I had it all figured out: I’d walk to the closest metro station from our wonderful free camping spot in Santiago, ride the line to the bus station, take a two-hour bus trip west to Valparaiso, explore the town during the day, and return home the same way.
Then, our friends Abigail, Richie, and Zoe from Meat Around The World were interested in joining me. Great! Last minute, we realized that if we rented a car for the day, Mark and Maya would be able to come as well, plus this would give everyone more freedom and comfort than a return journey by public transportation.
Part of our group in Valparaiso
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)
The reason we didn’t want to take our own campers was the bad reputation Valparaiso has regarding petty crime, car beak-ins, and tire slashings of foreign-plated vehicles. All of us had just installed new tires in Santiago, so now was definitely not a good time to take extra risks. There certainly is a grimy side to this port city.
Screenshot of Valparaiso in iOverlander – all the red and white warning signs mark robberies, break-ins, or tire slashings!
After a late start, a two-hour drive on fantastic toll roads, and finding a safe and covered parking spot for the rental car, the six of us set off on foot to discover the colors, murals, and old ascensores (elevators) of Valparaiso during the afternoon. Here is a photo gallery of our day as full-blown tourists.
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Mark, Maya, and Liesbet in Valparaiso
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)
Next up: Exploring Mendoza Province, Argentina, in the fall
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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May 10, 2024 at 13:10
That sounds like it was a great change of plans! Absolutely wonderful photos!
May 10, 2024 at 14:11
Thanks, Donna! It was a nice day out with all of us.
May 10, 2024 at 13:26
Love all the colourful murals! There can hardly be anywhere that isn’t painted.
May 10, 2024 at 14:11
True, Anabel. At least in the photos I posted! I went for color and art. 🙂
May 10, 2024 at 13:45
So colorful! That is a lot of caution icons on iOverlander. Good idea to rent a car. Love La casita para perritos.
May 10, 2024 at 14:13
Hi Duwan,
You have no idea how helpful iOverlander has been for us down here. We use it 100% of the time. The only disappointment is that in Argentina – where, really, all overlanders spend a lot of time – updates are rare and we often stumble across the newest comments being from 2019 or earlier. And that in very popular places. So, we’ve been busy updating every spot we visit and camp at! 🙂
May 10, 2024 at 15:56
I don’t remember so much street art when I was there in 2011 and I’m always on the hunt for it in every country as in many countries, it depicts the political situation or the ‘temperature’ of a country. 😉
May 12, 2024 at 12:15
Good point about the meaning and reasons behind (some) street art, Nilla. A lot can happen in thirteen years, especially regarding art and decorations, haha.
May 10, 2024 at 19:44
Happy and colorful–that’s the impression I get from your visit to Valparaiso–all five of you!
Kudos to you for updating every spot you visit and camp at on iOverlander! 🙂
May 12, 2024 at 12:21
Hi Marian,
Our trip to Valparaiso felt like a real tourist day trip out, without too many challenges. We spent more money than on a usual day on the road, but this was a true excursion. 🙂 And, yes, we’ve been busy with iOverlander updates, especially in Argentina! I’m sure it will help others to read current information before deciding where to camp, stop, and visit.
May 10, 2024 at 20:49
What a fun day.
May 12, 2024 at 12:21
Yes! Thanks for reading and looking, Jacqui!
May 11, 2024 at 20:20
I’m glad you had a good time in Valparaiso. This brought back memories of my visit there. Thank you for sharing your photos. Safe travels in Argentina!
May 12, 2024 at 12:23
Hi Natalie,
I remember you brought up Valparaiso a little while, asking if we’d visit. It was up in the air for a bit, but then I decided to go by myself (because Maya couldn’t get on public transportation), so it was a nice twist that all of us ended up visiting in the end. I know how much you love street art and this city surely delivered!
May 12, 2024 at 08:04
Glad you had a fun and especially safe time there as Valparaiso is one of the most colorful places we’ve been to! Steven had a tough time near there – we’d taken the train to a nearby beach, plomped ourselves down on the sand and dozed off after watching the people nearby. When Steven woke up, his shoes had been stolen from beside him. He had to walk barefoot back to the train and, in downtown Valparaiso, some young guys who were the tourist police, I recall, asked us how we were enjoying our time there, not realizing Steven was shoeless! One of them said, it wasn’t safe for him to walk around without shoes – fortunately, we found a place that sold sandals not far away! Hope you and Mark are more careful than Steven is as he also had his backpack stolen in Seville!
May 12, 2024 at 12:28
Oh no, Annie! Steven didn’t have much luck on some of those international trips you’ve taken! I don’t think we will ever get our shoes stolen on a beach, because we never nap. 🙂 That being said, we have left flip flops at the top of a sandy beach in the past, in the US and Baja, to pick them back up later on.
And on that topic, we only had flip flops stolen out of our dingy by the youth of a remote island in French Polynesia, only to see that kid wear my slip flops later, when we walked through the village. So, I claimed them back!
How did Steven get his backpack stolen?? Was he not wearing it at that time? I hope no valuables were inside. That’s a big bummer as well.
Yes, we are pretty careful about our surroundings (our backpack is always attached to one of us when we are out and about) and 99.9% of the time we have Maya with us. Who would want to mess with such a ferocious and mean guard dog? 🙂
May 12, 2024 at 20:12
Wow, a “tourist day”! That sounds like fun. The photo of the snoozing stray dogs made me smile – what a nice change for you (and Maya)! 🙂
May 27, 2024 at 08:24
Hi Diane,
Sorry for the late reply. Busy weeks. I’m glad you noticed the snoozing dogs in Valparaiso. And you understood the reason why I snapped it. 🙂 So nice to pass by dogs who ignored Maya. Plus, it probably meant they had full bellies as well.
May 12, 2024 at 21:38
Having never heard of Valparaiso, I was amazed at the photos you took. Such a fascinating town. Short blog post, but beautiful photos. LOVE the final one of your three. Jim
May 27, 2024 at 08:26
Hi Jim,
Valparaiso used to be known for its bustling port, before the Panama Canal was built and ships had to go around the southern point of the Americas and then back up along the Pacific side. It’s a tad grungy of a town still, but it’s now “famous” and popular for all the public street art.
May 14, 2024 at 21:16
Wow, fabulous photos, and so colorful just like Mexico with art and color everywhere. And when you mentioned Valparaiso I thought, where have I heard that place before. A book I read had some baddies there in a setting that moved around South America. Funny I remembered the place, but not the title or author. <3
May 27, 2024 at 08:32
Hi Debby,
That’s interesting that you remembered the name Valparaiso and you read a book about that setting. I can imagine, it being a grungy port town, that many seedy stories do and can take place there. I’d heard about this city before as well, but I can’t place when and where and why. The word reminds me of “paradiso”, but that it is not! 🙂
May 20, 2024 at 06:29
What a wonderful, colourful place on the coast, Liesbet. Such a shame about the robberies and tyre slashing that goes on there. But good to hear that the stray dogs are well-fed and calm. For some reason I thought Santiago was on the coast, but I guess that’s because Chile is such a slim country. It looks like the car rental was a great idea.
Was there a beach or is it a harbour town?
May 27, 2024 at 08:36
Hi Hugh,
Valparaiso is still a harbor town and quite grimy at that, beyond all the colors. It used to be an important port along the shipping routes of the olden days, before the Panama Canal was built. There is no beach, just industry and docks. For beaches, one goes to the resort town of Viña Del Mar a few kilometers to the north. We did not check it out, as we only had half a day.
Santiago is actually on the eastern side of slim Chile. But, it’s only a couple of hours drive to the Pacific coast and beaches. Plus, it’s very close to the Andes Mountains, making its location (and views) interesting and pretty.
June 2, 2024 at 16:21
This is great guys. On our list for next year. Cheers!
June 3, 2024 at 20:06
Hi Susan,
Valparaiso has its grungy sides, but it makes for a great day trip from Santiago! Doable by public transportation (without a dog) or rental car.