If you’re planning a trip to Chile’s coast, you’re probably wondering whether Valparaíso or Viña del Mar is the right city for you. One is a Bohemian port town, and the latter, a more cosmopolitan beach destination. Both are about an hour and a half away from Santiago so it’s easy to visit as a day trip from the city, or to stay awhile and experience more of their charms.
Brian and I chose to visit both as a day trip. Despite our research, we couldn’t be sure which town we would like more and where we should stay if we extended our time there. When we were planning, it was difficult to discern exactly how the two cities differed, beyond the loose approximation that Valparaíso was akin to San Francisco and Viña del Mar to Miami. (Which turned out to be pretty apt, actually.)
So for anyone looking for more information about the feel of these two closely located but very different towns, here is our take.
Valparaíso or Viña del Mar
City Layout, Safety, Overall Vibes
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a port town, so the part of the city that touches the water is a port. It is full of large ships and the surrounding area is replete with shipping containers stacked like legos. There is no beach for swimming.
Plano de Valparaíso
The lower part of the town, called the “plano” (pronounced like plan – o) is the commercial and business area, as opposed to the “cerros” (hills) where most people actually live. Part of the plano was manmade by filling in the area with earth to extend the land section around the port. I have no idea how they pulled off such an audacious engineering feat, but there it is!
The plano is quite large. There are roads lined with multi-storied buildings and it is bustling with cars and pedestrians. Several streets have a market feel, lined with outdoor stalls selling fruits and vegetables, snacks, clothing, and other everyday items. This part of the city felt busy, very local (not touristy), and in several parts, more than a little gritty. In fact, our guide, Leo, told us that he no longer stops in certain areas of the plano for his clients to walk around, as the risk of being robbed is too great.
Valparaíso Cerros
The bulk of Valparaíso is built into the cerros, or hills. If you are standing in the plano and look inland, you will be craning your head for the view. From the plano, the city rises sharply on steep hills that are completely covered in colorful houses.
The houses in the cerros are varied and colorful with many sporting large scale art along their walls. It’s these hills and structures that liken it to San Francisco, and the colorful buildings and art are part of what gives the city its Bohemian reputation.
To be honest though, we didn’t feel like the city itself was very Bohemian anymore. Cool, colorful, interesting, but Bohemian? Maybe at some point, but no longer. Driving through the streets you could squint your eyes and see the lines of art, graffiti-art, and just plain graffiti, starting to blur together.
Once upon a time there were 29 funiculars taking people up and down the hills but that gradually dwindled due to the city’s economic decline, exacerbated by the civil unrest in 2019 followed by Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Today there are a few funiculars still running, but other than taking a (literal) hike up the hill, the main way to access this part of the city is by car.
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar is only about 25 minutes north of Valpo, but the two cities couldn’t be more different.
Whereas Valparaíso is a port town made up almost entirely of steep hills peppered with colorful houses and an old-school vibe, Viña del Mar is flat and veritably sparkles in comparison. This seaside town has wide avenues lined with palm trees, and several sand beaches to choose from.
The buildings are much newer than in Valparaíso. Many of them are high rise resort hotels catering to Chileans and other South Americans.
Chain restaurants like Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays are everywhere. The feel of the area in general is that of an upper middle class, somewhat predictable resort town. That doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement but in reality, it is probably a decent place to vacation if you already live nearby.
We spent less time in Viña del Mar but that’s because there was less to see and do unless we were going to pitch a towel at the beach. (Didn’t bring our swimsuits, alas!) If you’re like us and are wondering what the beaches just 25 minutes from a port town are like, wonder no more. Viña’s beaches were wide, with clean, golden sand. There was plenty of public parking, a nice boardwalk to stroll, and several places to buy a snack or drink.
The ocean itself was pretty choppy. There were also a ton of ships very visible and pretty close to the shore (relatively speaking). We weren’t sure if the ships were commercial or belonged to the Chilean navy, since Valparaíso is home to Chile’s naval fleet.
While it didn’t seem particularly threatening to see them looming over the beach, it didn’t exactly add to the relaxation either.
Valparaíso or Viña del Mar: Final Thoughts
Brian and I opted for a day trip because we weren’t sure which of these cities would be better for an overnight stay. As it turns out for us, the answer was neither. We were glad we got to see them but didn’t feel like we needed more time in either city.
However, all things considered, Valparaíso had more to offer culturally and more of the kind of Chilean experience an international traveler may be looking for.
Viña del Mar was quite nice and would be a great getaway for someone living nearby who wants to spend a few days relaxing at the beach. If we lived in Santiago, we would hands-down choose Viña for a weekend away.
The Valpo vibe was international backpacker whereas Viña was more like South American families on a quick holiday.
If you’re on the fence about either of these cities, I hope this post helps you decide where you’d rather stay. You also can’t go wrong visiting both as a day trip, especially if you hire our best guide ever, Leo. (Hi Leo!)
Our day trip details are coming up next… In the meantime, let me know what you think of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. Have you been here? What was your take? Leave me a comment and let me know!
