Pantheon Hill to Bellavista Hill

Summary: An interesting walk with many important sites and many surprises. Major historical sites include the historic Dissident’s Cemetery, the Saint John’s Hill National Historic District, the Yungay Hill, the Eden Passageway, and Bellavista Hill.
Estimated walking time: Approximately 2 hours.

How to get here: Take a collective taxi or bus from the Plazuela Ecuador to the old prison site.

Degree of difficulty: Look out; this is a killer with several treacherous climbs, ideal for urban hikers with a hearty spirit of adventure. Not recommended for the weak!
Tourist infrastructure: You will find a series of pubs, restaurants, and soda fountains in the Plazuela Ecuador, about 2/3rds of the way. If you get to that point around meal time, you may want to detour one block to the historic Hamburgo or hold off another 30 minutes until you get to the end of the section. There you will find the Valparaíso Foundation headquarters and the excellent restaurant, El Gato Tuerto, with its spectacular terrace, eclectic fusion cuisine, and one of the best boutique wine lists in the region. The Hotel Puerta de Alcala, on Pyramid Street just of Plazuela Ecuador, is probably Valparaíso’s finest.

Catholic Cemetery Number 2

The least visited of the 3 cemeteries in Pantheon Hill; this beautiful resting place is still worth a visit. You can find tobacco industrialist Fernando Rioja, and many famous old civic leaders of Valparaíso, such as Ricardo Cumming, Enrique Deformes, and the Clark Brothers, considered pioneers of the Chilean railroads.

Catholic Cemetery Number 1

With its spectacular geographical setting, this is the eternal resting place of the Baburriza clan, José Francisco Vergara –the founder of Viña del Mar- Carmela Chacón (widow to war hero Arturo Prat), the Solaris (patriarchs of the Italian immigration in Valparaíso), Vice Admiral Simpson, the Edwards clan (founders of the El Mercurio Dynasty), and Renzo Pecheninno (Lukas), amongst many, many others.

Dissident’s Cemetery

This is probably Valparaíso’s most important ethnic heritage site, harboring the tombs of thousands of European immigrant who edified the city during her golden age. The austerity of the place reflects the powerful Anglo-Saxon presence that infuses most of the city’s institutions. Many tombs include anecdotes about shipwrecks, naval battles, and other urban pioneers. You will also find many of Valparaíso’s early Protestant, Lutheran, and Mormon leaders. Most tombs are English or German, giving tourist and otherworldly glimpse into the Anglo heart of this Latin City.

Saint John’s Hill

One of Valparaíso’s best kept secrets, the Lord Cochrane Housing Estate contains about twenty of the city’s most photographed and beloved homes. The houses line San John’s, Bernardo Vera, Placilla, and Vicente Padún Streets, respectively, and include various stairways and passages. The houses are all painted bright colors and in recent years they have been taken over by a new generation of up and coming civic activists, including the President and Founder of the Valparaíso Foundation! Climbing up Placilla Street, you walk down an alley towards Guillermo Rivera, alternating stately old homes with poorer new ones. At this point you connect onto tiny Huascar Street and wind your way up to General Mackenna, taking you to the heart of Yungay Hill. This is actually one of the Valparaíso’s most peaceful neighborhoods, since there isn’t too much traffic and the views are great. There is a beautiful plaza just above the intersection of Huascar and Mackenna. Take a look before strolling down General Mackenna to Ecuador Square. The last block and a half of General Mackenna is very steep and graced by a number of very attractive old homes. Be glad you are walking down!!! When you get to the plaza, be careful, because this is a dangerous intersection with lots of confusing traffic. You will want to turn to the right and walk up Yerbas Buenas Street. You are now heading up hill again, so it may not be a bad idea to buy yourself a soft drink in one of the stores on the plaza.

The Eden Passageway

About three blocks up Yerbas Buenas Street you will come across a stairway. (At the address 334, to be exact) This is the entry way to the strangely exotic Eden Passageway. To access, you first need to climb up about 50 steps, and then traverse the hillside laterally in a zigzag fashion. It is worth the effort! This little detour is a microcosm of the absurd and rebellious urban nature that makes Valparaíso so exquisite!After our detour on the Eden Passage, we return to Yerbas Buenas Street and walk down again, although not all the way. We are looking for an entry way on the other side of the street that says “Chopin.” This picturesque meandering stair will short cut us up to the Open Air Museum of Bellavista Hill.