Located on central Chile’s Pacific coast lies a wonderful city which only the words of Pablo Naruda can accurately describe… ‘Valparaíso, how absurd you are…you haven’t combed your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you.’

Valparaiso is a city of life. It is colourful, unorganised, quirky and cozy. It is rebellious but kind. It is a city where imaginations seem to spring to life in a burst of colour.

It is a city that showcases extraordinary example of industrial-age heritage associated with the international sea trade of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Valparaiso was the first and most important merchant port on the sea routes of the Pacific coast of South America that linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Strait of Magellan. But the great Panama Canal slowed the development of the city, allowing its harbour and distinctive urban fabric to survive as an exceptional testimony to the early phase of globalisation.

The city first developed on the coastal plain but soon began to sprawl across the steep surrounding hills which became crowd with with squares, viewing points, promenades, alleyways, stairways and the top stations of some of Valparaíso’s distinctive funicular elevators.

Now the city (which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003) is bursting to the brim with art and colour. Every corner is splashed with some of the best street art in Latin America alongside mazes of steep, sinuous streets and alleys. It is not a city where you need to tick off any tourist attractions – it is a city for roaming.

So we roamed.

We roamed alone and we roamed in a pack – also known as a free walking tour with ‘Tours for Tips’. We stumbled upon magical corners solo and we were guided through some of the more noteworthy routes in our tourist pack.

Santiago was the city that had welcomed us to Chile but Valparaiso was the city that made us fall head over heels in love with Chile.

Don’t miss a roam around the city with these guys…

Tours 4 Tips Santiago

Valparaiso Tours 4 Tips Walking Tour leaves from Plaza Sotomayor, Valparaiso’s main square everyday at 10am and 3pm.

Website: http://tours4tips.com/index.html
E-mail: info@tours4tips.com