Based on both Clare’s suggestion as well as the prospect of seeking cooler temps, we opted to spend our Saturday along the coast, in the city of Valparaiso. It was a very easy 90-minute ride on a very nice, two-story bus. The bus stop in Valparaiso wasn’t in the nicest part of town, but we quickly navigated to the local metro and ultimately the more touristy (and interesting) part of the city.
One of the first orders of business, once we had arrived, was to find some lunch. We took one of the cool funiculars up the steep hills and found an Italian restaurant that faced the coast. It didn’t have the advertised pizza, but we managed to get a good meal anyway.
After lunch, we made our way back down to the city square where the walking tour that Clare recommended congregated. The tours are offered without paid tickets, relying solely on tips that we pay at the end. For a two-and-a-half hour tour, that’s a pretty interesting premise - but it was one that paid off!
Our guide was engaging, charismatic, and knowledgeable. We learned about the history of the port in Valparaiso (which is a very big city, by the way); some of the political history; and a fascinating focus on the extensive amount of murals. All five of us really enjoyed it - it was unlike anything we’d done thus far.
We treated ourselves to some of the delicious gelato offered throughout the touristy area, and then boarded the bus back to Santiago. We might have missed our original stop, but navigated our way pretty easily and concluded the day with a delicious pizza dinner at a bustling restaurant. A full, great day!
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