Chile's most extraordinary city — a UNESCO World Heritage port of 42 hills covered in street art, Victorian funiculars, and the most distinctive urban landscape in South America. An 80-minute bus or train journey from Santiago's Terminal de Buses. the most rewarding day trip from the capital.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
Valparaíso is to Santiago what Marseille is to Paris — a port city of rougher edges and greater soul, built on 42 hills that descend to a working harbor. The ascensores (funiculars) carry residents up and down slopes too steep to walk; the cerros (hills) are covered in street art, Victorian mansions, and the kind of improvised architecture that cities generate when they simply grow without planning. Pablo Neruda's other house, La Sebastiana, is here. The bus journey from Santiago takes 80 minutes.
What Stands Out
- UNESCO World Heritage port city
- 42 hills
- Street art
- Victorian funiculars (ascensores)
- Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana
- 80 minutes from Santiago
- Most rewarding day trip from the capital