Things To Do in Valparaiso
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Valparaiso Attractions
The city's Natural History Museum, Av. Condell 1546 in the Palacio Lyon (tel. 32/245-9056), has been closed for desperately needed renovations for the last few years, and continues to shut down for construction -- check on the off chance that it is open (usual hours are Tues-Sat 10am-1pm and 4-9pm; Sun and holidays 10am-2pm; admission $1/70p, or free Wed and Sun). The Galería Municipal de Arte, in the basement level of the Palacio Lyon at Av. Condell 1550, features paintings and sculptures by regional artists, usually arranged thematically and related to the Valparaíso area. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, with erratic hours dependent on the current exhibition.
Special Events -- Valparaíso's famed New Year's Pyrotechnic Festival is an event so spectacular even Chileans consider it something they must see at least once in their lives (during the 2007 New Year, the city shot for the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest amount of fireworks exploded in one evening -- 16,000). Thousands of partiers crowd the streets and hilltops to take in the radiant lights that explode over the shimmering bay. You'll want to stake out your "corner" early atop one of the hills. Savvy Chileans arrive in the early afternoon and bring chairs, barbecues, and a day's ration of food and drink to save their viewing platform for the nighttime fireworks display.
Valparaiso Shopping
Travelers searching for that unique something to bring home should make a beeline to Tuten, Esmeralda 1140 (tel. 32/221-7941; www.tuten.cl), a new collective for regional artists and craftsmen of the Valparaíso area. Within the walls of Tuten, you'll find beautifully crafted, original, and high-quality carved wood items; jewelry handmade of glass, copper, and gold; glassware such as vases and plates; folksy art representing the Valparaíso area; children's items; copper; and gold. It's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 9pm.
For books, guides, and maps, head to the Fundación Valparaíso's Gato Tuerto Café & Bookstore, Héctor Calvo 205 (tel. 32/222-0867; Espíritu Santo Funicular), which also has a small arts-and-crafts store. Design For Valparaíso, Concepcion 154B (tel. 32/259-1868), has original designs of textiles and clothing woven from natural fibers found in Chile.
Plaza O'Higgins, close to the Congreso Nacional, hosts a weekend flea market purveying all manner of collectibles ranging from knickknack memorabilia to books, homemade jams, Neruda-themed souvenirs, and electrical items. You will also find local artistes selling their wares at stalls clustered close to the Neruda museum and along the Paseo Gervasoni.
Valparaiso Nightlife
Valparaíso is nationally famous for its bohemian pubs and bars where poets, writers, tango aficionados, sailors, university students, and just about everyone else spend hours drinking, dancing, and socializing well into the early morning hours. In fact, most restaurants and bars do not adhere to a set closing hour, but instead close "when the candles burn down."
That said, given the Valparaíso University here, a lot of these nighttime watering holes draw in a disproportionate amount of young adults. The Cinzano, facing Plaza Aníbal Pinto on Calle Esmeralda (tel. 32/221-3043), is an exception. This traditional and unabashedly kitschy bar/restaurant is known for its kooky tango singers who break out the mic Thursday through Saturday after 10pm. But you need to get here earlier, or you'll end up waiting for a table. La Colombina (tel. 32/223-6254) is frequented by an adult/young adult crowd for its comfortable ambience, live jazz and bolero music, and view of the glittering lights of Valparaíso that spread out below; take a cab or the funicular Ascensor Peral and walk down Paseo Yugoslavo. The Brighton Bed & Breakfast has live music on Fridays and a bar ambience most nights on their hanging terrace. La Playa, Serrano 568 (tel. 32/259-4262), is one of Valparaíso's legendary bar/restaurants, and it draws an eclectic mix of characters who come to eat, drink, and listen to live music or poetry readings well into the early morning.
My pick for a venue dedicated to nightlife action is La Piedra Feliz, Av. Errázuriz 1054 (tel. 32/256788). The bar/dance club is housed within the old storehouse of a shipping company, and it has something for everyone: a trendy subterranean lounge and club with DJs (lounge Thurs-Sat), a salsa room, tango room, pub, and a stage for live music. Twenty- and thirty-somethings sweat to electronic music at the ultracool Mundo Pagano, Blanco 236 (tel. 32/223-1118; www.mundopagano.cl), which has nightly dance parties and occasionally live music. On Cerro Concepción, one of the hippest bars is Gremio, Pasaje Gálvez 173 (tel. 32/222-8394; www.gremio.cl), with periodic arts exhibitions and snacks. Deck 00, Muelle Barón (tel. 32/259-2852), a glass cube building at the end of the dock, offers a waterfront view and occasional lounge parties, but you'll need to check their website for info as they open and close on a whim. Bitácora, Cumming 68 (tel. 32/222-6412), is a popular cultural center featuring local artists; there's a bar on the first floor and a second-floor salon dedicated to theater and music.
