Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile

Located 70 miles, or about a two-hour drive, from the capital city of Santiago, Valpara?so is Chile’s principal port. With a population of close to half a million, it is the commercial and administrative center for a vast region and the seat of a major university. A large part of the city is clustered along a crescent of hills in a maze of alleys, winding streets, connecting stairs and funicular railcars. The business center at the foot of the hills lies partially on reclaimed land. Ingenuity has turned a piece of coastline into one of the world’s most picturesque ports; it is especially striking when seen from the sea at dusk, with its semicircle of lit-up hills cascading down to the water.
Valpara?so has no clear date of founding. During the 17th and 18th centuries the port had only seasonal activity; for the remainder of the year it lay dormant. In the early 19th century, following the country’s independence from Spain, the ports of Chile and the Americas were opened to world trade. Due to Valpara?so’s convenient location along the shipping routes circling the tip of South America, the port experienced a tremendous boost. English, German and French immigrants brought foreign capital to finance development of copper, silver and nitrate mining.Valpara?so became the country’s leading commercial center and established the first banks and a stock exchange.

Just six miles out of Valpara?so lies Chile’s main seaside resort, Vi?a del Mar, often dubbed “the garden city” because of its beautiful parks and gardens. Excellent beaches are lined by fine promenades with a range of hotels, restaurants and a casino.