Valparaiso-Santiago (Chile)

Valparaiso is a major Pacific Ocean port city in Chile, with population around 290,000 (metro around 930,000), ranking it the country's second-largest - after the capital Santiago de Chile.

Port Valparaiso (locode CLVAP) was expanded in the period 1910-1930, during which were built its breakwater, as well as most of the piers and ship docking terminals. The port started to decline with the Panama Canal opening in 1914. Additional drawbacks were the later shifting of banking to the capital Santiago and the opening of Chile's largest containership port San Antonio.

In the 19th century, Valparaiso port was the center of British commercial and naval activity on the Pacific coast of South America. Its setting is dramatic - besides a sweeping curve of a huge bay waterway screened by a circle of hills, with modern lower city and winding upper section linked by ancient funiculars and zig-zag roads.

On shore excursions/bus tours from Valparaiso is visited San Pedro de Atacama (Chile's El Loa Province/Antofagasta Region). The town is famous for its Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum housing an impressive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts (~380,000 pieces).

Little of the city's colonial past survived the storms, fires, earthquakes and pirates, but some remnants of the old colonial city are found in El Puerto area surrounding La Matriz church. Close by are several beach resorts. Valparaiso is currently the gateway to Santiago City, located on a plateau and featuring the Andes mountains as a backdrop.

In Valparaiso are based several national institutions, including Chile's Customs Service, the ministry of fishing and aquaculture, the ministry of culture, the Chilean Navy's Barracks General. A disastrous accident occurred in February 2013, when a major brush fire destroyed over 2800 homes and killed 16 people.

Valparaiso-Santiago cruise terminal