VALPARAÍSO, CHILE

“The Jewel of the Pacific” is a Chilean port city known mainly for its historic UNESCO World Heritage seaport, its vast beaches and tall funiculars. But what is with the bright, colorful buildings spread throughout the city? The story starts with the fact that inhabitants originally had made their houses out of adobe brick which did not hold up well against the ocean breeze. To counter this, residents began covering their homes with sheet metal. All set, right? Wrong. The salty moisture from the ocean rusted the metal. Great… Now what? When confronted with this question, the resourceful porteños began using the leftover boat paint from the docks to paint their houses and voila! This is why the colors are so random, pretty, and colorful!

Attractions:

Tours4Tips Walking Tour: This 3-hour walking tour is tip-based meaning you pay what you think it is worth at the end. You are led through all the main spots in Valpo and get a good background of the city’s history! The tour picks up at Plaza Sotomayor daily at 3:00pm. They also have a daily 10:00am “offbeat tour” option.
Playa Caleta Abarca: Great spot to catch some rays! Getting here is very easy; get on the 602, 603, 605, or 606 bus at the “Errazuriz - Urriola - Bencinera” stop near the center of town (right next to the Shell Gas Station). Ask the driver to let you know when you are at “Reloj de Flores”. The bus ride is 20 minutes and costs 520 CLP ($0.70 USD). From here, the beach is less than a five minute walk - you can’t miss it. This beach is technically in Viña del Mar, not Valparaíso.
Sand Boarding at Concon Dunes: You can rent sand boards or sleds here and cruise down the sand dunes for 1,500 CLP/hour ($2 USD/hour). To get here, you can take the 602 or 605 bus referenced above. The bus ride is 45 minutes and costs 590 CLP.
Mirador Paseo Atkinson: I stumbled across this incredible viewpoint while wandering around with my friends. I recommend it for its panoramic view of the city and port!
Boat Tour: This tour costs 4,000 CLP ($5 USD) and picks up at Muelle Prat. The 45-minute boat ride is a great opportunity to take in Valpo from the water! You will be taken around the bay, learn about the port’s history, and see sea lions sun-bathing on buoys.
Plaza Sotomayor: Valpo’s main square is situated right next to the port. Check out El Monumento a Los Héroes de Iquique!
Other places to check out include: Museo a Cielo Abierto, Plaza De La Victoria, La Sebastiana Museo de Pablo Neruda, Viña del Mar Botanical Garden, Quinta Vergara, and Baburizza Palace.

Accommodation:

Casa Volante: This hostel is suitable for all kinds of travelers. It is clean, centrally located, and connected to a café/bar (which means you cannot bring in your own alcohol). It is 30 minutes walking from the bus terminal; you can also take a 5-minute taxi for 3,000 CLP ($4 USD).

Transportation:

The main bus station in Valparaíso is Terminal Rodoviário Valparaíso; all buses below leave from here.

Santiago is 2 hours by bus from Valparaíso and costs 4,000 CLP ($5 USD). In Santiago, you can get off at either Terminal Alameda Santiago or Terminal de Buses Pajaritos.
Mendoza, Argentina is 10 hours by bus (indirect; via Santiago) from Valparaíso and costs 28,500 CLP ($39 USD). The first bus from Valparaíso to Santiago is 2 hours and costs 4,500 CLP. The second bus from Santiago to Mendoza is 8 hours and costs 24,000 CLP. Instead of taking the 8-hour bus from Santiago to Mendoza, you can also fly; the flight is 1 hour and costs 38,000-80,000 CLP ($52-$109 USD).
Puerto Natales is 40+ hours by bus from Valparaíso. The best route is to take the bus from Valparaíso to Santiago (2 hours) and then fly to Puerto Natales (3.5 hours).

The closest airport to Valparaíso is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) outside of Santiago, which is 115km (72 miles) southeast. You can travel from SCL to Valpo via bus or taxi.

Bus: This route takes 3 hours and costs 5,900 CLP ($8 USD). From SCL, hop on the bus headed to Terminal de Buses Pajaritos in Santiago; this ride is 35 minutes and costs 1,900 CLP. From here, take the above-mentioned bus to Valparaíso; this ride is 2 hours and costs 4,000 CLP.
Taxi: The ride is 75 minutes and costs 120,000-150,000 CLP ($163-204 USD) depending on the time of day.

Thank you Loïc Mermilliod for the photo at the top of this page of Valparaíso!