Chile 2015: Valparaiso

Chile (July-August 2015): Valparaiso

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Map of central Chile:	Satellite view of Valparaiso:

Valparaiso became a major port in the 19th century (mainly at the time of the Gold Rush in California) as a stopover on the journey between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Straits of Magellan and Cape Horn. It then attracted many European immigrants that have left strong marks on the city. But these glory days ended up in 1914 as traffic between the two oceans shifted to the newly opened Panama Canal. A few years earlier, in 1906, a major earthquake had already caused severe damage to the city. In recent years the city‛s fortune has been on the upswing again, with growing fruit, vegetable, and wine exports, increasing tourism, and a vibrant art scene. Valparaiso is located less than a 2-hour drive from the capital Santiago, with the now famous Casablanca Valley wine region between them.

At the end of my 2015 trip to Chile I spent 3 days in Valparaiso. I enjoyed my stay by walking long hours through the city. I found Valparaiso simultaneously beautiful and ugly, chaotic and unpredictable. Its 42 cerros (hills), each said to have a distinct atmosphere, rise steeply behind a narrow flat strip of land along the sea (El Plan). Colorful buildings pile up on the cerros, accessible through a maze of steep stairways, old funiculars, narrow alleys, and some real streets. Most buildings are old but not ancient; a number of them are crumbling, and some are just ruins. Many houses have their walls covered with corrugated-metal sheets formerly used as packing material in ships. My first reaction was to find these sheets ugly, but they are definitively an important element of Valparaiso‛s signature style. Throughout the entire city walls are covered by hundreds of spectacular, colorful, intricate, captivating murals, many based upon important events in the political and social life of Chile (e.g., troubles in the fishing industry). The trend began in the 60‛s when art students decided to use walls as canvases. Property owners now ask their walls to be painted to avoid gang graffiti (as gangs seem to respect beautiful murals). This street art scene is constantly changing: while some murals are fading away new ones are created. Overall, it is hard not to like Valparaiso.

General views of Valparaiso.

Houses and buildings piling up on cerros.

Houses and buildings covered with corrugated-metal sheets.

Another one with a very narrow corner (located on Cerro Playa de Ancha).

Some very cool-looking hostals. (Personnally, I chose to spend my 4 nights in Valparaiso in a more traditional B&B, the excellent La Casa de Henao located in Cerro Playa de Ancha.)

Twenty-six funiculars (locally called ascensores) have been built in various parts of the city, between 1883 and 1932. Only 15 (squeaking) ones remain operational.

- Ascensor Artillera.