World Heritage Unesco and fashionable seaside resort
Valparaiso and Viña del Mar are located on the Pacific coast near Santiago de Chile. The bay of Valparaiso, once an important world port, is surrounded by hills where the multicolored cottages seem to hang, a unique view. Cable tracks and street lifts connect the hills to the narrow coastal strip and became a symbol of the city. The city centre was recognized as a World Heritage Site by Unesco at the beginning of this century. Since then, the city has also attracted many artists; the raucous port city with narrow alleyways and many murals has a bohemian feel.
Just next to it is the beach of the mundane Viña del Mar, Chile's most famous seaside resort, originated in the 19th century as a summer residence for the wealthy citizens of Santiago. Because of the many parks, gardens and hiking trails, Viña del Mar is known as the Garden City of Chile.