The City of Valparaíso

Many passangers commit the mistake to avoid the City of Valparaiso (Unesco´s World Heritage City), while they prefer to stay in Santiago. Valparaíso and Viña del Mar have two different personalities. Valparaiso is an old and very interesting city, with many small good hotels created the lastest yers, while Viña del mar it is a modern and active city full of Hotels and alternatives where to sleep, but in a much modern landscape. Both cities conform a unique metropolitan area and are connected by extremely frecuent public transport.

Valparaiso have a image of a unsafe city, something that it is far from reality. In fact what there is (like everywhere in the world) is pickpockets and just in certain areas, like Avenida Uruguay and Mercado Cardonal, near Terminal Rodoviario (Bus Terminal), but the terminal itself it is safe; use of weapons it is something unknown in Valparaiso. If you ever suffer a robbery call the Carabineros (uniformed Police) to number 133 (free call), normally they do not speaks english. We enclose a model of a "denuncia", do not accept to receive a simple "constancia".

In Chile the word "gringo" have a friendly meaning (used for either europeans, americans, canadians, newlealanders) and none will spot you in a negative way, even if they do not agree with your government.

Tips

- Gastronomy: Best seafood it is found around Caleta Higuerillas, in Concon. You will be a at the port around 1 PM. Best Italian food in Pasta e Vino, essential to reserve weeks in advance. In Valparaiso best restaurants are Bote Salvavidas and Coco Loco. On sunday afternoon it is much better to head towards Viña del Mar (Avenida San Martin) and Concon, with a wide variety of restaurants

- Antiques: Many cruises arrives on sundays. If you have interest in antiques a Must it is the Antiques Fair La Merced, in Parque O´Higgins, just in front of the Bus Terminal and the Parliament.