A day trip to Valparaíso, ‘The Jewel of the Pacific’

by Carolyn Ray

When I first drive into the Chilean port city of Valparaíso, I’m not sure it’s for me. It’s a gray, stormy day, and it feels gritty, rugged and hectic. But as my guide navigates the narrow streets up into the hills, I start to feel a shift. We drive around a corner and quite suddenly, there’s an explosion of colour. Almost every possible surface is covered with street art – birds, Indigenous women, whales, oceans, ships — finally, I’ve arrived.

Paula Torrejón, Founder of Dalca Travel, says that Valparaíso is known as “La Joya del Pacifico”, which means ‘the Jewel of the Pacific’. The name comes from the 19th century, when Valparaíso was a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Straits of Magellan. When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, ship traffic was dramatically reduced. However, between 2000 and 2015, the city experienced a recovery, attracting artists and cultural entrepreneurs, attracted by the city’s hillside historic districts.

Valparaíso is a UNESCO World Heritage site

Today, the Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including its ‘elevators’ on the steep hillsides. According to UNESCO, Valparaíso was populated and influenced by people from around the world, saying “The urban fabric and cultural identity of Valparaíso are thus distinguished by a diversity that sets it apart from other Latin American cities. From an urban perspective, the result of this challenging geography, modernizing impulse and intercultural dialogue is a fully original American city with the stamp of the late 19th century upon it.”

“In Valpo, as we Chileans call it, there are hidden streets, hills, colours, and hanging houses, almost falling out of the hills,” Torrejón says. “It reflects how chaotic yet peaceful this city can be.”

I’ve wanted to visit Valparaíso ever since reading Isabelle Allende’s “The Long Petal of the Sea”, a historical narrative set in the 1950s. In it, she quotes Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who describes the country as “a long petal of sea and wine and snow, with a belt of black and white foam”. Valpo is the port where The Winnipeg, commissioned by Neruda, brought refugees from the Spanish Civil War, where they were warmly welcomed with clothes, food and jobs.

Street art in Valparaíso

In Valparaíso, there’s a Bohemian, free spirited vibe. Many of the homes are built with recycled corrugated steel exteriors (from ships) to resist fire. There are art galleries, boutique hotels and coffee shops.  Torrejón says she enjoys walking the narrow, up and down streets, connecting Concepcion Hill with Cerro Alegre Hill.

“What I like the most about Valparaíso is that all the commerce and stores you find in the hills are family-owned or small businesses that chose this city to settle in,” Torrejón says. “I admire how the artist Loro Coiron, captures the essence of the city; you can find his artwork in the art galleries of Cerro Concepción.”

Street art gives such insight into cultures and symbols – it also gives voice to underlying issues. It’s one of my favourite ways to learn about a city’s history and culture. While street art is illegal in other parts of Chile, in Valparaíso, the community has embraced street art with open arms, even paying international street artists to enhance the aesthetic of their properties.

Chile has a fascinating and tumultuous history. It gained independence from Spain in 1818 and went through periods of democracy and authoritarian government. Allende’s book covers much of this, including Salvador Allende’s socialist government and the military coup in 1973 supported by the United States, which led to the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. During his 17-year regime, Pinochet persecuted critics, executed thousands of people, interred as many as 80,000 people, and tortured tens of thousands. Chile returned to democracy in 1989 but there are deep scars left by this time in its history.

Travel up the hills by funicular

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, funiculars were built to carry locals up and down Valparaíso’s steep hills.  The first was Ascensor Concepción, built in 1883. The most popular one—and the one with the best views—is the Funicular Cerro Artillería, which was built in 1893 to transport the staff of the old naval school. Its upper station lies in the 21 de Mayo Promenade, one of the most emblematic spots in town.

Another popular one is the El Peral funicular, which takes visitors to Yugoslavo Boulevard with the magnificent Baburizza Palace, home of the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts. There are also funicular tours.  Find a funicular tour here.

La Sebastiana, House-Museum of Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda is one of Chile’s most loved poets, who won the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature. He was also a diplomat, politician and a close advisor to Chile’s socialist president Salvador Allende, who was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet in 1973. That same week, Neruda was hospitalized with cancer but returned home after a few days when he suspected a doctor of injecting him with an unknown substance for the purpose of murdering him on Pinochet’s orders. He died at his home in Isla Negra on September 23, 1973, just hours after leaving the hospital.

Neruda had three homes in Chile, and one is in Valparaíso, La Sebastiana, which he acquired in 1959. After his death, in 1973, it was abandoned, but is now restored and became a museum, obtaining the status of National Monument. Nearby, in Santiago, he built La Chascona, a rather eccentric multi-level house at the foot of the San Cristóbal hill for Matilde Urrutia, his secret love.  Built in 1937, Neruda’s third home was located in Isla Negra, about 70 km south of Valparaíso. This museum-house is where Pablo Neruda and Matilde Urrutia are buried. For more information about Pablo Neruda and his houses, visit the Pablo Neruda Foundation website.

Where to stay in Valparaíso

My only regret about visiting Valparaíso is not staying longer. Torrejón recommends Hotel Casa Higueras, a boutique hotel located in the heart of Cerro Alegre, close to the Baburizza Palace.

“The name of the hotel comes from the huge fig tree that is still on the property,” she says. “I love how this hotel is hidden on a small street, so it makes it impossible to see from the outside how impressive it is on the inside. Mar Alegre is the restaurant of the hotel, one of the most renowned in the city. Drinking Chilean wine on its terrace while watching the sun set on the bay is the perfect panorama to end the day.”

How to get to Valparaiso, Chile

The closest major airport to Valparaíso, Chile, is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), in Santiago, which is about 85 kilometres away. Staying in Santiago allows time to adjust to time changes and enjoy this cosmopolitan city. Check for flights here.

Safety:  Be careful in Santiago, especially for pickpocketing near the Mercado (market), which is known as the most dangerous street in Santiago. Don’t take your phone out on this street and make sure you’re using a cross-body bag at all times.

Where to stay: Women recommend Hotel Magnolia, Hotel Bidasoa or Hotel Cumbres Lastarria. At the airport, try the Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport (note you need to reserve a shuttle in advance) or the Holiday Inn Express if you don’t want to take a shuttle.

Where to eat in Santiago: Founded in 1868, Peluqueria Francesa is iconic, with a barber shop in the front. Near La Chascona, try Galindo Bar and Restaurant. Bar Liguria Lastarria features a mural by José Santos Guerra, a well-known Chilean artist.

Stopover to Antarctica:  If Santiago is a stopover to Antarctica, check routes on Skyscanner before you book. There are direct flights to Punta Arenas from Santiago, whereas flights to Ushuaia go through Buenos Aires.

Disclaimer: I travelled at my own expense to Chile but was a guest of Dalca Travel, owned by Paula Torrejón Scaff, for the Valparaíso day trip. 

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