VALPARAISO

Valparaiso - World Cultural Heritage

Región de Valparaiso
Central Coast

On July 2, 2003, the city of Valparaíso was declared a part of World Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). On 6 May of the same year, it was named the cultural capital of Chile. This is due to its history, its artistic, cultural, aesthetic, archaeological and anthropological qualities. Valparaiso is known as the "Jewel of the Pacific", a natural amphitheater where architects, poets, painters, artists, musicians and many others have succumbed to the charms of its colorful cultural landscape beside the sea. On a tour around Valparaiso you can enjoy Muelle Prat, the entry and exit point for maritime traffic; the main port with its constant shipping movement; the Barrio del Puerto (Port Neighborhood), with its handicrafts and the faces of the sailors from all over the world; Santo Domingo, the heart of the port, the Matriz Church, an architectural treasure is surrounded by picturesque streets. On the other side, the many hills such as the Cerro Concepción, Cerro Alegre, Cerro Artillería, Cerro Barón, Cerro Cordillera, etc, give the city its characteristic shape and the old elevators to climb up through the hills, are important elements of public transport. Through these places, viewpoints can be accessed where you can admire a comprehensive view of the city in all its glory. Valparaiso is a cultural landscape, an outdoor museum, an art space of the entire country, where the past merges with the future, it is the result of immigration and legacy, bathed in the warm sensuality of its colorful port.