I have a feeling this post is going to be very photo heavy with all the street art pics I took!
Valparaíso is a port city on Chile’s coast an hour and a half drive from Santiago. It’s known for its colourful cerros (hills) which are bursting with street art and graffiti, and for being where the famous poet, Pablo Neruda, lived.
I spent five days there relaxing at my hostel (I loved it!) and exploring the streets for as much street art as I could.
From the bus station to the hostel
I won’t forget the bus journey from the bus station to the hostel. It felt like organised chaos. Waiting at what I guessed was the bus stop I asked the girl next to me if the 612 bus stopped there. It did and she was getting it too. She then became our bus guide and told us where to get off etc. You do meet some really helpful and lovely people!
The bus itself is quite small and narrow. It was already quite busy when we got on with our big bags. Very soon more people got on with dogs in their arms and a cat scratching post (would you believe!).
Packed is an understatement! I had no idea how we were going to get off! By the time it was our time to get off most people had already got off and it was much easier, phew!
The bus drivers take no prisoners and I don’t think slow is in their program. They tear around the bends and with the added weight of my big rucksack on my back, I was flying from side to side. It was certainly an experience!
Street art tour
On my first morning I went on a street art graffiti walking tour which taught us about the history of street art/graffiti, techniques artists use and showed us the work of a few of the most well known artists telling us the stories behind the art.
I did enjoy it, although I personally would have preferred less talking and more walking as I felt we didn’t see all that much. Like most tours in Chile and South America, the tour is free but it’s normal (and expected) to tip at the end.
Dunas de Concón
After the street art tour, I spent the afternoon chilling at the hostel and doing washing. It’s the first hostel I’ve been to so far where you can use the washing machine for free! I was excited!
Around 4pm one of the guys said he was going to the beach in Viña del Mar and then to some sand dunes to watch the sunset. I couldn’t really be bothered to go, but I did and I’m so so glad I did!
The Concón sand dunes sit between two bits of city. I found the combination of city and sand very visually interesting! It was beautiful in its own unique way!
It’s a steep climb up from the road to the ridge – a leg work out for sure! We found a spot to watch the sun go down with a drink of Pisco Sour and lots of sand which was blowing everywhere! It was well worth the visit! You could even have a go at sandboarding if you fancied.
To get to the dunes, we took the 612 bus to Viña del Mar from Cerro Alegre. You can take any bus along the main street going in the direction of Viña del Mar. They take around 30-45mins.
From Viña del Mar, we took the 602 bus to the dunes. I never really know what we paid as it’s all a bit chaotic when you get on the bus at the start. You pay the drivers and they give you change as they drive so it’s hard to know sometimes! It might have been $500CLP at one point but no more. Around the Valparaíso area, it’s usually $370CLP for a journey. It was less than £1.
Flea market
After the first sunny day, the weather turned cloudy. I went to the flea market on Avenida Argentina one afternoon with a group from the hostel. It’s huge and has anything you could possibly need. Such an eclectic mix of things, from barbies at one stall to shower heads and valves at the next one!
I bought some chocolate for the group which tasted delicious when trying but after buying it was disgusting! I couldn’t work out why and sadly the toblerone chocolate went in the bin.
Pablo Neruda’s house – La Sebastiana
Valparaíso is home to one of Pablo Neruda’s three houses, La Sebastiana. Aside from him being a poet and Nobel Literature winner, I didn’t know much about him. Visiting his house was a good way to learn more about him and see how he lived. He was a keen collector of objects!
Entrance to the house costs $7000CLP (£8 approx). Once in you’re not allowed to take photos of the inside, only from the windows of the outside views. The audio guide principally focuses on the house and objects inside. There was a good video at the end which gave more information about Neruda’s life which helped my understanding.
Sea Lions
By the port near Avenida Argentina is a small pier just off shore where a small group of sea lions live. For a small pier it does fit a lot of sea lions all crammed together.
A few of the more energetic ones were playing and jumping into the water which was fun to see. The wind must have been blowing in the wrong direction because it absolutely stunk!
Empanadas
In the Cerro Alegre/Cerro Concepción area, there are two fab empanada places that I can highly recommend.
The first is Delicías Express. You can choose from 80 varieties!!! I tried my first fish empanada: salmon, capers and cheese – delicious!
Opening days: Monday-Saturday. Closed on Sundays
Address: Calle Urriola, 358
The second one I call the blue empanada shop because it doesn’t really have a name. It might be called Empanadería but I’m not sure. They normally have five wholemeal empanadas to choose from daily. They’re great!
Opening days: Monday, Thursday-Sunday. Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Address: Blue building on Calle Almirante Montt (near Planeta Lindo hostel)
In addition to empanadas, I also had a fab hot chocolate at Amor Porteño cafe. It felt like I was back in Spain the chocolate was so thick!!
Address: Calle Almirante Montt, 418
The sketchy side to Valparaíso
When writing about Valparaíso, I don’t think I can ignore its other sketchier and dodgy side. It’s got a reputation for frequent muggings and robberies.
I know all places have a less nice side to them and you can get robbed or mugged anywhere in the world, but for me Valparaíso’s sketchy side felt more prominent. It’s the first place so far on my trip where I’ve felt on edge and nervous.
I think this was in part due to knowing people who had got robbed and mugged rather than just hearing stories. One of the guys from my hostel got robbed at gunpoint on his way back from a party.
Granted he could have made more sensible decisions, but it still hit home just how frequently it happens and how normal it is. I was definitely more wary walking around after hearing this.
The dangerous air was reinforced when four of us from the hostel went to the Polanco neighbourhood to look for street art. Like most places in Valparaíso I knew we’d have to be sensible and aware, however I was unaware at the time that going to that neighbourhood was unadvised.
On walking around the area, we came across policemen and cameras. We’d stumbled across a murder crime scene fuelled by drugs or alcohol from earlier that morning.
We quickly realised this wasn’t the best place to be and started to leave. One of the policemen followed us and told us the same, advising us to leave and go back to the more touristic areas. Safe to say, we heeded his advice and left fast. In our really short visit, I did see some of my fave street art pieces.
Tips for exploring Valparaíso safely
- I stayed in the Cerro Alegre area at a great hostel called Planeta Lindo. Cerro Alegre and Concepción are the tourist friendly areas and ones I recommend staying in.
- Valparaíso has lots of cerros (hills). To get from the flat downtown to the hills there are lots and lots of staircases. Avoid staircases and stick to the main streets at night! I personally didn’t go out at night. Instead I sat on the hostel’s rooftop terrace or kitchen chatting with other travellers. I wouldn’t go out alone either, try and go with others.
- Stay alert and watch your valuables. Don’t walk around with your phone or camera on display when you don’t need them.
- Leave what you don’t need at the hostel. I left my passport and cards at my hostel and only took a small amount of cash with me when I went out.
How to get to Valparaíso
Most people go to Valparaíso from Santiago. It’s an hour and a half bus ride. Multiple bus companies (Pullman, Condor, Turbus etc.) run the route and there is basically a bus leaving every 15mins. They’re so frequent!
You can get a bus from Pajaritos bus station or Estación Central. I went from Pajaritos which is easy to get to from the city centre, it’s on the red metro line.
Tickets cost between $3000CLP-$10,000CLP (£3-10) depending on the bus company. Condor is one of the cheaper ones, I paid $3600CLP (£4ish) for my outwards journey and $2900CLP (£3ish) for my return.
I got a cheaper return because I booked it upfront as an open return which was great. I liked having the flexibility to choose when I returned to Santiago. If you know you are definitely returning to Santiago then an open return makes sense for you!
You can also get to Valparaíso from multiple other places in Chile such as Pucón, La Serena and Antofagasta. From Argentina, you can also come from Mendoza.
Final thoughts
It’s hard to describe my stay in Valparaíso. I spent five days there which would normally suggest I really liked the place. However I do have mixed feelings.
On the one hand I really liked my hostel – great location, rooftop terrace with fab views and the bed covers made me happy (they were really cosy). Plus the street art was very cool! On the other hand, it’s the first place I’ve felt unsafe and on edge.
I did like Valparaíso for its colourful hills and creative street art but I think my main reason for staying for five days was the hostel itself and not what Valparaíso necessarily had to offer. I had five days till my flight to the Atacama Desert and I prefered to spend them chilling in a smaller city than Santiago.
I’d say two days in Valparaíso is enough to explore the street art in the two main tourist friendly cerros and visit Pablo Neruda’s house.
I’ve now got an evening in Santiago before I fly to Calama and the Atacama Desert. I’ll then cross back into Argentina to Salta and the Jujuy province and then Mendoza. From Mendoza it’s back to Santiago for my flight to Peru.
