What to See in Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile

‘Valparaíso, how absurd you are…you haven’t combed your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you.’ Pablo Neruda

I have heard that Valparaiso is the most colourful city in the whole Chile. And it probably is. The hill on which the houses are built looks like a rainbow. Everything there has colours and nothing is dull. The painted doors, stairs, walls with the contrast of a beautifully blue sky makes this image look like a painting. Even the rubbish bins are colourful!

The real reason for our visit to Valparaiso was the New Year’s Eve. We did not meet a Chilean who would not say that Valparaiso presents the most impressive fireworks the last night of a year. Better yet, it is apparently the best show in the whole continent. Our itchy feet and curious eyes made us do it! I packed a suitcase in a few moments, chilled some water, made sandwiches and we jumped in the car and drove over 1200 km south to see what is the fuss about.

Valparaíso is not an easy town to explore. It is like a maze on a side of a hill. Driving there can be challenging, so it is much better to walk around. I can assure you that it will be a proper exercise, after which you will just want to relax with empanada or terremoto in your hand. There is a funicular and bus service as well if you fancy to save your legs a bit. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).