Valparaiso and Santiago de Chile

Жарияланды: 14.01.2019

After a short stopover in Valdivia, which we mainly used to organize our further journey and visit a hairdresser, we finally arrived in Valparaiso, a port city with just over 250,000 inhabitants near Santiago. The port is one of the most important in the country and indeed, during our first small city tour, we were greeted by numerous container ships.

Compared to the ocean giants, the tourist boats seem tiny

Our expectations of the city were high. After all, Valparaiso is considered the cultural capital of Chile and has been home to numerous artists and poets. Chile's national poet, Pablo Neruda, lived here, among others. His house, now a museum, is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

However, the "vibes" that many have raved about did not really catch us. Valparaiso is mainly big and busy. The old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. At least around the main square, Plaza Sotomayor, the old colonial buildings lose some of their monumental effect in the noisy traffic.

In the center stands the Military Academy building, a former grand building of the government that was never returned after a military coup in 1973

Nevertheless, we are also positively impressed by the colors of this city. The cerros, the hills of the city, are covered with colorful little houses, many still in colonial style. The facades are often covered with metal panels. We learn that these are the metal of old containers that were cut apart to protect the house walls from the constant rain and storms during the Chilean winter. The only metal colors that the locals had at their disposal were the same ones they used to paint their fishing boats. So over time, the colorful houses became a tradition in Valparaiso. In addition, countless artists have demonstrated their skills through street art here. During our free tour, we learn that it is not officially illegal to paint a graffiti in Valparaiso. Many of the pescados (as the locals call themselves) offer their house walls to the artists by arrangement.

*The houses on the cerros are all colorful*

Some doorways are adorned with pictures

Entire facades are also painted, here by the internationally recognized artist Inti Castro

The hills in the geography of the city motivated the locals to build elevators in Valparaiso early on, which connect the different levels. These ascensores are definitely more pleasant than climbing many stairs. We ride the Ascensor Victoria to Cerro Bellavista, from which we actually have a beautiful view of the city and the harbor.