Valparaiso and Viña Del Mar were more than I could have imagined. After a two hour bus ride there, we zipped up to the tops of mountains to get to Pablo Neruda’s house. It was gorgeous! It was an eclectic space made obviously for entertainment purposes. The house has small portholes on every floor which I really enjoyed. Also there was a sink decorated as of it was chinoiserie that I wish I could have photographed!
Next, Sergio walked us through a maze of streets out loads of graffiti. The street art was insane! Mostly the illustrations were of scantily clad women however, some murals contained bits and pieces of amazing art. The colorful Spanish style homes reminded me of Viejo San Juan back at home.
Following, we drove down to Viña Del Mar. I dipped my feet in the Pacific but it wasn’t don’t with me. The violent waves came and splashed all long the top of my calves. Thank goodness I hadnt gone for a swim! I also perused the markets alongside the beach and got some trinkets and things for the family. Overall, the day was fairly quiet and low impact which I really needed. I wish we could’ve spent more time but Santiago was calling.
Paola, I also REALLY enjoyed both Valparaiso and Viña Del Mar. I thought the walking tour the Sergio lead was great, and I absolutely loved the color and vibrancy of the city. I really enjoyed the graffiti and murals as they added a nice personal touch to the city.
I was pleasantly surprised by Pablo Neruda’s house, mostly because I wasn’t really sure who he was or what he did, so the history video of him and his life before the tour and the virtual tour guide really helped me put the house in context. Not only was the property amazing but the house as well was very eclectic and interesting and I also wish I could have taken photos of the inside!
Viña Del Mar was also a lot of fun! I’m so glad we got free time to relax on the beach, but the water was way too cold for me to enjoy more than sticking my feet in for 5 seconds. Although I really enjoyed our time in Santiago, I also really wish we had more time to explore Valparaiso which I know would’ve been near impossible to work into the schedule. Like you, I was very pleasantly surprised by both cities, and one day I hope to return!