The bus to Valparaíso takes you through Casablanca wine region and into a very hilly amphitheater that sits looking at the ocean with colorful houses, funiculars, and a variety of characters.
Valparaíso was one of Chile’s most important ports before an earthquake in the early 1900’s and then the opening of the Panama Canal...it continues to have a working port, however it only has one shipping company working within it, which has produced some economic stressors for the city. Tourism, and a stop for cruise ships continue to help the town, however the economic highs that were once felt have long since disappeared. The recent world heritage status from UNESCO has helped elevate its status, but works in some funny ways to dampen its development.
If there is one thing we have learned along the way it is to find the free walking tour on our first day...it gives us a unique understanding of the city and helps to find the various locations mentioned by the travel books and blogs! This particular tour is lead by staff dressed in Waldo shirts...a cool idea. Our tour took us through some very interesting neighborhoods, to landmarks steeped in history and gave us a quick overview of the street art that makes Valparaíso even more colourful. The cultural park was one of our interesting stops...as it was once the site of the Valparaíso prison...more recently turned into a park and cultural site! The old prison is now open to artists, both visiting and residents for free art space with the amenities required...the old artillery shed is a land mark from the war, and behind that is a cultural center that hosts various shows. Most recently visiting architects, with the local government, built an obstacle course for kids to run through and play. The park is a buzz during the day, and draws the attention of visits and locals alike. The UNESCO desgination puts some rules in place for building on sites that are falling apart, using existing walls and structures for one, which has worked well for the park site, but creates struggle for developing sites that have suffered a fire or are falling apart. The tour took us by the cemetery (all three) which was another interesting stop as it is built on a hill of its own, with the Catholic and “dissidents” cemetery.
The street art in Valparaíso is a tour in itself. As I mentioned it gives the city even more colour and it is thoroughly intriguing to me as I come from “the land of stick people” when it comes to art! It is definitely something that I need to learn more about to fully appreciate the art and messaging! Another memorable visit for us was the house of Pablo Neruda a famous poet, nobel prize winner, and Chilean ambassador to France along with other countries. His house, one of three in central Chile, is eccentric with various pieces of art collected or gifted him. It is majority windows with an excellent view of all of Valparaíso, with writing or entertaining friends being its primary purpose.
We did take a morning to visit Viña del Mar, a more polished beach town about a kilometer away from Valparaíso...that’s where you go if you want to swim in the waves and sit on the beach. Just remember the temperature of the water never changes...it’s always cold!
We are now back in Santiago for the weekend before we head to Puerto Montt...and further south!