Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, Chile: things to do, when to go and how to get there

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar form a single urban area on Chile's central coast, separated by just a few kilometers of seaside avenue. Valparaíso is the historic port, spread over dozens of cerros —as Chileans call the hills. Viña del Mar was born as a resort for Santiago's elite and earned the nickname Ciudad Jardín for its parks and flowerbeds.

Valparaíso's historic quarter has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. On cerros Alegre and Concepción, corrugated-iron houses painted in strong colors, murals and viewpoints called paseos give the city its character. The ascensores, funiculars from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, still climb the slopes. On top of Cerro Bellavista are La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda's house, and the murals of Museo a Cielo Abierto. Below, Plaza Sotomayor and Muelle Prat open onto the bay and the port's ships.

Viña del Mar has a different pace: wide avenues, oceanfront buildings and pale-sand beaches like Acapulco and Reñaca. The Reloj de Flores, Castillo Wulff on the rocks, Quinta Vergara with its palace-museum and Museo Fonck —with a moai from Rapa Nui at the entrance— are close to one another. Further north, the dunes of Concón face the ocean.

The metropolitan train links the two cities in a few minutes, so you can sleep in one and visit the other.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Valparaíso, Viña del Mar.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Valparaíso and Viña del Mar is

Contornos: Natural Earth (domínio público). Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

✈ Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL), in Santiago · 115 km to Valparaíso

The arrival airport is Santiago, about 115 km via Ruta 68. From Terminal Alameda and Terminal Pajaritos in Santiago there are frequent buses to Valparaíso and Viña. Confirm before booking.

Suggested arrival point: Valparaíso

Valparaíso · Valparaíso and Viña del Mar Capital Suggested arrival point

Valparaíso

Valparaíso is Chile's main port and the capital of the region that bears its name. The city rises from the sea up dozens of cerros, with colorful houses, stairways and old funiculars. The cerros Alegre and Concepción, with Palacio Baburizza, are the gateway. On Cerro Bellavista are La Sebastiana, Neruda's house, and Museo a Cielo Abierto. Down below, Plaza Sotomayor, Muelle Prat and Paseo 21 de Mayo showcase the bay and the naval history.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Viña del Mar

Viña del Mar, founded in 1874, is the seaside resort next to Valparaíso, known as Ciudad Jardín. The waterfront includes the Reloj de Flores, the Castillo Wulff on the rocks and beaches such as Acapulco and, farther north, Reñaca. In the center, the Quinta Vergara houses the festival amphitheater and the Museo de Bellas Artes Palacio Vergara; the Museo Fonck has a moai at the entrance. The coastal road continues to the dunes of Concón.

The local experience

Things to do in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Historic neighborhood

Cerro Concepción

Hill of Valparaíso's heritage neighborhood, with Paseo Gervasoni and Paseo Atkinson, houses of European immigrants, Protestant churches and the city's oldest ascensor.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Monument

Reloj de Flores

Clock with a flower-faced dial at the foot of Cerro Castillo, near Caleta Abarca, which became a symbol of Viña del Mar since the 1962 World Cup.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Historic building

Castillo Wulff

Stone castle built in 1906 on the rocks of Viña's waterfront, today a municipal exhibition center, with a tower connected by a bridge.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Historic neighborhood

Cerro Alegre

Hill of steep streets, murals and colorful houses, with Paseo Yugoslavo, Paseo Dimalow and two historic ascensors, El Peral and Reina Victoria.

See 12 more places in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Art museum

Palacio Baburizza

1916 mansion on Paseo Yugoslavo that houses the Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes de Valparaíso, with Chilean and European painting and views over the port.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Park

Quinta Vergara

Park in central Viña with gardens of native and exotic species, the Palacio Vergara and the amphitheater where the music festival takes place every February.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · House museum

La Sebastiana

Pablo Neruda's house in Valparaíso, on Cerro Bellavista: narrow floors like a ship, the poet's collections and windows over the bay.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Art museum

Museo de Bellas Artes Palacio Vergara

1910 palace at the entrance of the Quinta Vergara housing Viña's fine arts museum: 16th-century Venetian painting, works by Sorolla and Chilean art.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Urban art

Museo a Cielo Abierto

Twenty murals by major Chilean artists spread across the streets and stairways of Cerro Bellavista, between Plaza Victoria and La Sebastiana.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Archaeology museum

Museo Fonck

Archaeology and history museum with an authentic moai from Rapa Nui at the entrance and collections of indigenous peoples from northern, central and southern Chile.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Beach

Playa Acapulco

Urban beach with light sand on Avenida San Martín, near the Casino, with a boardwalk, kiosks and sunsets over the Pacific.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Historic square

Plaza Sotomayor

Valparaíso's civic center, with the Monument to the Heroes of Iquique, the crypt of Arturo Prat and the Armada building, facing Muelle Prat.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Pier and boat trip

Muelle Prat

Pier in front of Plaza Sotomayor from which launches depart for tours of Valparaíso bay, among ships, cranes and views of the cerros.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Beach

Playa Reñaca

Wide beach north of Viña del Mar, with terraced buildings on the slope, a young crowd in summer and access to the coastal road to Concón.

Valparaíso · Valparaíso · Observation deck

Paseo 21 de Mayo

Viewpoint on Cerro Artillería overlooking the harbor, next to the Museo Marítimo Nacional, housed in the former Naval School.

Viña del Mar · Valparaíso · Natural area

Santuario de la Naturaleza Campo Dunar de la Punta de Concón

Sand dunes on a terrace above the Pacific, between Reñaca and Concón, protected as a nature sanctuary with wide coastal views.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

Summer, from December to March, brings dry days and crowded beaches. Autumn and spring have fewer people and mild temperatures for walking up the hills. Winter, from June to August, is the rainy season and brings damp cold. In February the Viña music festival takes place, and New Year's Eve with fireworks over the bay fills both cities.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

A busy one-day trip from Santiago shows the essentials of Valparaíso's hills and Viña's waterfront. With two days you can visit La Sebastiana and the museums without rushing. Three days allow you to include Reñaca, the Concón dunes and a full afternoon by the sea.

Which city to stay in

In Valparaíso, the cerros Alegre and Concepción concentrate guesthouses in old mansions, restaurants and viewpoints, all within walking distance but with steep streets and staircases. The plano, the lower area near Plaza Sotomayor and Plaza Victoria, is close to the metro and buses. In Viña del Mar, the waterfront between Caleta Abarca and Avenida San Martín features oceanfront buildings and is close to the beaches; the center, near Plaza Vergara, is convenient for those arriving by bus. Reñaca is for those who want to stay right on the sand in summer.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Can you do a day trip from Santiago?

Yes. It's roughly 120 km each way, and many travelers leave early, spend the day in Valparaíso's hills and finish with the sunset in Viña. The day is busy: those who want to visit La Sebastiana and the museums or see the waterfront at leisure benefit from spending a night on the coast.

How many days to allocate for the two cities?

Two days cover it well: one for Valparaíso—with the cerros, funiculars and Neruda's house—and one for Viña, with the Reloj de Flores, Quinta Vergara, Museo Fonck and the beach. A third day leaves time for Reñaca, Concón and the dunes.

When to go to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar?

From December to March is beach season, with long dry days. March, April, October and November usually have stable weather and fewer crowds. Even in summer, mornings on the coast can start cloudy, and the Pacific wind cools the late afternoon; bring a jacket.

Do you need a car?

No. The Metro Valparaíso connects the two cities —a train running from Puerto station to Viña and beyond. Within Valparaíso, the cerros are explored on foot and by funicular, and parking on narrow streets is difficult. A car mainly helps to reach the Concón dunes and the beaches farther north, which also have local buses.

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

A region to enjoyat your own pace.