Estimated walking time: Approximately 90 minutes.
How to get here: By car, park under the Lord Cochrane Square. Enter the city on Pedro Montt, follow traffic as it sidesteps Victoria Square and merges into Brasil. Near the British Arch, you will begin to see blue signs with arrows indicating how to access the underground parking garage. By bus or trolley, get off at the Líder Supermarket on the corner of Brasil and Bellavista.
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Tourist Infrastructure: Lots. The traditional German eatery, Hamburgo, is highly recommended, but so is the century-old Café Riquet just around the corner on Aníbal Pinto Square. Across from the Riquet, the Cinzano is attractive for late diners, not so much for the food, but for its charm. Also try one of two newer Italian options on Esmeralda Street, Terra Nostra and Michelango. If you’re looking for the perfect combination of history and good eating, and you weren’t tempted by the Hamburgo or the Riquet, try the Old English Bar, across from the Turri Clock. At Prat Pier, the Bote Salvavidas is also excellent.
Finally, you can connect up to some of Valparaíso’s more important hillside restaurants without much detour. The Café Turri can be accessed by riding the Concepción Elevator in front of the Turri Clock and the Colombina makes a nice end to your walk via the Peral Elevator off Plaza Sotomayor.
Lord Cochrane Civic Plaza
Brasil Avenue ends at Regional Government Headquarters, in a tiny trapezoidal space now known as the Lord Cochrane Civic Park. This is Valparaíso’s newest public space, dedicated two years ago. Still, during that short period the area has consolidated itself as an important social and cultural space. The Regional government often sponsors book fairs, art expos, concerts, theater and other events. The plaza is bordered on one side by O’Higgins Street, lined with many handsome facades and several notable restaurants, including the legendary Hamburgo.
Aníbal Pinto Plaza
From O’Higgins Street we connect to the Aníbal Pinto Plaza. Considered a national historic district in its own right, this charming little plaza serves as entry into the financial district.
The earliest urban developers in Valparaíso used two lines to build their streets: the coast line and the edge of the hills. As the city grew, it became evident it would be hard to make the two lines meet. Hence, this plaza was designed as the meeting point, hence “The Plaza of Order.” The plaza was renamed at the death of Aníbal Pinto, the Chilean President who presided during the War of the Pacific. Despite its tiny area, the plaza has several notable attractions.
Founded in 1931, by German resident William Spratz, the Café Riquet is the last of Valparaiso’s great European cafes. Although Don William passed on in 2000, the place remains faithful to his legacy. The restaurant is a classic for afternoon tea, offering a wide selection of German cakes and pies.
The Ivens Bookstore is another tradition. Originally opened in 1891, this once proud chain was sold from the German born Ivens family, the to the de Raadt family from Holland, who maintained the original name. Later, the store was purchased by another German, Guillermo Bühler. When his wife Berena de Bühler passed on, the store’s rich tradition for humanistic books complimented by many books on Valparaíso.
The building was built in 1850 and appears in many old photographs, including those by the renowned American photographer Harry Olds. In those photos, you can detect the name of the old Klickman Jewelry Shop, which went out of business several years ago after more than a century on this square. The Neptune Fountain is an excellent example of high quality public art in 19th century Valparaíso. Around the corner on Cumming Street, the Dominó Restaurant is a famous dive where locals love to eat “chorrillanas” (a local dish of chopped steak, egg, French fries, and onions, which tastes better than it sounds). In the background you can glimpse the Atkinson Promenade and the Brighton B & B, icons of the Concepción Hill Historic District.
The Cinzano is a famous old tango club. There is a tiny stage where elderly tango singers belt out classics that will bring a tear to many a local’s eye. Gringos beware: this is a place to hear tangos. They don’t dance them.
Finally, the Vitalicia Cooperative Building was once the tallest building in Chile. Considered “the first skyscraper” the structure was built in an Art Deco Style that never really took off in Valparaíso. On the 10th floor you’ll find the Valparaíso Club, once home to a veritable who’s who of Valparaíso elite.
Somewhat dilapidated, the restaurant is open to the public and has a nice view.
Valparaíso’s financial district has so many important monuments it is almost impossible to name them all. On Esmeralda Street you’ll find the old Hotel Colon, now converted into many small offices. The Orellana Bookstore was once the lower station house of the Esmeralda Funicular elevator, destroyed in the 1985 earthquake.
The El Mercurio building is the historic home of the oldest newspaper in continuous publication in the Spanish speaking world. Forever identified by the bronze Mercurio standing on the roof, arm extended to the sky, this is the deacon of the Chilean press and steeped in tradition. For 6 consecutive generations the Editor in chief has had the same name, Don Agustín Edwards. The stairway to the left leads to the mystical Chivato Cave. Prat Street begins at the stunning Turri Clock building: Valparaíso’s Big Ben is an extraordinary example of corner architecture. The famous Bar Inglés is around the corner on Blanco Street. The old Bank of London (Banco Santiago) features unbelievable marble work and a touching monument to British soldiers of Valparaíso who died in the Great War. The oldest stock exchange in Latin America preserves in tact the old bidding wheel amidst its spectacular double atrium and dome.
Sotomayor Square (next to our school) 
The neoclassical Palace at the head of this impressive plaza was originally built in 1831 as a Custom House by the British architect John Stevenson. In that time, the water arrived a few feet away from the front gate. The building was remodeled by Juan Berg and transfigured into the Regional Government Headquarters. The original was leveled and rebuilt by Ernesto Urquieta, the same architect of the Catholic University of Valparaíso, after damage from the 1906 earthquake. He used the original plans and embellished them with ideas from the Consistorial Palace in Paris. This was long the regional government headquarters, but also served as vacation house for Chilean presidents, until a new summer palace was built in Viña del Mar. This building was expropriated by the Chilean Navy in the 1970’s and has served as Naval Headquarters ever since.
The Old Post Office, future home to Chile’s new Ministry of Culture, was built in the 1940’s a major contribution to the budding modernist movement in Chilean architecture. Next door, you’ll find the “American Fire House” the first in the city and the oldest volunteer fire department in Latin America. On the third floor, there is a cute little restaurant run by the fireman. They are open only for lunch and serve mainly employees from the shipping companies. There is no sign. But it’s worth a visit.
Valparaíso’s Fire Department was founded in 1851. Many early fire trucks were donated by foreign governments, and each of the building firehouses took on the ethnic identity of its benefactors. This explains why each fire house in Valparaíso represents a different community: the American company, the British company, the German company, the Spanish company, the Italian company, etc. The city’s complicated topography, coupled with her history of earthquakes and other disasters, has made the Valparaíso Fire Department a mythical presence and the inspirational model for other fire companies around Chile.
During 150 years, the institution has suffered numerous calamities and casualties, the most horrific being the loss of 36 firefighters during an explosion of the Schulze Lumber Yard in 1953. This and other disasters are faithfully commemorated every year. Another moving tradition is the torchlight parade with which the different companies celebrate their funeral masses.
Monument to the Heroes of Iquique
At the center of the plaza is Chile’s most important civic monument: the Monument of the Martyrs of the Battle of Iquique. The stature honors the memory of Arturo Prat and his crew, who sacrificed their lives in a suicide mission on the wooden schooner, Esmeralda, stalling the iron Peruvian battleship “Huascar.” The battle was the emotional turning point of the War of the Pacific. Prat’s body was rescued and is buried here, explaining the civic importance of Sotomayor Square, which garners the entire nation’s attention on the 21st of May holiday, when the President give his State of the Union address from Valparaíso. Built upon landfill, Sotormayor is also an important archeological site. The Plaza was built upon the original Prat Pier and many shipwrecks are located below the ground. Remnants are stored in the archeological museum in the center of the plaza. Historical tiles are also placed to illustrate where the coastline was at different times in the city’s history. Finally, Latina America’s largest shipping company, Sudamericana de Vapores, is built behind the restored facade of the old Grace Building.
Prat Pier and the Old Train Station
The old train station, another national monument, is the last building before entering Prat Pier. The station has attractive murals and is known as a picturesque gathering place for chess players. The train is an excellent alternative for folks traveling to Viña del Mar. The Station is currently being remodeled for office and commercial space, which will generate an important new seaside promenade. Finally, the Prat Pier is an obligatory visit for anyone wanting to take a water taxi around the harbor. There are few places in the world where tourists can get so close to the large commercial ships. This area becomes very congested with tourists when large cruise ships come into town during the summer. Next to the souvenir shops, the Bote Salvavidas Restaurant is one of Valparaíso’s most traditional eateries.
Serrano Street
After visiting Prat Pier, we double back along Square, in front of the Queen Victoria Hotel, to Serrano Street, home of many notable buildings. Many renowned families lived here, including the Waddingtons and the Rolffs, who’s Hotel Rolff was amongst the most important in the city. A famous bar, “La Playa” is worth the visit. The bar opened in 1903 and is a nice mixture of old and new. The bar was featured in an award winning Chilean movie, “Amnesia,” which portrays a torture survivor during Chile’s military government, who, years later, glimpses his torturer through a foggy mist on a Valparaíso stairway. He then pursues his ex-captor through the stairs and alleys of Valparaíso, catching up with him finally in this bar where they dialogue about the importance of memory.
Several doors down, the Rivera Palace stuns visitors with its intricate, if not decadent, Venetian décor. This is yet another marvel of the famed pair of Italian architects: Barrison and Schiavon, whose numerous gifts to Valparaíso (the home on Artillery Hill, Baburriza Palace, Severín Library, etc) have been noted in other sections. You must climb the onyx stairway where you will be blown away by the ornate interior décor. Across the street, you’ll find the Cordillera Funicular. All along Serrano Street, you’ll encounter numerous passage ways, which give this neighborhood, known as “the old port” its traditional charm. Eventually, we arrive at the Echaurren Square.
Echaurren Square
This is the historic birthplace of Valparaíso and contains many notable buildings, including the Market Place. The dilapidated market offers very low price seafood restaurants for adventurous travelers. The more hygienic of these eateries are located on the first floor and across the street, such as the “Marisquería Las Porteñas” which offers some clean bathrooms and a bit more ambience for the more conservative tourist. If you’re really low of funds, try the second floor.
Most building around the plaza date to the mid-19th century, including the Aztoreca Building –a French Neo-classical palace built, by the architect Dazzarola in 1907. Many old emporiums and pharmacies are worth a visit. The Emporio Echaurren is one of the most legendary old groceries in Valparaíso and has a fanatically faithful clientele that enables the owner to stock some fine premium wines and many European delicacies that may seem out of place in such a working class neighborhood. Along the sidewalks, street vendors hawk cinnamon, oregano, paprika, and old fashioned stove toasters. Many stores in this neighborhood supply ships during their stays in the port of Valparaíso. The plaza is named after a Regional Governor, Francisco Echaurren (1870- 1876). As you gaze upon the bustle of this historic center, you will discover various eccentric personages such as organ grinders or old ladies feeding the pigeons. It is hard to imagine that what is now a chaotic urban center once was a sandy beach and that it was precisely in this spot 480 years ago, that the wooden schooner, Santiaguillo, captained by the Spanish explorer Juan de Saavedra, touched ground as the first European to set foot in what later became Valparaíso.Little has change since the 1840’s.
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