Must see attractions in Valparaíso

Top Choice

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…

Top Choice

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

The recently revamped Ascensor El Peral starts from near the Tribunales (Law Courts) just off Plaza Sotomayor and continues to Cerro Alegre, home to the…

Where Prat and Cochrane converge to become Esmeralda, the Edificio Turri narrows to the width of its namesake clock tower, the Reloj Turri. This is one of…

The city's oldest funicular, Ascensor Concepción takes you to Paseo Gervasoni, at the lower end of Cerro Concepción. Built in 1883, it originally ran on…

Explore the natural history of central Chile in nine rooms that focus on biology and ecosystems. Signage is in Spanish only.

This palatial blue-colored naval command building dominates Plaza Sotomayor.

This funicular dates back to 1902 and connects Av Elias to Paseo Dimalow.

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…

Adjoining the main cemetery, the Cementerio de Disidentes is the spot where English and European immigrants were buried. Despite the name, these departed…

Twenty classic, colorful murals are dotted through this cerro's lower streets, forming the Museo a Cielo Abierto, an open-air museum with works from famed…

The rambling art nouveau building at the western end of Cerro Alegre is called Palacio Baburizza; it houses the Museo de Bellas Artes, which has a decent…

One of Valpo's only modern landmarks is the controversial horseshoe-shaped Congreso Nacional, located in the eastern section of El Plan. Its roots lie in…

Local cartoonist Lukas had a sharp eye for the idiosyncrasies of Valparaíso. You need to speak Spanish to understand his sardonic political strips…

In the west of El Plan, Barrio El Puerto (the port neighborhood) has the twin honors of being the oldest part of Valparaíso and the most run-down…

Long defunct (and home to a pack of street cats), El Puerto's beautifully restored food market should be open again by the time you read this.