Viña del Mar
With its paradise-like beaches is Chile's most important seaside resort and one of the most important ones in South America. Sea and vegetation make an ideal combination in this jewel on the Pacific that is also known as the "Garden City". It is 9 kilometers northwest of Valparaiso and offers all kinds of conveniences for visitors.

La Campana National Park
With its forests of Chilean palms (they live for 300 years, reaching 30 meters height), giant hummingbirds (world record-breakers for size) and foxes, this flora and fauna reserve also affords a view from the top of Mt La Campana of the Andes Cordillera and the Pacific Ocean.
The park was created in 1967 and is on the Central Coast Cordillera, in the municipalities of Hijuelas and Olmué, province of Quillota, region of Valparaiso. It ranges in altitude from 400 to 2200 meters above sea level, and offers typical species of the central, southern and northern zones of Chile.

Verde Lagoon
A beautiful beach that can be accessed by the Quebrada Verde road. Located 18 kilometers from Valparaiso, it has hostels, campsites, kiosks and restaurants specializing in tasty local seafood dishes.

- Muelle Prat (Prat Quay): The comings and goings of seamen, the loading and unloading of merchant vessel cargoes lend a busy and interesting atmosphere to this sector of Valparaiso that rounds off its attractions with a bustling crafts fair where articles from all over the country may be bought.
A replica of the Santiaguillo caravel, Spanish Captain Juan de Saavedra's ship, famous for the discovery of Valparaiso in 1536, is exhibited on the dockside.

- The bay: This enables one to grasp the essence of these seamen, enter their voyaging world and listen to the wave-whispered messages of freedom from the restless sea. Whoever arrives in this corner of Valparaiso should definitely board one of the tourist cruise ships.
During the 30-minute excursion, you are taken by the albacora (swordfish) fishing boats and the imposing foreign merchant ships.

- The coves: Here we find fishermen, boats loaded with Pacific Ocean produce, filling the air with the bustle and cry of fish-market haggling. These are the so-called "Caletas" (coves, or fishing-boat harbors), places enabling one to glimpse the arduous and tiring activity of craft-fishermen.
In Valparaiso one may visit the Membrillo and Portales coves.

- Hills, lookout points and cable cars: Valparaiso would not be what it is without its hillside neighborhoods, its lookout points offering magnificent views and those neat little ascending and descending funicular cableways, reaching the very heart of the hillside.
Hills and yet more hills: cheerful, colorful, fascinating, all provided with lookout points affording birds-eye views of the city; all with cableways of their own (15 are currently operating) that take one up and down tirelessly, on unique and exciting trips.
Unforgettable.

Valparaiso's most attractive hills are the following:

Mt Alegre and Mt Concepcion:

The European immigrants to Chile at the end of the 19th century forged the residential neighborhoods of the Alegre and Concepcion hills. Notable among their architectural gems are the Anglican church of St. Paul and the German Lutheran church; one may also go on trips on the Pierre Loty, Atkinson, Gervasoni, Yugoslavo and 14-seat cable cars, affording delicious views of Valparaiso.

The Concepcion funicular was the first in the city, and started operating in late 1883. It was initially steam-powered, and was built by the "Compañia de Ascensores Mecanicos" (Mechanical Elevator Company), run by an Englishman, John Naylor and Liborio Brieba.

Mt Santo Domingo:

The history of this neighborhood goes back to the foundation of the city. Its buildings have a great architectural value stemming from their simplicity and lack of ornamentation, while its narrow and stairwayed alleys are only for pedestrian use. Most of the buildings date from the late 19th and early 20th century.

Mt Artilleria:

It gets its name from the artillery barracks crowning the hilltop. Among its attractions are the Naval and Maritime Museums and the Paseo 21 de Mayo. To get to the top of Mt Artilleria, one must use one of the city's longest and most panoramic funicular cableways. Named after the neighborhood, it was inaugurated in 1893, and covers 175 meters.

Mt Baron:

This hill used to be called simply "El Morro", the new name becoming accepted as from 1796. It offers one of the most spectacular views of the bay, and among its urban architectural jewels numbers the church of San Francisco (St. Francis). Another feature of this hill is that its cableway, inaugurated in 1906, was the first to operate electrically.

Mt Bellavista

is one of the centerpieces of the Valparaiso hill range. Its name refers to the excellent panorama on the bay it offers visitors. Among its attractions are the Pablo Neruda House-Museum "La Sebastiana", the Cielo Abierto ("Open-Air") Museum, the statue of the Redeeming Christ and the Espiritu Santo cableway, inaugurated in 1911.

Mt Cordillera

is in the downtown area of the city and, perhaps, is the most historical of Valparaiso's hills. As from 1692 it was home to the Spanish rulers of the area who inhabited the so-called San Jose Castle that took 10 years to build. This mansion currently houses a museum.

Until mid-20th century, on Serrano street -where the hill begins-there were classy stores and very elegant mansions for the wealthy.

Its cableway started functioning in 1887, being the second oldest and that with the steepest climb.

Mt Florida:

Its 19th century houses give it a marked traditional air, although many of its charms disappeared around 30 years ago when tremors collapsed a "Uniformed Police" hospital building, thereby marring the beauty of Mena Avenue, a venerable tree-lined walkway. Its cableway was inaugurated in 1906.

Mt O'Higgins:

also known as "Las Zorras" ("The Foxes"), due to the fact that it was used by resident Englishmen in the city for the traditional English sport of foxhunting. In the 20th century a monument was built here to Bernardo O'Higgins, near the place where he saw the Peruvian Liberation Expedition off. As from that time, the hill took its present name.

- Year-end celebrations: as from December 28 Valparaiso launches its festivities with the so-called Cultural Carnivals, a newly-born tradition (2001), turning its hills into theaters, its plazas into concert venues and its cafes into artistic circles where poets gather to recite their verse.

During the three days of this event, the city is flooded with artistic activity, seducing visitors with the creative talent of bards, musicians and actors. The "Carnival" ends with a formidable New Year firework display on the night of Dec. 31st.

At this time cheering crowds gather on the lookout points of all the hills, to admire the thousands of colored lights of the display rising from the bay to paint the night sky. When the fireworks are over, all Valparaiso lights up and celebrates, toasting the new year, dancing and offering good wishes.