Holidays to Valparaiso

Northwest of Santiago, with a scenic coastline and fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean lies Valparaiso, the bohemian neighbour of the capital.

Valparaiso is Chile’s second largest city, built between the waterfront and the hills. The cobbled streets, twist their way up the steep hills creating zig zag passageways through the colourful architecture. The funicular railways make for a pleasant and scenic journey, as do the trams, which date back to the 1950’s.

Three districts of the city, Cerro Concepcion, Cerro Alegre and El Puerto were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in June 2003. Just 9km along the coast from Valparaiso lies Vina del Mar, one of South America’s leading seaside resorts. Pleasant beaches, banana palms and shady parks greet the visitor, many of whom are local Chilean people who visit for the weekend.