San Antonio Port, Chile Wednesday 2/8/2023

 San Antonio Port, Chile 2/8/2023 

                                       We ate on the patio of the Astoreca Palace Hotel.  We had juice, a tiny sandwich and a large dessert.  

TOUR  Valparaiso Port Heritage Route 90 minute drive through the smoke from the interior fires in Chile.  In Valparaiso we saw a lot of graffiti throughout the town.  

• Travel up the Chilean coast to tour the unique port city of Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Move through the narrow streets of the historic quarter and around the city’s hills by trolley bus (did not do this).
• Stop at vast Plaza Sotomayor square and tour a fine arts museum collection in a 1916 palace.
• Ride the legendary El Peral funicular up to picturesque Cerro Alegre hill and landmarks sights like Astoreca Palace.
• Visit the Valparaíso Heritage Interpretation Center at the Villa Victoria mansion (in an old section), learn about the city, and
•  Enjoy (complimentary coffee and fresh-made pastry and a small sandwich at a restaurant on Cerro Alegre hill. .

Journey with us to Valparaíso and discover a colorful, historic, hilly and highly artistic port city that also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. Established as a small and insignificant colonial coastal village in the 1500s, Valparaíso grew to be the leading commercial port along the sea routes of South America’s Pacific coast by the late 19th century. That moment in the sun has come and gone with changes to world trade, but the character of this city still shines through. Arriving here by coach from San Antonio, you’ll shift to heritage trolley bus (did not ride a trolley) – and even hill-climbing funicular – to tour Valparaiso’s maze of narrow, winding streets sprawled out over some 42 hills surrounding the bay (did not do). Among the highlights: the old customs building (1855) NO, Sotomayor Square with its dramatic monument to Chile’s fallen naval heroes, a ride on the famed El Peral funicular up to Cerro Alegre hill, and a tour of the fine arts museum at Palacio Baburizza. A visit to the interpretation center at Villa Victoria, a recently restored period mansion with costumed guides, provides fascinating insights on this maritime city’s heritage – and NO  warm cup of tea or coffee with fresh-baked pastries and a sandwich.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

PLEASE NOTE

This tour includes just over 2 hours of moderate walking and standing that includes some steps, inclines and uneven terrain. The tour is not available to wheelchair guests or those with walking difficulties. Trolleys do not operate on Sundays; Sunday tours will be conducted by minibus or bus, depending on number of guests.

                      Chile's Navy's Building/ Armada de Chile

This table was in fine arts museum at Palacio Baburizza.  Believed to be Napoleon III's  pre-revolution.  In the center is Marie Antoinette and her three children.  The pictures surrounding the center are Ladies in Waiting.  

            Sotomayor Square with its dramatic monument to Chile’s fallen naval heroes.  It has guards from 2 branches of the military.

            Palacio Baburizza - art on first floor were collected by the owner.  This picture was Valparaíso in an earlier time.  

                                            Palacio Baburizza

                      Plaza Sotomayor square  - We did not shop.

                                                    View from Cerro Alegre hill 

The Valparaíso Heritage Interpretation Center at the Villa Victoria mansion (in an old section), learn about the city's history.  A visit to the interpretation center at Villa Victoria, a recently restored period mansion with costumed guides, provides fascinating insights on this maritime city’s heritage  The woman and her son gave us the tour.  They hoped we enjoyed the tour as much as they enjoyed creating it.  Candles were important in the early days and then were replaced by whale oil lamps.  Chile consumes the most tea in South America.  The doorway in this room was a secret passage to the workshop next door.  The man was a barrel maker/hooper with a room for making the hoops and creating the staves.  There were many period tools on display.