Rambling Chronicles: Day 18 – Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile

Viking Octantis docked this morning in Valparaiso, Chile, where the majority of passengers and many of the crew disembarked and new guests came on board.

Valparaiso, the closest seaport to Santiago, is known for its steep hillsides and colorful, clifftop homes. The city was the leading commercial port on the sea routes of the Pacific coast of South America that linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Strait of Magellan. Today, the city is regarded as Chile's unofficial cultural capital.

Valparaiso Welcomes You

Tim and I wanted to explore the city, so we selected the included excursion, “Historic Buildings of Viña del Mar & Panoramic Valparaíso,” to explore Chilean art, culture, and history. This was the description.

Embark on a journey to discover the splendid art, culture, and history of Chile. Board your motor coach for a coastal drive to the city of Viña del Mar. Visit Quinta Vergara Park, an oasis of greenery within the city, to witness the Vergara Palace. This stately residence was constructed in the early twentieth century and was once home to the founding family of Viña del Mar. Today, it houses an art gallery featuring works by both national and international artists. Explore its halls before returning to your coach to enjoy a panoramic drive back to Valparaíso. Pass through charming residential areas, before stopping at Plaza Sotomayor, the heart of Valparaíso’s historic center. Take a moment to appreciate the monument commemorating the Heroes of Iquique, unveiled in 1886, before beginning the journey back to your awaiting ship.

We began our excursion with a panoramic tour of Valparaiso. After leaving the port, we drove along Avenida Brasil, one of the widest avenues in Valparaiso. The avenue, which features two rows of palm trees in a central median, is lined with colonial-era mansions and other historic buildings. We learned that Valparaiso is an excellent example of late nineteenth-century urban and architectural development in Latin America due to the influx of European immigrants that left their mark on the city’s architecture and cultural institutions.

Scenes along Avenida Brasil

After passing through the downtown area, we stopped at Plaza Sotomayor, the main square in Valparaiso. The plaza is known for its historic architecture and naval monuments and serves as a central hub for both locals and tourists. Significant landmarks include the Public Monument to the Heroes of Iquique, erected in 1886, and the palatial blue-colored Edificio Armada de Chile, which dominates the plaza. Other administration and port service buildings from different eras and architectural styles surround the square.

Plaza Sotomayor

We next traveled to the resort city of Viña del Mar, famous for its beaches, parks, and cultural events. We were able to glimpse several buildings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that survived both redevelopment and the multiple earthquakes that destroyed most of the older areas of the city.

A Few Remaining Nineteenth-Century Mansions in Viña del Mar

We stopped to visit Palacio Vergara, the former home of Francisco Vergara, the founder of Viña del Mar. The palace, a beautiful example of Venetian Gothic style architecture, is now home to the city’s fine arts museum. It should come as no surprise that I was more interested in the architecture than the artwork.

Palacio Vergara

Reception Room, Palacio Vergara

Palacio Vergara

Painting of Palacio Vergara

Next up was the Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar, a center of cultural and artistic events.

Municipal Theatre of Viña del Mar

During our tour of the beautiful theater, most of us were distracted by a protest parade that passed in front of the theater, and we went outside to watch. Our guide didn’t know what the protest was about but assumed it had something to do with the upcoming election. The protest was very peaceful, and it exposed us to another element of Chilean culture.

Watching the Protest Parade from the Steps of the Theater

After escaping the traffic surrounding the protest, we made out way to the waterfront, where we drove along the seashore, with beautiful coastal views. We saw the flower clock, an obligatory tourist destination that sits at the foot of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The Drive along the Seashore

Flower Clock

Our guide was a fount of knowledge, but he only made a brief, negative mention of the graffiti that is so prevalent in Valparaiso. I later learned that the city is world-renowned for its street art, which serves as a platform for social commentary, memory, and identity, and is considered a major part of its cultural heritage. Street art is even touted as a tourist attraction, and I wish our tour had included some of the best examples of it.

Lots of Graffiti and Street Art

Colorful Pylons

On our way back to the ship, we walked through the local vendors in terminal building, and I saw the most interesting accessory for wine enthusiasts, a leather holder for a wine glass. I’d never seen anything like it!