Valparaiso is a port city about ninety minutes away from Santiago. Because we were so close, it made sense to take a day out to see the city. We hadn’t rented a car in Santiago, so our mode of transportation for this trip was a bus. This is a very popular route with multiple bus company running routes every 60-90 minutes. The bus was very comfortable and the trip cost us each $12 round trip. You can’t beat that.
During the first half of the 20th century, Valparaiso had it’s heyday as a shipping port and stopover for cargo ships making the trip between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
When the Panama Canal opened it was no longer necessary for ships to pass by Valparaiso, so the economy took a significant hit. During the second half of the century, Valparaiso continued to operate as a popular cargo port for Chile, but it’s recovery was driven by an ability to attract large numbers of artists and entrepreneurs. It is a popular tourist stop because of the street art and architecture. Valparaiso has also become a hub of education with seven colleges and universities.
The historic sections of Valparaiso are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We connected with a relative of Tracy’s who lives in Valparaiso and graciously took time out of her day to give us a tour of the city. Her adorable little girl came along for the ride.
The pictures below are just a portion of the street art we were able to view.
Valparaiso is also know for it’s colorful buildings, architecture, and beautiful views. They also have the hillside elevators, similar to the funicular in Santiago.
Not all of the buildings are colorful and artistic. There are sections of town that are very run down. One comment about the city in general was they needed to make it beautiful on the outside because everywhere was so run down on the inside.
As mentioned earlier, Valparaiso is a popular shipping port. It was fun to hang out for a while and watch the port action.
The visit also gave us a chance to ride a cable car. It was the only one of the trip.
We had a nice dinner and made our way back to the room. We rode back to the room in something called a collectivo. A collectivo is basically a taxi that focuses on a particular section of town. You need to know the number posted on the collectivo you want, you have to know where to meet the car, and the ride is typically shared with others. The driver might hang out in the same area for a while trying to fill the car. It was an interesting experience.
We head back to Santiago in the morning. More to come.
Will