SURROUNDINGS

Viña del Mar
With its paradise-like beaches it is Chile's most important seaside resort and a noted one in all South America. Sea and vegetation make an ideal combination in this jewel on the Pacific that is also called the "Garden City" and offers, very close to Valparaíso all kinds of conveniences for visitors.

La Campana National Park
This flora and fauna reserve will let you see forests of Chilean palms (they live for 300 years, reaching 30 meters height), giant hummingbirds (world record-breakers for size) and foxes It also offers a splendid view from the top of Mt La Campana of the Andes Cordillera and the Pacific Ocean.
The park, created in 1967, is on the Central Coast Cordillera, in the Council of Hijuelas and Olmué, province of Quillota, region of Valparaiso. It ranges in altitude from 400 to 2200 m.a.s.l. and holds typical species of the central, southern and northern zones of Chile.

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

• Muelle Prat (Prat Quay): The comings and goings of seamen, the loading and unloading of merchant vessel cargoes give a busy 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 with which Spanish Captain Juan de Saavedra discovered Valparaiso in 1536, is exhibited on the dockside.
  
  
• The bay: This enables one to grasp the soul 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 definitely feels invited to board one of the tourist cruise ships.
  During the 30-minute excursion, you will be taken by the albacora (swordfish) fishing boats and the imposing foreign merchant ships.
  
  
• The coves: Here we find fishermen's boats loaded with Pacific Ocean produce, filling the air with the bustle and cry of fishmongers. These are the so-called "Caletas" (coves, or fishing-boat harbors), places enabling one to glimpse tiring activity of craft-fishermen.
  In Valparaiso one can easily 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 top of the hillside.
  Hills and yet more hills: cheerful, colorful, fascinating, they will all provide with lookout points affording birds-eye views of the city; all with cableways of their own (15 are currently operating) that take will take you up and down tirelessly, on unique and exciting trips.
  Unforgettable.

These are more attractive hills of Valparaiso:

Mt Alegre and Mt Concepcion: The European immigrants to Chile at the end of the 19th century forged their residential neighbourhood in the Alegre and Concepcion hills. Notable among its 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, all of which afford a delicious view of Valparaiso.
The Concepcion funicular was the first in the city. It 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.

Mt Santo Domingo: The history of this neighborhood goes back to the foundation of the city. The value of its buildings stems from their simplicity and lack of ornamentation, while its narrow and stairwayed alleys are only for pedestrian use. They date from the late 19th and early 20th century.

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

Mt Baron: This hill used to be called simply "El Morro", it received its new name in 1796. It offers one of the most spectacular views of the bay. The church of San Francisco (St. Francis) is one of its architectural jewels). Another feature of this hill is that its cableway, which was the first one 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. 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.

Mt Cordillera is in the downtown area and, perhaps, is the most historical of Valparaiso's hills. As from 1692 it was home to the Spanish governors of the area who inhabited the San Jose Castle, which took 10 years to build.
Until mid-20th century, on Serrano street -where the hill begins- there were stylish stores and very elegant mansions for the very rich.
Its cableway started functioning in 1887, which makes it the second oldest and that with the steepest climb.

Mt Florida: Its 19th century houses give it a traditional air, although many of its charms disappeared 30 years ago when an earthquake 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 Englishmen living in the city for the traditional English sport of foxhunting. In the 20th century a monument was built here to Bernardo O'Higgins, in the place where he saw the Peruvian Liberation Expedition depart. 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) that turns 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 the event, the city is flooded with artistic activity, seducing visitors with the talent of bards, musicians and actors. The "Carnival" ends with a formidable New Year firework display.
At midnight, the 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.