BootsnAll Travel Community

Howdy,

Valpo is my next stop and I´m curious to know if anyone has any suggestions at to nice spots to stay and sights to see? Will only be there for a few days, but everyone I´ve met thus far has raved about it and I´m hoping to come away with the same sentiment. Lonely Planet is dead to me and I´m relying on you fine folks to send me in the right direction.

Thank you.

Kyle

I stayed in Viña del Mar, which is more of a residencial area type. Viña and Valpo are two adjoining cities. There are some great sea food restuarants along the beach between Viña and Valpo.
Valpo is known for its location on the surrounding cerros (hills) around a bay, and has got a unique system of public transport by cable cars/elevators. There are about 15 of them.

I was in Valparaiso a few weeks ago. I highly recommend Casa Aventura. It is in a great location on Cerro Alegro. The hostel recommended a walk that was great. Didn´t go inside Neruda´s house but if you´re into seeing a dead writer´s old house then go for it. Definitely go to a restuarant called Casino Social JJ Cruz. The chorillana is good and the atmosphere is great.

Take a green line bus O (Verde O) from beginning to end for a (nearly) free
roller coaster ride.

A little late, but anyway...

I walked through the shop area of Viñya on a Saturday night (about 9pm or so I think). It was pretty cool - markets, everyone was out, some musicians here and there.

Oh, and if you walk along the waterfront at Viñya, in the direction of Con Cón, you'll pass a statue of what looks like a woman throwing an entire, full grown horse over her head. Now I'm not gonna say that its worth walking there just to find it, but... yeah, its pretty weird. Even once you read the plaque and find out what it is really about ;-)

In the middle Valpo's main square there is a tiny free museum underneath with timbers from the Esmerelda that were placed there ages ago... maybe when the square was first made.

And yeah, the acensors in Valpo are pretty cool. And sometimes hard to find - keep an eye out for road signs pointing them out as they can be buried way back in alleys.