Trips to Chile

Population: approx 1.500.000

Distance of Santiago: 120 km of Santiago

Climate: Valparaiso owns climate temperate Mediterranean with winter rains and prolonged dry station. The rainiest month is June.

Temperatures average during the year:
Spring (September-November): 20ºC/10ºC
Summer (December-February): 23ºC/13º C
Fall (March-May): 15ºC/10ºC
Winter (June-August): 17°C/8°C

Eclectic and colorful architecture in the slope of hills, with the traditional elevators like main access road; museums, fairs of crafts, a Bohemian nocturnal life and a variable gastronomy, are part of the attractiveness of this colorful port.

Valparaiso is a jewel hidden in Latin America, a full city of history and nostalgia. Surrounded by hills Glad Conception and, and bathed by waters of the bay, the city had its moment of glory in century XIX, due to the intense commerce with Europe, especially with Italy, England and France. The architectonic wealth of this natural amphitheater, that watches the immense Pacific Ocean, was worth to him to be declared Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity by UNESCO.

Especially attractive are their elevators, peculiar funicular that raise and lower of hills, interfering in the patios of the houses that cross in their passages. They are the 15 elevators that continue active, taking to the Buenosaireans towards his districts. All the elevators have an extensive route and a wonderful view.

Disembarkation and assault landing areak of sailors of all parts of the world, as well as of load and unloading of enormous ships, the Prat wharf is a place of intense great activity and attractive tourist. The marine life can be perceived close by very giving a return in boat, of about 30 minutes of duration, sailing between boats, fishing boats and gigantic freighters. From the sea, it shines splendid the bay of Valparaiso and its hills.

In the wharf it works, throughout the year, one complete fair of crafts where they are sold all type of articles, typical and artistic, brought of all the country.

The creeks of fishermen: Creeks of fishermen are the name that occurs in Chile to the places, beaches, especially dedicated to the activity of the artisan fishing. In Valparaiso they are the two creeks: “Creek the Quince” and “Creek Vestibules”. In them she is witness of the work of the fishermen; the fish just removed from the sea are voceados for the sale in the same boats.

The markets:
In order to close by know the idiosyncrasy of the Chileans, a place better does not exist than the markets and the fairs. In these places, in the middle of the scents, the typical flavors and the incessant voceo of the salesmen, can be acquired fruits, vegetables, as well as seafood and fish. Sharpening the ear, the musical quality of popular speaking will also notice.

Valparaiso has a fair that works the days Wednesday and Saturday in the Argentina Avenue and two markets: “The Cardonal Market”, located in the district of the Almendral, and “the Market located Port” in the district of the same name. These are very old buildings in whose secondly floor they work, in addition, small called restaurants “cocinerías” or “pensions”, whose specialty is the seafood, the porotos (kidney beans) and the casseroles (an exquisite broth with Popes, meat and vegetables).

Pablo Neruda:
Pablo Neruda, Nobel prize de Literatura en1971, built in Valparaiso one of his three houses, “the Sebastiana”. Today, like their other two houses, are a museum dedicated to their memory. In “the Sebastiana” one can come near to the individual and playful form of life of the poet

The viewpoints:
All the hills of Valparaiso own a viewpoint. These are true balconies from where the best panoramic photographies are taken. The reddish and violáceas tonalities are moving from the dusks in Valparaiso.

The night:
The city is illuminated completely and the lights raise from the sea to hills, mixing themselves with stars in a spectacle that it invites to walk among the lampposts, to discover the night of Valparaiso.
Valparaiso has an interesting nocturnal life with many and varied local, all with a very particular style. Good discotheques, magicians coffees and romantic restaurants hidden in hills give good faith of the traditional Buenosairean Bohemian.

Social club J. Cross:
Hidden in a alley and right in the center of the city one is this beautiful restaurant and the premises nocturne. To enter him is to enter itself in the past. Its small hall is stuffed bookcases that keep the most peculiar collections from diverse objects and antiques. Their walls are upholstered of aged photographies, pictures, collections of hats, helmets of firemen, torpedoes and helices that hang of the ceiling.

Their tight tables confer to the place an exquisite Bohemian atmosphere that it invites when trasnochada char it next to a good wine bottle. Old parroquianos mix with just arrived in atmosphere from friendship and camaraderie, because they know that, who knows the J. Cross, someday it will return to occupy a table.

The Bar Cinzano Restaurant:
The Cinzano is an old bar and restaurant. It dates from 1896. In a small attic the tables are located and the scene and, to the bottom, is appraised a peculiar qualifying picture where the results of last the World-wide one of Soccer are exhibited. Their walls also have been witness of many nights of animated Bohemian. The tango remained to live in the Cinzano.

The scene all the nights of weekend raise, old woman musicians who animate the evening with songs of other times.

NOTE: In no traditional premises of Valparaiso the tango can be solicitd “Goodbye Boys”, because the musicians think that he brings bad luck, since remembers Carlos to them Gardel and, for them, Gardel has not died.

The cultural carnivals: December of 2001 saw be born a “new tradition”, “a new celebration”. As of day 28 of December, the streets of the city are flooded of gratuitous artistic-cultural activities.

The plays invade daily spaces using the stairs of the city like graderías. The poets recite their poems in the coffees. The popular singers act in the places. The jazz, the painting, the spectacles pyrotechnicses delight actively to their inhabitants who participate massive and. They are three days of dream that culminate taking passage to so waited for night of New Year.

For each carnival it is invited to a foreign city that a group of artists like cultural ambassadors sends. The first carnival had as invited to the city of Barcelona and the ambassadors were “Them Comediants”.

The night of New Year: All losl 31 of December, the Municipality prepares in the bay of Valparaiso a celebration spectacular pyrotechnics. Day 31 the full city of visitors who crowd themselves from very early hours in all the viewpoints of hills, beaches or houses with a view to the sea.

All the day is a celebration while the night is expected, because right to the 12:00 they give to beginning fireworks. After the spectacle the neighbors turn upside down to the streets to occur the popular hug of New Year and to be desired a very happy and prosperous year. The night of New Year does not have aim.

NOTE: It does not forget to arrive ahead of time at this celebration and to obtain his location doing early reserves in hotels, residential and restaurants. For that night, if it wishes to mark the luck of its new year, we suggested to him:
- To eat lentils right to the 12:00. This will assure a year to him with economic abundance.
- To have suitcases in its hands when to begin the new year to make sure trips in the course of this one.
- The women who wish to have good luck in the love during the year that begins, they must wear underclothes of yellow color; and if the reason for its loving sleeplessness is close, that their first hug of New Year is for him.

It has of everything and for all the tastes in the port of Valparaiso.

VINE OF THE SEA

Distance of Valparaiso: 9 km

Beaches and parks, tranquility in its sunny mornings and activity during the rutilantes nights. Vine of the Sea, small and charming city, is the more important summery destiny of Chile and one of most excellent of South America.

The “city Garden” has, besides its beaches, wonderful sites like the Fifth Vergara, the Sausalito lake and the National Botanical Garden.

An inescapable destiny.