Valparaiso and Vina del Mar

10 December 2016

Valparaiso and Vina del Mar are popular destinations in Chile and can be visited even with a convenient day tour by coach from Santiago. The main attractions in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar are the beach, the casinos and the wonderful murals among the historical district, now included in the UNESCO world heritage list.

Vina del Mar is located along the coast of central Chile, just over 100 kilometers from Santiago and the city is a rather popular destination, even among Chileans, for its beaches and casinos.

In Vina del Mar there are several beaches of fine golden sand: although during the summer they are quite crowded, the sea conditions rarely allow you to swim, either for the low temperature of the water, either for the currents.

Outside a museum in Vina del Mar, a statue of Moai donated from Easter Island is on display in the courtyard.

Vina del Mar is also known as "the garden city" for its large green areas and flower beds among the streets of the city.

Valparaiso is located a short distance from Vina del Mar (actually, the cities seem to be just one big metropolis). In this picture, the former Intendencia, a French neoclassical style building with 5 floors and 7,000 square meters of total surface, dating back to the beginning of the last century and located in Sotomayor square.

Valparaiso is perched above a series of hills and the lifts (actually, real funiculars) allow pedestrians to reach the uptown without having to walk on long climbs.

Valparaiso is known and visited every year by thousands and thousands of tourists, for its old district characterized by colorful houses with murals that represent real pieces of art.

Photos of murals in Valparaiso. The murals of Valparaiso are real works of art decorating the facades of the houses in the historic district of the city.

Modern and old windows that can be found in Valparaiso old city. Many houses have a facade completely covered with corrugated iron.

Valparaiso is located in a strongly seismic area of Chile and is also threatened by tsunamis generated by distant earthquakes. A series of signs indicates the safest way out, should the tsunami alarms sound.

Valparaiso is the second largest port in Chile and the sea lions take advantage of some floating platforms, using them as if they were a beach.

° ° °

Back to: OTHER TRIPS

Chile essential travel guide and tips

Contact | About us | Privacy and use of cookies

This site is copyright protected, please contact the author before using any part.