Valparaiso, Chile cruise port guide
The “San Francisco of the American South” may be dilapidated, but it is brimming with life, color and street art.
Who goes there
Valparaiso is often the starting or ending point for cruises that connect it with Buenos Aires at the tip of South America. It is also visited on cruises along the continent’s west coast and on some Pacific and world itineraries. Cunard, Dutch America, Oceania, Ponant, Seabourn, Silversea and Viking are among the visiting lines.
sail away
Valparaiso’s location on many steep slopes provides a great setting when sailing into the city. Their house looks like it will collapse into the harbour. The casual port you dock at also offers a sight of container ships and cranes. Watch out for circling flocks of seagulls that may poop on your head. Later, you’ll see seagulls gathering on the docks like extras in a Hitchcock movie.
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docking ceremonies
The Valparaiso cruise terminal is a large warehouse with black-and-white checkered floors, wide openings between columns, and light pouring in from large windows that jut out into the bay. It’s simple but functional, with a small cafe and a few souvenir stalls, as well as a tourist information point with friendly staff. The tram stop just outside the terminal will take you to the city center in two stops.
before and after
One day in Valparaiso is enough, but if you’re staying the night, try the Zerohotel, which, despite its exuberant name, is a lovely four-star boutique hotel with views of the bay. Most passengers who disembark head to Santiago, Chile’s capital, which is a two-hour drive away, has better and more abundant accommodation options, and is closer to the international airport.
Disembark
If you’re insecure, you may want to stick to a guided tour, as Valparaiso, especially around the port, is chaotic, rundown and covered in graffiti. Others will appreciate its colorful mess, street stalls and bustling city life. Even their cemeteries are showcases of intense baroque enthusiasm. Head to Plaza Sotomayor and then climb the hillside district of Cerro Concepcion, where old mansions have been converted into hotels, cafes and shops. Paseo Atkinson offers great views. Another area, Cerro Alegre, has further attractions and the Baburizza Palace, a museum of Chilean and European art.
Don’t miss
La Sebastiana is the former home of 20th-century Nobel Prize-winning author Pablo Neruda, filled with eccentric bric-a-brac, oil paintings, old maps and knick-knacks from the 1950s. There is also a delightful gift shop. Best of all, it has spectacular views from its hilltop location above Valparaiso’s colorful buildings jutting out towards the bay.
Be active
While Valparaiso’s many historic funiculars are intriguing, you’ll get your heart rate up by going uphill or up hills instead. But for jogging or cycling, head northeast along the coast to Vina del Mar (Valparaiso’s chic and lush “new” beach suburb) or even La Salinas beach, where you can surf and enjoy other water sports. La Salinas is 12 km from the port.
best bites
Valparaiso’s relatively heavy meals may not appeal to well-fed cruise passengers, but they are quite tasty, so perhaps take it easy on the breakfast buffet before docking. Dishes to try include ajiaco (a soup made from barbecued meat), arrollado de huaso (spicy pork), milcao (potato pancakes with pork filling) and pastel de jaiba (creamy crab pie). Hot dogs and empanadas are ubiquitous street snacks.
further away
Shore excursions generally stick to the city itself. Those to Santiago require a long journey, and Valparaiso is much more colorful if you haven’t been before. Some cruise lines will take you to the Casablanca Valley to visit the cellar doors and watch the riding demonstrations of Chile’s version of the cowboy.
Brian Johnston seemed destined to be a travel writer: an Irish man born in Nigeria, raised in Switzerland, lived in Britain and China, and now calls Australia home.
