Valparaiso is Chiles oldest and largest port city. It can easily be visited in a daytrip from Santiago. The most interesting part of Valparaiso is the old section and its many hills totally populared which give an impressive sight by night, where you will find colonial buildings, churches, and museums. Equally fascinating are the "ascensors" used to reach them. These funicular elevators, built in the late 1800s, cheaply ferry locals and tourists alike up the city's steep hills.

Also worth seeing is Pablo Neruda's favourite house "La Sebastiana", a few minutes from downtown in the Cerro Florida hillside. A colorful, sunlit mansion overlooking the water, the house is now a museum that can pleasantly occupy an afternoon.

Valparaiso also is home to a naval museum that documents Chile's extensive history at sea, and most recently a port of call for cruise ships.

The old-seaport atmosphere of Valparaiso is best appreciated by wandering around for a couple of hours in some of the old neighborhoods. The steep and winding alleys give the town a pleasant, intimate feel.