Photo Diary: Valparaiso

Valparaiso is definitely the Mecca of street art. Every lane, staircase and building has a graffiti on it and each one of them is more beautiful than the other. I am a big fan of street art and I usually explore the cities to go find the hidden gems that showcase graffiti and street art.

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About Valparaiso

Valparaiso, also known as the Jewel of the Pacific, is a port city in Chile. It is one of the major cities and is known for its colourful and breath taking clifftop homes. In 2003, Valparaiso was declared as the UNESCO World Heritage site. Lonely Planet called the city a wonderful mess and it truly keeps up to it. This is undoubtedly my most favourite city in Chile.

Valparaiso in Spanish means Paradise Valley.

You need at least 2 to 3 days for exploring Valparaiso. The city is very safe for solo female travelers as people are friendly and usually mind their own business.

Did you know that Valparaiso is one of the reasons why I am in love with Chile?

How to get to Valparaiso?

Valparaiso does not have an airport of its own, the closest airport is at Santiago.

• By Road – Valparaiso is located around 120 kilometres from the capital city of Santiago and the road journey takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

• By Buses – There are also direct buses from Santiago to Valparaiso. Santiago metro line (red line) leaves the buses from two stops, Universidad de Santiago and Pajaritos. Note you will need Bip card to travel on the public transportation.

• By One Day Tours – You can also visit Valparaiso as a one day tour from Santiago. This is what I did when I was in Chile. As I had shortage of time, I took a one day tour to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar which was booked through Viator. The tour was organised very well and I had a great time.

The other one day trip that you can take from Santiago is to visit the Portillo Inca Lagoon at the Andes Mountain. It is spectacular and breathtakingly beautiful.

Best time to visit Valparaiso

The summers (December to February) are long and warm in Valparaiso and the winters/ rainy seasons (April to August) are very cold and windy. June is the month where the city gets most of the rains. The best time to visit the city is between the months of September and October as the weather is pleasant and not rainy.

Street art at Valparaiso

Valparaiso invites the artists around the world to use its public spaces as canvases and paint the city with such murals. The entire city is an open art gallery that showcases art of all kinds.

Do you know that in Australia, Adelaide and Melbourne are really awesome to see the street art?

The graffiti are huge and very expressive. The local NGOs and communities work together to express in the form of art. I had a great time viewing each one of these street art and strolling through the streets and stairs.

Are you aware that street art is different to that of graffiti? The street art portrays an art created for some specific audiences in mind where as graffiti is created for self-expression and is not created to please anyone.

The famous artist in Valparaiso is Pablo Neruda and you can see his art and murals at many corners and lanes. When you are in Valparaiso, do not miss the Santa Lucia Stairs, and Cerro Alegre.

Closing Notes

I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful city. The city was surely vibrant and spectacular at every corner. I highly recommend visiting Valparaiso when in Chile.

Have you visited Valparaiso? Did you fall in love too? Let me know in the comments below.