Valparaíso and The Central Coast

The Central Coast is a rare thing: both a popular tourist destination and an incredibly authentic Chilean experience. The capital of the region, and Chile's principle port, Valparaíso--known lovingly as Valpo--is a rich labyrinth of brightly-colored, expertly-graffitied houses that climb the steep cerros surrounding the bay. Instead of planning the city, it was allowed to grow like a coral reef—maybe one of the best descriptions of a place that really must be experienced on foot, at a leisurely and curious pace. Valpo was named Chile's “Arts Capital” in 2003, owing to its recently surging community of students, artists, writers and immigrants, and its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just north along the coastal highway (a beautiful drive in itself) is the more clean-cut beach town of Viña del Mar, where both Chileans and tourists go to relax for the day or weekend in the sun and sand. It's a common destination for Chilean students, who fill up the beachfront hotels for the summer concerts held there (some of which are remembered years later, à la Woodstock). Viña is the glitz to Valpo's grit; both are truly Chilean, but in very different ways—fitting for a country that considers itself a land of contrasts.

Around Viña del Mar, Aconcagua Valley,