Chile

Valparaíso

Valparaíso

Welcome to Chile! Valparaíso is a busy port city built across steep hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where colorful houses climb the slopes and quirky elevators called ascensores carry people up and down.

Why is it famous?

Its houses are painted in every color imaginable, tumbling down steep hillsides in a maze of winding streets and staircases.

Because the hills are so steep, the city built over a dozen historic funiculars, called ascensores, to carry people up and down.

How was it built?

Spanish settlers founded Valparaíso in 1536 as a small port, and it grew into one of the busiest harbors in the Pacific Ocean.

As the city grew, homes were built right up the steep hills called cerros, and the colorful ascensores were built starting in the 1880s to make climbing them easier.

Amazing facts

Valparaíso still has 16 of its historic funiculars, most built more than 100 years ago and still carrying passengers today.

UNESCO named Valparaíso's historic port area a World Heritage Site in 2003 for its unique hillside layout.

Quick facts

  • Valparaíso still has 16 of its historic funiculars, most built more than 100 years ago and still carrying passengers today.
  • UNESCO named Valparaíso's historic port area a World Heritage Site in 2003 for its unique hillside layout.
  • The hillside neighborhoods of Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción are covered in colorful street art and murals painted by artists from around the world.
  • People once nicknamed Valparaíso 'Little San Francisco' or the 'Jewel of the Pacific' because of its hills and harbor.