Valparaíso is a very artistic nice city. Full of paintings, hills, stairs and of course: restaurants and cafés.
The whole city is full with arts that really makes houses and walls look much more friendly. No smearing, no ugly graffity. Instead huge paintings their artists put on walls and buildings.
Honestly: Traveling from nice small Puerto Natales to Valparaíso was… overwhelming 😉 Suddenly the whole world around me was so loud, busy, full of cars and buses and people! Music, street vendors, shops… What a contrast.
But then, one corner and up the hill the ambience, streets and people changed completely. No busy cars, tourists, quiet streets and sweet small cafés every step you walk. And by the way: Walking means… hiking 😉
Really, I had my cabin-sized backpack on my back and the trekking backpack in front of me. And then… the hills, the steps up to my hotel Fauna was a bit challenging. Of course I made it but next time I try to get a bus or taxi (which was not available on my arrival from Santiago). In the first evening I just walked around the neighbourhood and decided to book a tour with a local guide for the next day. It took 2 hours and he showed us several paintings and explained a bit abort the artists and the city itself. All the paintings and street arts is made to bring colours to Valparaíso. An artist gets about $400 for a huge painting if he is well known. Some artists now live in Copenhagen or Berlin or Stockholm and often visit their hometown.
Valparaíso is absolutely worth a visit and a good contrast to Santiago de Chile. Food, people and arts are nice! So come and visit 🙂