Welcome to the second round of Around the World, a weekly series that features a fellow blogger/traveler as they share one of their favorite places with us…whether it be a park, a country, a city, a beach, etc! If you’d like to join, please email me at amy [at] amyandthegreatworld.com. Now, enjoy a little trip to Chile, courtesy of Marcella! 
Hello! I’m Marcella from WhatAWonderfulWorld and I’m excited to be taking over Amy’s blog today to share a special place with you! I blog about current travels, previous travels and that time when I lived in Chile. Closer to home, I include my everyday adventures in the wonderful city of London, which I am lucky enough to call home. Check out my blog, and find me on Bloglovin’!
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When asked: “Where shall I go in Chile?”, I always recommend the amazing city of Valparaiso. I haven’t met a person who didn’t fall in love with Valparaiso the moment their feet touched down in the city. So, today I am going to introduce you to my favourite Chilean city, Valparaiso. Often referred to as Valpo.
Valparaiso is a port city located just over 100km north of Santiago. The first thing you will notice upon arrival is the steepness of the city, which is why they say the people of Valpo have the best legs in Chile! It’s made up of steep staircases and narrow, winding alleyways. If you brave the steepness you will be rewarded with beautiful views over the port. But, if you are feel achy you can take one of the city’s many funiculars. There are twenty-two in total and these will take you up to the top of the hill for a small fee.
The real charm of the city is that it resembles an outdoor art gallery. Lots of cities around the world have street art areas, but Valpo is different. In the steep-hilled area of the city there isn’t an inch of wall not covered. However, it’s not just the walls that are lined with art. Art is everywhere; on the floor, on the bins, on the chairs, on the steps. Art is what the city is all about! And art is what makes you want to keep going back for more.
Valparaiso is also home to a very special kind of home. The home of Pablo Neruda, a nobel prize-winning poet, is located right at the top of the hills. Pablo Neruda has three homes in Chile, each one feeling like a museum of memories. This particular one is called ‘La Sebastiana’ and is beautiful in every way. It is full of artefacts from his life and you are free to wander around the rooms and see for yourself where his inspiration came from.
“I built the house. First, I made it of air. Then, I raised the flag in the air and left it hanging from the sky, from the light and the darkness.” Pablo Neruda – excerpt from “To La Sebastiana”
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a bit of Valparaiso. Thanks for having me, Amy!
Marcella xx
Wow, steep for sure! And beautiful art. Reminds me a lot of Lisbon. I have never thought about Valpo much but it sounds like a very vibrant spot!
I’ve heard such great things about Lisbon, I’d love to go one day!
Wow all that art is so stunning! What a great vibe it adds to the city. And I know what Natalye means – it does seem a bit similar to Lisbon. I’d love to travel there some day 🙂
It really does create such an amazing vibe, it’s just so unique 🙂
It looks so colorful thanks to the mixture of colors between the buildings and the street art!
Thanks for reading, Diana 🙂 The colours are such a great mix!
Love love love this post! I adore Valpo so much – and I feel I’ve definitely been in a few of these streets and seen some of that street art too! And it does take so much stamina to walk around there ha – but the views are always worth it!
Thanks so much, Camila! Totally agree that all of the steep steps and hills are worth the views and art you get to see 🙂 Yay – I really like that some of the art seems to stay for years while some is changed quite regulary, it’s a good mix!
What stunning, stunning art!
It really is amazing, I love that it’s all outside and so easily accessible 🙂
Gorgeous pictures!
Thanks Angie 🙂
Since I’m born I’ve been dreaming to go South America. Patagonia Express of Sepulveda is my favourite travel book, and, of course, it talks about Valparaiso, especially because the writer was raised in Valpo 😀 Thanks to feed my immagination, now I want to fly there more than ever!
Aw, I love how books and films can fuel travel adventures 🙂 I spent an amazing time in South America, and couldn’t recommend it enough!
The street art looks fantastic!
It is probably some of the best in the world 😉