Day 10.Santiago. 26.1.25

"FULL DAY VALPARAISO AND CASABLANCA VALLEY TOUR. This morning we journey westward towards the Pacific Ocean. Our first destination is the enchanting Valparaíso, once a vital port in South America until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. Traces of European emigration history permeate the streets and neighborhoods. Valparaíso, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hailed as the cultural capital of Chile, boasts charming, colorful houses cascading down the hills, forming a natural amphitheatre where historic port life seamlessly intertwines with cultural activities. As we stroll along the hills, we'll uncover hidden treasures such as art galleries, cozy coffee shops, breweries, vibrant graffiti, beautiful old houses, and a variety of bars and restaurants. Our journey continues to the Casablanca Valley, renowned for its numerous wineries and towns steeped in Chilean traditions. On our return to Santiago, we'll make a stop at one of these world-class wineries for a premium wine tasting before heading back to your hotel"

We have had a wonderful day exploring. We took a drive to Valparaíso and some hills.

View of the Bay from Mirador Baron Hill. 

The driver took us to another hill, Montealegre, and left us to meander our way down. He picked us up about 2.5 hours later.

The art works on the buildings were excellent, the views lovely, lots of steps to go up and down and we saw a couple of vernaculars. Oh and I took too many photos again 🤷‍♀️

    'No fear'

One of the funiculars heading down a steep hill.

The workings

People were climbing the stairs and then sliding down the ramp. 

The artist changes his art work on the stairs annually.  This one's a girl playing hopscotch. 

A few naval battleships in dock.

St Paul's Anglican Church 

La Santa Cruz Lutheran Church. It was closed so we couldn't enter.

After some empanadas 🥟 for lunch we drove to the Casablanca Valley to visit a winery.  

An old grape press.

Reds on the left and whites on the right. 

Red wines fermenting. 

We had a tasting afterwards. The tour guide was a young lady who has a trip to Brisbane booked for April. She was very excited to hear about our country and in particular about the kangaroos. 

We both had a nap on the drive home and again at the hotel 😴 before finding a small restaurant that served a simple fettuccine pomodoro (pasta with a smooth tomato based sauce).

Today we have walked about 7kms, total 70kms on the trip.  The temperature in Valparaíso was cool in the morning and warmed up to 21° in the middle of the day. Santiago got up to 31°

We head to Buenos Aires tomorrow just for the night.