On the wild west coast of South America, Valparaiso is Chile’s second city. We asked local Alex Otto for his insider tips about what to do in Valparaiso.

Valparaíso is full of amazing places, I don’t even know them all though I’ve compiled some of the best places so you can choose some of them.

My city is on the coast and is very hilly, so you’ll need to bring both your swimming costume and your walking shoes. If you come in the summer months (December to March), it can be quite hot and sunny. In the winter (May-September) it can get cold and even very rainy. So you will need a good coat if you come then.

There is no airport in Valparaiso, but it is just over one hour from Santiago, the capital of Chile. So if you’re coming to visit, fly to Santiago and catch a bus or train.

Valparaiso is also right next to Vina del Mar, which is also a very nice city. But, I’m going to tell you about the best things to do in Valparaiso, my home town.

The “Plan”

The “Plan” refers to the section of the city that is plain and where the shops and businesses are. This is the ‘downtown’ and it is where you will find many hotels so you might end up staying here. Most people do not live in the Plan, but instead in the hills around the city.

Plaza 21 de Mayo

This is a beautiful place where you’ll get to see a big statue of Arturo Pratt a naval hero.

It’s in front of the coast where you can take some boats to see all the coast.

Usually on the 21st of May of every year the navy marches throughout Valparaiso along with lots of schools in honor of Arturo Pratt.

Plaza Anibal Pinto

This is a beautiful and colorful square that is around lots of little shops and places to eat. It’s a great place to just sit and watch the world go by either before you start sightseeing, or perhaps for lunch.

Eat and drink:

•  Cafe del Poeta 

This is a very nice cafe that’s located beside Plaza Anibal Pinto, it has delicious “onces” that means dinners. 

At night there is also.

• Mascara pub

On the plaza, this pub is good for music, dancing and drinks.

From just behind Plaza Anibal Pinto, you will also find one of the many funicular trains that go up the hill. This one is called Ascensor Reina Victoria, and takes you up to my home area. There are very good views and the price is cheap.

Once you get to the top of the hill you are in Cerro Alegre.

Cerro Alegre

You can either take the Ascensore, or walk up the hill to “Cerro Alegre”. This is where I grew up. It’s full of beautiful houses of infinite colors and there is lots of street art too.

Almirante Montt is the main street, and there are lots of bars and cafes.

• Bar de Pisco

Very good drinks and cocktails. You must try a pisco sour if you’re in Chile!

• Cafe Vinilo

Next door to Bar de Pisco. Great coffee and food but can get busy.

Most people take the ascensore up the hill and then walk back down.

Avenida Argentina

This is one of the main avenues of Valparaiso. On weekends it is a giant flea market in which you can find anything, if you are entertained by finding new and curious objects this is your place.

During the week there are other markets, but these are normally for groceries and food.

Caleta Portales

This is a beautiful place to walk along the beach, you can buy fish and ceviche. There are also great restaurants to consume very good seafood.

Recommendation: 

• Restaurant:

Caleta Portales Restaurant(though all the restaurants over there are good)

• Best dishes to try:

Ceviche (raw fish salad).

Reineta Frita (fried fish, served with chips or rice).

Chupe de Mariscos (a seafood stew or soup).

Locos (a shellfish, served in different styles but you will see it everywhere. Very tasty and popular).

Cerros

This word means “hills” is where most of the population lives and lots of people come here to appreciate the way thousands of houses are built. You’ll see the colored houses across the hillside, and it’s a great place to come and explore and see the real Valparaiso.

These are some of the best places on this side of the city.

Paseo Yugoslavo

The Yugoslavian Walk is an amazing place that is located in Cerro Alegre, from it you can see all the coast.

In this place is also located the Baburizza Palace a beautiful construction full of paintings and history.

You’ll also find the Pasaje Bavestrello which has lots of great street art and murals.

Camino Cintura

It’s a giant road that connects lots of hills in Valparaíso, doing this long street will allow you to observe lots of beautiful houses and as well to observe the coastal views.

Cultural Park of Valparaíso

Located on the “Cerro Cárcel” this is an ex-prison that is now transformed in a cultural place with a theater and a beautiful garden where you can relax.

There are often lots of activities and plays. See them here.

Tips:

• Be Careful: Don’t carry giant visible expensive stuff. This will only make you look like an easy target to get robbed.

• Learn a little bit of Spanish: Talking a little bit of Spanish is a great way to make the people feel like you are interested in us because you took the time to learn a little bit.

• Talk to people: The best way to know about cool places is to ask the people what are the favorites. That way you’ll get to places you wouldn’t discover on your own.

• Try Cheap Snacks: Some of the cheapest candies are some of the most well known. Be aware of this and try the candies that they sell in the street.

My Favorite Candies

Warning:  These may not be revolutionary candies. As a student when I was at 9pm at school I went to the street to buy these very cheap candies. 

• Serranitas
• Chirlitos
• Carioca
• Tabletones

Some facts about Chile

Chile stretches for 4,600 kms along the Pacific coast of South America. It starts in the hot and dry Atacama desert and ends in the cold tundra of Patagonia.

In between there is the Andes mountains, and plenty of lakes and volcanoes to discover. Although it is one of the most expensive countries to visit in South America, it is still relatively cheap to travel around.

The currency is the Chilean Peso.

• US$1 = CLP 765
• GBP1 = CLP 965
• Euro1 = CLP 865

Average costs for items in Chile

These are the average costs for popular tourist items as of June 2020. Prices may differ as we have listed them in US Dollars, so exchange rates may differ. This is just to give you an idea of travel costs in Chile.

Hostel room for one person	US$15
Hotel room 2 star per night	US$30-40
Cheap meal	US$5-7
Mid-range meal for 2	US$30-45
Cup of coffee	US$2-3
Bottle of beer	US$2.50-4
Bus from Santiago to Valparaiso	US$8
Internal flight from Santiago to Puerto Montt	US$25-30

Have you been to Chile? Or is it on your list? Let us know your thoughts about the best things to do or see in Valparaiso, Chile in the comments below.