When my original plan of heading to the wine region of Argentina after San Pedro de Atacama collapsed (how are buses full for ten days?!), I realized I had a lot more time in Chile before I needed to fly down to Patagonia to meet my friend from home. I had some beach recommendations, but as I had heard how people fell in love with Valparaiso, I figured hey, may as well spend more time there.
Not a bad decision! Like others, I fell in love with the city. There is no real stand out “must visit” place in Valpo, but really the vibe of the city is where the attraction is. Below is how some suggestions on what to do on your travels to Valparaiso.
what to do in valparaiso
walk everywhere and explore the street art
I spent two full days doing this. No need for a map – the entire city is full of beautiful murals (and well, graffiti too). Wonder the hills and get lost down alleyways exploring all the art
eat alllll the empanadas
Maybe you don’t think the same way as me, but I thought it was wrong to go a day without eating at least one. Plus, Chile is so expensive and for me, they were an inexpensive lunch. Right down the street from my hostel was Le Pató which offered the best vegetarian/vegan empanadas which changed daily. If you want 80+ choices, head to Delicias Express (fyi the majority are fried)
drink some craft beer
With almost every city I visit, I look up to see if there are any breweries. Of course, Valparaiso has a few, but I opted for Casa Cervecera Altamira. Not only do they have reasonably priced craft beer, but every single night they have live jazz music… umm, can this be a thing in DC please?!
enjoy live music
Given the artsy vibe of the city, it is no wonder there is some great music in Valparaiso. While I found some great live music at a Casa Cervecera Altamira (as noted above), the music didn’t stop there. Lots of bars have live music every night of the week… and honestly, you just need to walk down the street to hear some amazing street performers.
take a day trip to viña del mar or laguna verde
I didn’t do this as I was all beached out from further north in Chile, but lots of people enjoyed it! From what people told me, Laguna Verde is nicer and less crowded. Also, take note, even in prime summer, the water is absolutely freezing.
spend an afternoon relaxing at parque cultural
Once home to the public prison, now sits a public park. Grab a book and sit beneath the trees for a relaxing afternoon. Or grab some food and wine and watch the sunset over the sea
get a tattoo
Sorry mom! Valparaiso is an arty city, so I decided on here to get tatted. I highly recommend Christopher at Neyun Tattoo
where to stay in valparaiso
Planeta Lindo – one of my favorite hostels I’ve stayed in South America! The owners are the best and so helpful, the guests are friendly, and the ROOFTOP. Not to mention, if you stay here for four nights, the fourth night is free! On top of that, there is free laundry! (Also, my bus arrived at 6am and their couch is beyond comfortable that I promptly passed out for four hours)
How did you spend your time in Valpo?
