Valparaíso

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Vendors and buyers at Mercado Cardonal, ValparaIso, Chile

Getty Images/Gallo Images

Overview

Syncopated, dilapidated, colorful and poetic, Valparaíso is a wonderful mess. Pablo Neruda, who drew much inspiration from this hard-working port town, said it best: 'Valparaíso, how absurd you are…you haven't combed your hair, you've never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you.'

Attractions

Must-see attractions

La Sebastiana
Valparaíso
Bellavista's most famous resident writer was Pablo Neruda, who made a point of watching Valparaíso's annual New Year's fireworks from his house at the top…
Parque Cultural de Valparaíso
Valparaíso
This cultural center built from the bones of a prison has a little bit of everything the thinking traveler could ask for. There are excellent murals in…
Museo Marítimo Nacional
Valparaíso
Cannons still stand ready outside this naval museum. Much space is devoted to Chile's victory in the 19th-century War of the Pacific. Other exhibits…
Plaza Matriz
Valparaíso
The historic heart of the city is Plaza Matriz, which is watched over by Iglesia La Matriz. Begun in 1837, it's the fifth church to occupy this site since…
Mercado Cardonal
Valparaíso
As colorful as Valparaíso's trademark houses – and built almost as high – are the fruit and vegetable displays in the Mercado Cardonal, bordered by Yungay…
Plaza Sotomayor
Valparaíso
Plaza Sotomayor is dominated by the palatial blue-colored Edificio Armada de Chile. In the middle of the square lies the Monumento a los Héroes de Iquique…
Cementerios 1 & 2
Valparaíso
The city's most illustrious, influential and infamous residents rest in peace in Cementerios 1 and 2, where the tombs look like ornate mini alaces. Nearby…
Cementerio de Disidentes
Valparaíso
Adjoining the main cemetery, the Cementerio de Disidentes is the spot where English and European immigrants were buried. Despite the name, these departed…