the coastal line, hundreds of little houses with narrow streets fill the surrounding hills, where a surprise awaits at the end of each street!
In order to make the most of the city in our day visit, we did the free tour which we highly recommend (with the Wally/Waldo guides). It took 3 hours but it wasn't too tiring and we saw a lot of the city!
Firstly, we visited the port and then went up to the top of Cerro Alegre (Happy Hill) through one of the many wooden funiculars existent (shaky but safe). Here the view to the sea was magnificent!
Firstly, we visited the port and then went up to the top of Cerro Alegre (Happy Hill) through one of the many wooden funiculars existent (shaky but safe). Here the view to the sea was magnificent!
On the top of Cerro Alegre, Palacio Baburizza is an ode to art deco and is now the Fine Arts Museum of Valparaiso. Right next door, Pasaje Galvez was all prepped-up for us, with colourful flags and cups, the sun playing hide and seek with the stone floor and the cats lazing around. All of them just awaiting our cameras to go crazy!
Additionally, some particular houses were to be found. As all port cities, Valparaiso attracted many parallel activities such as prostitution. Our guide pointed us some ex-brothel houses, one with peculiar details such as hearts as decorations on their doors (Casa de las Muñecas, Dolls' House).
Additionally, some particular houses were to be found. As all port cities, Valparaiso attracted many parallel activities such as prostitution. Our guide pointed us some ex-brothel houses, one with peculiar details such as hearts as decorations on their doors (Casa de las Muñecas, Dolls' House).
Our guide was a local (called porteña, as this is a port city) and you could tell that she as well as other people we met from Valpo are really proud of their city - and who can blame them! Look at the pictures!
We ended our tour by drinking local pisco sour, eating alfajores and visiting the Museo Cielo Abierto, an open-air museum where you can discover 20 murals of street art all over the Cerro Bellavista - this hill deserves a visit on its own! In fact we've found the whole city was an open steet art museum.
We ended our tour by drinking local pisco sour, eating alfajores and visiting the Museo Cielo Abierto, an open-air museum where you can discover 20 murals of street art all over the Cerro Bellavista - this hill deserves a visit on its own! In fact we've found the whole city was an open steet art museum.
Valparaiso is known for being the home of amazing urban art scene. There is always something new popping up somewhere in this maze! In fact the city attracts both national and international graffiti artists.
In the tour, we got to know some of the works of Inti, a world famous graffiti from Valparaiso. Another impressive huge mural we've quite enjoyed is the "Solstício de Inverno", painted in 2014 by the artist platform "Un Kolor Distinto".
Valparaíso got a special place in our hearts, with all its colourful glory and ever changing looks!
Te queremos Valpo!
Te queremos Valpo!