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| Street Mural - Valparaiso, Chile |
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| Plaza Sotomayor & Monument to the Heros of Iquique - Valparaiso |
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| Nude in Open Air Museum - Valparaiso, Chile |
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| Carnaval Valparaiso |
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| Chilean Dinner - Lots of Meat |
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| Lunch in Market - Valparaiso, Chile |
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| Paseo Gervasoni Cerro Alegre - Valparaiso, Chile |
Valparaiso, Chile (1/22-23/2010) - We arrived during Carnaval Valparaiso where bands, dancers, performers, movies, etc. were scheduled day and night in the major plazas throughout the city - great fun!
Nicknamed The Jewel of the Pacific, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valparaiso is often considered to be one of Latin America’s most intriguing urban areas. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a labyrinth of cobblestone streets and rich architectural and cultural legacy, Valparaiso served first as an important stopover port for only Spanish ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (see history below).
Some history... After Chilean independence from Spain in 1817, Valparaiso grew rapidly when this resupply port was opened to all nations, especially during the California Gold Rush, making the port city of Valparaiso one of the wealthiest places on the continent. When the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, Valparaiso no longer served as an important stopover and started its long decline until recently.
We stayed in Valparaiso's old
town next to Sotomayor Square and wandered up and down hills riding
130-year-old funiculars elevators exploring the famous old town
neighborhoods of Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion and their newly
renovated old homes and cafes (see photos). We visited the artsy
bohemian hill neighborhood of Bellavista where we wandered the Open Air
Museum of about 20 murals painted on buildings and cement retainer walls
(see photo of nude).
We also road Valparaiso’s trolleybus (the oldest still operating trolley in the world) around for a full loop – it’s like a reverting to an older time. We stopped for a stroll through the daily market and enjoyed very nice street food fish salad and shellfish soup for lunch costing about $3US (see photos).
We also road Valparaiso’s trolleybus (the oldest still operating trolley in the world) around for a full loop – it’s like a reverting to an older time. We stopped for a stroll through the daily market and enjoyed very nice street food fish salad and shellfish soup for lunch costing about $3US (see photos).
.jpg "Valparaiso during California Gold Rush") |
| Valparaiso during California Gold Rush |
Although much of Valparaiso still needs major effort to bring it back to its old glory, in the 1990’s people started moving back to Valparaiso and are fixing up the old homes and establishing cafes on almost every block.
Valparaiso is also now the main harbor for the Chilean navy and a major cruise port for cruises around South America. The greater Valparaiso metropolitan area (including Chile's beach resort Vina del Mar 15 minutes away) has the third largest population in Chile and boasts many claims such as the oldest still operating Spanish newspaper in the world.
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| Map of Valparaiso, Chile |
During our 10-hour driving commute north to Valparaiso from Pucon in the south of Chile, we stopped overnight in San Fernando.
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also see our 7 other blog posts for beautiful Chile:
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