Sights in Valparaíso

Locally known as the 'Pearl of the Pacific', Valparaíso is often affectionately referred to as Valpo.

Valparaíso should be on every Chile itinerary. The colorful port city, filled with street art as far as the eye can see and numerous cafes, restaurants, and viewpoints, captivated me from the very first minute.

The architecture of the historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003 and is a true marvel. Here, you can wander aimlessly through the maze of streets and alleys, climb the many staircases, or take rides on the vintage funiculars.

You should explore the views of Valparaíso from the various viewpoints around the city. I'll reveal which ones those are in this article.

We've compiled our highlights of street art, sights, viewpoints, dining options, and budget-saving tips here.

Enjoy reading my Valparaíso tips!

2-3 days are ideal for Valparaíso. If you're short on time, I recommend a day trip from Santiago. I really enjoyed my time in Valparaíso. Do you like street art? Then one day is not enough!

Planning a trip around Chile? Here's my route.

What's the first impression? Pure excitement and the realization: Valparaíso is colorful and hilly. Some may find it shabby and dirty, but I think it's great! However, you really need to watch out for dog waste, as it seems to be everywhere...

You'll search in vain for famous sights in Valparaíso. But the city itself is a highlight. The hills, the many views of colorful houses, the rickety old funiculars, the small bars and restaurants, and so much more...

The historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. That's why this is also where most tourist sites are located.

Here are my favorite places and tips for the old port city of Chile:

If you're wondering why there's graffiti everywhere in the city, here's the answer: the house facades were repeatedly defaced with ugly scribbles. The administration grew weary of this and decided to officially commission artists. Since then, not only have the house facades become colorful but so have the many staircases of the city.

Valparaíso consists of 45 hills, and climbing them really is exhausting. We reached most of them on foot but did use the funiculars for a few. They are definitely a highlight for tourists.

Check with your accommodation to see which ones are currently being restored and closed. Some of them can be difficult to find due to the winding streets.

The most famous funicular is El Peral. Built in 1902, it was designated a national monument (analogous to our historical preservation).

Currently, there are still 14 funiculars, but only 6 are operational. Three were being repaired during our visit. The others are no longer in service.

The fare for El Peral is only 100 pesos and takes you up a steep hill over a distance of 52 meters.

One of Valpo's most popular hills is Cerro Concepción. Luckily, it's right next to our accommodation. It's very popular with tourists, so you should visit early in the morning or later in the evening just before sunset.

Nearby is Paseo Atkinson with the viewpoint Mirador Atkinson. Here you get a great view of the harbor and sea. Plus, there's colorful street art and graffiti all around, as there is everywhere.

Even though some areas may smell of urine and dog waste, keep your eyes open for the colonial houses in the alleys!

If you need a break, you can stop by Cafe de Iris.

Just a few meters further is Paseo Gervasoni, where you'll find beautiful artworks on house facades. From here, I can't really tell you exactly how our journey continued since we wandered from one artwork to another in the maze of alleys.

Take the stairs up or down and explore them. There are also paintings on the steps.

Just around the corner from our accommodation at the 'foot' of Cerro Alegre lies Calle Tempelmann, famous for the mural 'We are not hippies, we are happies'. No one can pass by without taking a photo here.

Colorfully painted stairs lead up this hill as well. In the surrounding alleys, you'll find many small artist shops, galleries, and studios hosting exhibitions.

Take Paseo Yugoeslavo to reach Ascensor El Peral, the most popular funicular in Valparaíso. Once at the top, you'll find the Jugendstil-built Museo de Bellas Artes. On Calle Beethoven, you will find a staircase painted like piano keys (and we jumped up and down on it for photos). More painted stairs can be found on Calle Galvez and Calle Urrida. You can discover all these places without a plan. I particularly love the Valpo lettering. I take lots of photos.

One of the most talented intellectuals, poets, writers, and artists found inspiration here. Therefore, a visit to La Sebastiana Museum of Pablo Neruda, a poet and one of the city's greatest 'sons', is a must. The house where he lived is truly worth seeing.

I am a bit envious of the amazing view he had of the sea from high up!

We reach the museum after a longer walk from the old town. But it is worth it for the many spectacular viewpoints you get along the way.

In the port area, the wealthier businessmen once resided. The once grand palaces and colonial buildings are a bit rundown today. Many windows are shattered, boarded up with corrugated iron, and graffiti adorns the facades.

The best way to get to know the city is to take a tour with locals. Therefore, we took a 3-hour tour with Tour4Tips, as we were already impressed by this agency in Santiago. Payment is at your discretion ('tip'). During the tour, you learn a lot about the history, culture, culinary highlights, and of course, the street art.

Here you will find our map for Valparaíso, with all the top attractions, noteworthy places, and tips for food, bars, and other highlights. As you can see, you can explore almost all highlights in Valparaíso on foot. This city map can be opened on your phone and saved offline to perfectly plan your sightseeing tour through the Chilean port city.

Valparaíso is very popular, both among Chileans and tourists. In particular, in December and January, many Chileans flock to the beach. If you want to stay in the old town, you should reserve early. After all, you can visit Valparaíso year-round.

You save time especially if you have accommodation in an ideal location (e.g., old town) of Valparaíso. If you are traveling with more than just two, renting an apartment on Airbnb is worth it.

Think roughly about what you want to see. I always create a map on Google (mymaps.google.com) and save restaurants, cafes, or viewpoints that I absolutely want to visit or that I've received as tips from friends.

You can then open this in Google Maps on your smartphone and quickly see which places to visit in what order. This is especially worthwhile if you're spending little time in Valparaíso.

That way, you can stroll around the alleys without a plan (which happens automatically in Valparaíso since you genuinely want to know if there's another great graffiti or artwork around the next corner). Nevertheless, you can always quickly find the shortest way to the next restaurant or café you've marked on your map. You can also save my Google Maps map (further down in this article).

This way, you'll also know what you can see in a day and which highlights are close together.

For an overview, you'll find my Valparaíso map at the end, where you can see all the sights and our visited places with restaurant tips at a glance.

For my trip, I prepared with various travel guides: For the general part, I bought the Dumont Travel Guide Chile and the Dumont Travel Guide for Argentina.

Both travel guides lacked more information on border crossings, travel times, and hikes. We weren't too happy with them.

So, in English, I got the guides from Fodor for Chile and Argentina. I can 100% recommend these!

If you eat authentically at markets or with locals, you can save money. Many restaurants offer lunch menus (Almuerzo or the 3-course Menu del Día) at unbeatable prices.

Learn the key phrases in Spanish. This not only opens the hearts of the locals but often saves you from being ripped off.

Consider which tours you book and which things you can explore on your own. Many attractions can be reached cheaply by bus. If you book a tour, you should do so with a local provider.

Currently, the best free credit cards for travel are the DKB Bank Debit Card, the GenialCard (Hanseatic Bank), and the Mastercard Gold from TF Bank. With a setup of at least 2 of these cards, you can almost always withdraw cash for free at ATMs abroad and make payments on-site without incurring foreign transaction fees on foreign currencies! -> Here you can find all tips with my experience for the best travel credit cards compared.

Learn more tips for travel credit cards.

Valparaíso doesn't have its own airport. The nearest city is Santiago, which is the starting point of our Chile trip. Great because from here, buses to Valparaíso depart every 15 minutes.

So we head directly to the bus station in Santiago and book tickets with Turbus for 11,400 CLP round-trip. This provider comes highly recommended. The buses are in excellent condition and punctual.

Using the buses in Valpo is really easy.

The small and very cozy Cerro Alegre Guest House is located right in Bellavista. The rooms are small, the beds are comfortable, and the staff is very friendly. The breakfast was decent, and the location of the accommodation was perfect for our explorations in Valpo. Excellent cafes and restaurants were in close proximity. This is exactly what we wanted.

View hotel on Booking.com

The abundant street art and colorful houses, the old funiculars that transport residents up and down the steep hills. The endless sea of houses seems infinite to me. Each hill offers a different view! The adventurous spirit I usually experience only during nature travels ignited in me from the very first moment!

For three days, we explore the narrow alleys of the many hills of the city aimlessly. We let ourselves drift and curiously peek around the next corner, hoping to discover more hidden courtyards or artwork.

Until my arrival, I couldn't believe it, but the city is colorful. Really colorful. Artists have left their paintings on every wall, around every corner, and on the stairs.

I can only recommend everyone to spend at least 2 full days in Valparaíso if they plan to come to Chile! We spent a total of three days here. I will come back.

I look forward to your comment at the end of the article.