Hotels in Valparaíso

Wandering around the Open Air Museum in Cerro Bellavista, and the little passages of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre to see the vibrant street art. Visiting Pablo Neruda's house, La Sebastiana, in Cerro Florida for beautiful objets d'art and an insight into his life. Museo Belles Artes for an eclectic collection in a beautiful building donated by a local businessman in the 19th Century (when I visited there was also a free exhibition of Picasso sketches on loan fromani Madrid). I can recommend the menu del dia at Cafe del Pintor, Urriola, cerro Alegre. Simple, tasty Chilean food at a very good price. A 'private' tour of the bay (with 30 people) costs 10x that of a quick tour in a little boat. I took the cheaper option and although the commentary (mostly in Spanish) wasn't that informative, I loved seeing sealions and the naval vessels/tall ship in the port, as well as the view of Valparaiso from the water. Very happy with the cheaper option. I went out to the bathing beach at Las Torpederas but there were diggers, the water was dirty and there was alot of graffiti. The same rundown feel at the beaches in North Valparaiso.however, walking along the seafront gives beautiful views, wave after wave of pelicans, night herons, cormorants and gulls. There isn't much to see in the old town/port area.

We had a 3 1/2 hour walking tour which was very educational and extensive. Valparaiso reminds me of San Francisco in certain ways. If it is to continue being a tourist destination then the stray dog situation MUST be dealt with. Every tourist we spoke with expressed the same concerns.The situation is rampant and will only continue to get worse as time goes on.The city has to find the funds to spay and neuter these poor rejected animals.A suggestion to call out to "Vets Without Borders".Perhaps the funds could come from taxes or not spending so much money on your New Years fireworks. It would only take a few month to neuter these poor creatures and thus control their reproduction. It is NOT a cruel process but more humane than letting them multiply. Most are sick and injured and tourists are appalled by this, as most of us have pets of our own. They are spreading disease amongst themselves and could also spread to humans if in contact as they rub up against our legs. It is a very upsetting situation and reminds me of our stay in India where their problem is rampant and out of control. Your city still can take care of this before it is too late otherwise your tourism will slowly die.It is a beautiful city to let get this bad.

Valpo is a dirty "hippie" town that is beyond run down. It seems confused and unsure of what it is, much like the many backpackers who flock there to 'find themselves'. There is the street art, of which some is amazing, but the majority of it can be classified as good old fashioned vandalism and is an eyesore. It seems that the people that live there, and the people who visit and stay have zero respect for anything. Their only achievement to come out of their quest to be 'alternative' and 'unique' has been to destroy what was once a beautiful city, and to become so predictable and similar in their uniqueness that it's almost impossible to distinguish one 'alternative and unique person who is searching for themselves' from the next. The best thing about Valpo is that all these people are there, concentrated in one smelly and run down excuse for a tourist destination. I can choose to leave and go somewhere else, happy with the knowledge that any other place I choose to go, will be one 'unique and alternative' person less thanks to Valpo. And hence, more enjoyable.

We arrived early morning in the port of Valparaiso so the hotel called to arrange a city tour through Magic Tours for the afternoon. In the morning we walked on our own, stopping to have lunch on a patio restaurant. Our tour guide, Chris, grew up in the city so he took us up the many hillsides, up the funiculars, through the centres and back streets of the various neighbourhoods. We saw the Graffiti Art and the houses stacked along the hillsides. We ate at the Altamira Bar recommended by Chris and had local beer and wine. The next morning we walked through the huge fruit and vegetable market.

The quirky Conception area is by far the best area with colourful wall paintings and steps .Very efficient funilculars help out on the very steep hills.Some very good cafes and restaurants. Unfortunately the port area has been allowed to become a mess with run down buildings and rubbish. The local buses are very frequent and cheap, about 30 pence to go anywhere. A good trip is along the coast to Vina del Mar, a clean and modern seaside resort with a good beach.

Valparaiso is a special town. Although it has UNESCO status and great potential, there is a lot of rehabilitation of the city and buildings required. It is very rundown in most areas, though interesting and quirky. It is a place worth experiencing, but you need to be prepared for a city that has not been cared for over the years leading to many abandoned buildings, damaged sidewalks etc. I think the city will recover and it has many beautiful corners, but everyone will need to do their part to make it spectacular again. The transportation system works very well and there are buses to neighbouring towns and Santiago from the terminal that are easy to use, plentiful and very good value.