Must-see attractions in Valparaíso

  • La Sebastiana? Pablo Neruda House Museum

    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…

  • An interior view from the old jail building in Valparaiso Cultural Park.

    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…

  • Palm tree at Valparaiso Naval and Maritime Museum

    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…

  • Iglesia de la Matriz

    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…

  • Vendors and buyers at Mercado Cardonal, ValparaIso, Chile

    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…

  • Museo a Cielo Abierto

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Museo de Bellas Artes

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Congreso Nacional

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Museo Lukas

    Valparaíso

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

  • Ascensor El Peral

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Reloj Turri

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Ascensor Concepción

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Barrio El Puerto

    Valparaíso

    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…

  • Mercado Puerto

    Valparaíso

    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.

  • Iglesia La Matriz

    Valparaíso

    Classically inspired church, allegedly sacked by Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century. The fourth construction is the one you see today.

  • Museo de Historia Natural

    Valparaíso

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

  • Mirador Diego Portales

    Valparaíso

    You can see all of central Valpo's colorful hills from the Mirador Diego Portales in the east of town.