Day 3: Santiago de Chile - What to see in Valparaíso: Cerro Bellavista: La Sebastiana, Cerro Cárcel: Cumming Street, Bismark Square, Cerro Alegre, Cerro Concepción, Puerto de Valparaíso - Santiago de Chile
As we said yesterday after the route in Santiago de Chile in 1 day, the changes in this trip to Chile and Easter Island have started just the first day of the trip. Seeing that some places we wanted to visit in Santiago de Chile closed on Monday, we prefer to make a change and go today to one of the most famous cities in this area of the country and tour the route to see in Valparaíso in one day We had planned for Monday.
The breakfast at the Sommelier Express Hotel starts at 7 in the morning, at which time we are already sitting in the lounge charging energies with the most complete breakfast perfect to start the day.
Breakfast at the Sommelier Express hotel
Today, despite the 35 degrees we reached yesterday in Santiago de Chile, we have "sheltered"A little more and that is that on the coast the weather is usually much cooler and today we do not expect more than 22 degrees, a temperature that we imagine, will force us to go somewhat more covered.
Being in the location we are the best way to go to Valparaíso from Santiago de Chile Take the subway and go to the University of Santiago station, where the Alameda Terminal is next to it, from where every few minutes depart buses to Valparaíso.
How to go to Valparaíso from Santiago de Chile
We explain how to get to Valparaíso from Santiago de Chile:
- From the Alameda Terminal there are buses from two companies that go from Santiago de Chile to Valparaíso: Pullman and Turbus
- They leave every little time and although it is not necessary to book, if it is a holiday, weekend and / or high season, as has happened to us, they recommend booking especially around the corner. Imagine that we at 8 in the morning, when we go to buy the tickets, we find that in the bus at 8 in the afternoon there were only three seats left.
- We choose the company Pullman, with a bus similar to the night we use in the trip to Peru and in the trip to Guatemala, very comfortable and fully equipped.
- The journey is 1:30 hours and the bus leaves you on the Roparaviario de Valparaíso, a kilometer and a half or so from the city center.
- From there you can walk to the most central area of Valparaíso, they are not more than 15 minutes or take a micro bus
Another good option to get to know the history better and not miss anything is to book this guided tour with a guide in Spanish through Valparaíso or this free tour through Valparaíso. Free!
After breakfast we go directly to the Santa Lucia subway station, less than 5 minutes from the hotel, bringing us the surprise that on Sundays they open at 8 in the morning, so either we wait 30 minutes or directly we will look for another solution , which happens to look for a bus or a taxi that will take us to the Alameda station and thus start the route of what to see in Valparaíso in one day as soon as possible.
We opted for the first option, which we found right in front of the subway, although what we did not count on is that once inside and when we are going to pay the tickets the driver tells us that we cannot pay in cash and that we need a voucher that is bought in the Metro to access the bus. Before this we tell him that being so and not being able to pay in cash, as soon as we pass by the next stop we will get off, something to which he kindly replies that we do not worry, that we make the journey and if he climbs an inspector he would explain it to him that we had no problems.
We have to say that this is something that has caught our attention and that since we have arrived in Chile, the Chileans are treating us wonderfully, it is not that we doubt it, but we really find that they give an exquisite treatment to the tourist, something that makes the trip much more enjoyable if possible.
Already at the Alameda Terminal, about 4 kilometers from the Santa Lucia metro station, we enter the terminal and buy two round-trip tickets from the Bus from Santiago de Chile to Valparaíso for 3000 Chilean pesos per trip and person and we take a run to platform 10, from where the bus will take us to start the route to see in Valparaíso and that comes out in less than 5 minutes.
After an hour and a half that we spend watching the landscape and reviewing the route we have in Valparaíso, when it is 9:30, we arrive in Valparaíso with a fairly gray sky, characteristic of this area at these hours in which it has not yet begun to blow the wind and that as we have been told, disappears as the morning progresses.
As we said before, to reach the center of Valparaíso we can walk, about 1 kilometer and a half or take a bus. We choose the first option and we have just arrived in this city full of color, we can do nothing but start savoring it walking.
We make our way to the Cathedral of Valparaíso, which will be our first visit, where we enter and we are a few minutes later to approach the Holy Spirit Elevator, which will be the first incursion in the hills of Valparaíso.
Valparaíso Cathedral
Interior of the Cathedral of Valparaíso
But as everything could not be as beautiful as we expected as soon as we reached the elevator door we found a sign that says that they are restoring it, so we have to change the plans a bit again and adapt it up to the Sebastiana, the Pablo Neruda's house, walking.
Although as it is not bad that for good it does not come, as the saying goes, we decided to make the visit of the Valparaíso Open Sky Museum, instead of going down, one of the most famous attractions in Valparaíso where you can follow a route through the 20 most famous murals in the city of Valparaíso.
Valparaíso Open Sky Museum
We access through Rudolph Street, where as soon as you get to its beginning you already find the murals and a small plaque explaining the number to which each mural belongs and the person who made it, at the same time as the year of realization, something that is very good to be able to follow the whole route without the need of the plan, although it is not too bad that you carry it in a PDF on your mobile or in a photo on the camera to be able to follow the indications and not leave any behind.
An interesting way to not miss any graffiti is to book this free alternative tour of Valparaíso. Free!
Valparaíso Open Sky Museum
We begin the tour of the Open Sky Museum when it is about 10:30 in the morning, delighting in every corner, not only in the featured murals and we have just arrived in Valparaíso but we have already understood the reason why This city is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Chile.
The Open Sky Museum is a collection of 20 classic murals, which were made by the students of the Art Institute of the Catholic University, somewhat different from the more colorful murals that stand out among the streets of the hills of Valparaíso, but that without a doubt They deserve a visit.
Stairs in the Open Sky Museum of Valparaíso
We arrive at La Sebastiana when it is approximately 11:30 in the morning, that is, about an hour after starting the journey, so if you want to do this route you should have more or less this time, since you have to Count the time to see the murals, take some photos and climb some steep slopes, so this time is practically essential to enjoy the area with tranquility.
La Sebastiana Valparaiso
Upon entering we access the store, where tickets are also purchased and where we pay 6000CLP per person, which is the price of the general ticket, as well as the price we paid yesterday at La Chascona, in Santiago, Chile.
We could say that La Sebastiana is the most visited place on Cerro Bellavista and it is one of the few places where we have met tourists since we arrived in Valparaíso, many of them with an organized tour, so we understand that it is not a city Too much visited by those who travel for free or that it is precisely not the time in which people travel most, something that would also be normal counting that we are at the gates of one of the most marked dates of the year.
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Santiago de Chile by travelers:- Guided tour of Valparaíso
- Panoramic tour of Valparaíso
- Excursion to Viña del Mar and the Pacific coast
- Excursion to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar
- Panoramic tour of Santiago- More excursions and tours here
Together with the ticket they give us an audio guide that helps us to know all the rooms of Pablo Neruda's house, among which are works of art, furniture, incredible rooms, wonderful views of the city and, above all, a story with which You can understand much of the poet's life.
Views of Valparaíso from La Sebastiana
Of all the visit that as we said is very interesting and more than recommended, we also have to highlight the incredible views of Valparaíso from the viewpoint that is right at the entrance of the museum house, in addition to those that have from the windows of the different rooms. It really is very worthwhile to come with some time to enjoy them without haste, like La Sebastiana.
Views from a window of La Sebastiana
In total the visit lasts approximately 45 minutes and although we do not do it, we have read that the cafeteria is very good, something to keep in mind if you are here at lunchtime. We began to descend through Cerro Bellavista, this time on the left side to the Open Sky Museum, where we continue to see the rest of the murals that we did not see on the way up, besides delighting in some lovely little streets, full of color for which we We would lose several days.
Bellavista Hill Street
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Cerro Bellavista Store
Being Sunday all shops are closed, although we see that some begin to open after 11 in the morning, so it is true that in some sections we feel a little insecure, rather than the environment or the streets , for what we have read and for the little tourism with which we crossed, although as we commented, nothing that prevents walking or makes you feel uncomfortable.
Color in Valparaíso
It is 12:30 when we arrive at Calle Independencia, just the moment when the J.Cruz Social Casino opens, the site where they say the famous chorrillana was invented, a real caloric bomb, so being right next door, we decided that today this is going to be the place where we are going to eat and pay tribute to this Valparaíso in one day.
J.Cruz Social Casino Ticket
Think that here you can not ask for anything other than your star dish, so we ordered a chorrillana for two, plus a coke and a wine with strawberry for 14600CLP, with tip included. By the way, it should be borne in mind that there are no coffees, so that you think about doing the desktop elsewhere 😉
Chorrillana at Casino Social J.Cruz
And as Alan x the World did, although we have not been able to find his, we left a card of ours on one of the walls. Do you dare to look for it and send us a photo?
Do you dare to look for us at the J. Cruz M Social Casino?
We leave when it is 13:15 noon, with a full stomach and direct to have a coffee that has just cheered us up this table and gives us energy to continue with the itinerary what to see in Valparaíso in one day.
We stop in a small cafeteria full of charm, like most places we have been seeing since we arrived, and after taking a cappuccino and a double espresso for 3500CLP we go straight to Cumming Street that will take us to Cerro Cárcel, another of the most famous hills of Valparaíso.
But since Valparaíso is synonymous with getting lost between color and art, instead of going straight to Cerro Cárcel, losing ourselves between the streets, we will stop at Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción, two hills that are practically united and that are two of the essentials in Valparaíso in one day.
Color in the streets of Valparaíso
Mural in a house in Valparaíso
Both in Cerro Alegre and in Cerro Concepción we can find steep streets full of color, in which the colored houses make them the best paintings we could imagine, giving us unique images that make us lose ourselves forgetting the clock and the map.
What to see in Valparaiso in one day
In these two hills we can also find some of the best restaurants and cafes in the city, so it is a great alternative if you are in the area at noon or at night, to eat enjoying a unique atmosphere.
To get to these hills you can do it from the Gervasoni Promenade, in the lower part of the city or from Cumming Street, turning on the right hand side on the opposite side of Cerro Cárcel.
Valparaiso
On Cerro Concepción we can also find the Lutheran Church of Valparaíso, one of the most famous images of the city, from which you have stunning views from the viewpoint that is right in front of you, on Cerro Cárcel.
Lutheran Church of Valparaíso from Cerro Cárcel
Valparaíso details
Another of the most famous images of Valparaíso is that of the Brighton Hotel, located in Cerro Concepción, one of the oldest and most traditional of the port of Valparaíso, in the Atkinson Promenade, from where you have unique views, both of the hotel and the city.
Brighton Hotel
Valparaiso
After being in this area of the city for more than three hours enjoying the atmosphere, color and art, we went down to the area of the port of Valparaíso, where we took the opportunity to have a couple of coffees in a cafeteria and then approach the elevator that leads to Cerro Cordillera.
Port of Valparaíso
As soon as we see each other, the girl advises us not to climb, since lately there are many robberies and when we tell her that we want to go to Cerro Artillería, she tells us that this is also one of the most dangerous areas of the city, so she continues to recommend that let's go After this comment and although so far we have not felt insecure at any time, we prefer not to tempt fate and we set out in the opposite direction, towards Cerro Cárcel, which we left earlier.
We return to Cumming Street and from there we arrive at Plaza Bismark, from where there are beautiful views of Cerro Concepcion and the city facing the bay of Valparaíso.
Valparaíso from Cerro Cárcel
Valparaíso elevator
After a walk around the area, we go back down and having our legs busted, after all day going up and down hills, we decide when it is just after 7 pm, return to the bus station and change the ticket for one more soon, if there is a possibility.
We take a microbus, anyone who puts P. Montt on the sign, which is the street of the station is correct, and after paying 560CLP per person, in just over 10 minutes we are at the Bus Terminal with a ticket in hand Within 5 minutes it will take us back to Santiago de Chile in 1 hour and a half.
Valparaiso
We arrive in Santiago de Chile when it is 9 p.m. and the first thing we do is take the metro from the University of Santiago to Saint Lucia, which is the stop that is closest to the Sommelier Express Hotel where we stay and where we arrive in less than 10 minutes, although something is not going well at all and it is that Roger, just arriving at the hotel tells me that he is not feeling well, so when he puts on the thermometer we confirm what we thought, it is almost 39. He touches a water shower warm, pill, bed ... And hope tomorrow is a little better to continue with the trip.
