While I was living in Santiago, I would always come to Valparaiso for a weekend escape from the busy city and get lost within the hills of the colorful city. I was always intrigued by its colorful houses, incredible murals, and general rough-around-the-edges attitude. Valparaiso is one of those places where you either love it or hate it:
and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!
So when I started my digital nomad lifestyle through all of Chile’s 16 regions, I knew that I had to come back to and actually stay longer than just a day or a weekend. I started my 6-week adventure through Valparaiso wanting something different. I didn’t want to go directly to Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre, the most touristy hills, I wanted to see what the locals see. So I called up a few other blogger travel amigas, Fran, Cami, and Nico that live close by and we made a really fun alternative weekend trip. If you are looking for something new and different to explore in Valparaiso, this is the perfect weekend plan for you! So get your amigas together and get on the bus ASAP:
A Different Weekend in Valparaiso
Where We Slept :
La Joya Hostel
This is a true gem in Valparaiso. Located just blocks away from the city’s bus terminal, this hostel definitely surprised me in more ways than I expected. The first thing that I loved was that this hostel shares space with two other ítems that are a must-have for digital nomads like me; a co-work space and an Instagram friendly restaurant.
I took advantage of the co-work space, Paralelo, while I waiting for my amigas to arrive. They offered me a special price because I was already staying in the hostel for the weekend. This space is great because it has a little bit of everything. You can rent just a desk or a private office. The shared space is great; you’ll find comfy couches, a phone booth, and a rooftop with an amazing view of the Barron and Lecheros hills.
Since I can’t sit still and I had several hours, I tried out just about every corner in the co-work space and my favorite was the rooftop. I found a great spot in the shade. Even if you’re not staying in the hostel, you can walk in for a daily or monthly rate. The best thing about this co-work space; THE INTERNET WORKS AMAZING.
Once the amigas arrived, we checked in and had a shared room with 4 beds and a private bathroom. Perfect for all of us. Breakfast was included in the price and the hostel also has private rooms and larger shared dorms for those traveling solo. I really enjoyed the common spaces that the hostel had, especially the rooftop terrace. The picture tells it all. Isn’t it amazing?
Where We Ate :
Food is a huge motivation for me and my schedule usually revolves around what time I’m going to eat my next meal. Luciano, the awesome-and-super-friendly receptionist, told us about La Joya Sanguches that was connected directly with the hostel (the names are the same, duh). They recently were ranked as one of the best sandwich shops in all of Chile. They make everything from scratch so it’s fresh every single day. The bread, the burgers, the sauces, EVERYTHING. Um, Yes I need to eat there and everything on the menu, please! Luciano also told us that hostel guests get a 15% discount on EVERYTHING that is available on the menu when paying in cash. If you plan on paying with a card (debit or credit), it’s 10%.
TIP: you can split the bill so that each amigo pays their own but you have to let them know ahead of time so that the discount can be applied correctly. We ate dinner at the restaurant both nights because there were so many things that we wanted to try and everything was great. Try the”Rubia del Puerto” Sandwich with Dolbek Beer on Tap. an amazing burger with carmelized apples with blue cheese, Yummmy. Also, try their “Chorrillana Baron”, a classic Chilean shared-dish with their own “Joya” special twist.
Breakfast (a very generous one, I might add) was included in our stay so we just had to think about what we wanted for lunch. To save some money and time we decided to use the hostel’s kitchen to cook. It was fully equipped with everything we needed. We divided tasks between the amigas and we managed to cook, clean, and eat within 45 minutes.
Where We Partied :
Valpo is a vibrate city with an even more exciting nightlife. You can find something for everyone during all hours of the night. For our safety, we moved around always using Uber and never waited more than 5 minutes outside for our ride to arrive. There are a lot more options for going out in Valparaiso but this is what we did:
We started our nights in La Joya Sanguches since we were already having dinner there both nights. On the weekend they have live music and a great selection of beers on draft and mixed drinks. If you’re looking for a Chilean craft beer on draft, Dolbeck is your option; full of flavor, directly from Patagonia, and so refreshing that you can’t just have one. I also had a Ramazotti..or two. You know your girl doesn’t drink and tell.
Speakeasy Bar:
A couple of days before I arrived in Valparaiso, I asked over on my Instagram account for tips and places to go to Valparaiso, especially for partying and things that were nightlife related. A follower suggested that I go to a Speakeasy bar. I found it super interested and totally different than the normal bars so I knew that I needed to go. I was only given their Instagram account and I had to follow the instructions for the secret password and how to get there. It was a pretty cool experience and would definitely recommend going. Once you’re in, ask for a “sorprendame”, which means “surprise me”. The barman is going to ask you a couple of questions related to the type of drinks that you usually like and then he prepares something that you most likely have never had before. AMAZING. A very cool experience for those who like the bar scene.
Terraza Bellavista:
This is hands-down the best night club in Valparaiso. Some porteños might disagree with me but I had so much fun here. The hostel hooked us up with free passes to get in (always ask to put on the “lista”) and we arrived around 1 AM. Most clubs in Chile are open till 5 AM so at 1 AM this place was packed! All types of people, lots of exchange students, a variety of ages ( I didn’t feel like the oldest person there), and an overall cool vibe. This club has two dance floors. On the roof, or Terraza, is electronic music and on the first floor is your good ole’ reggeaton/pop/Latino music. Once your done partying making sure you eat a hot dog right outside in the plaza, it will help with your hangover in the morning. TRUST ME. I didn’t take any pictures because I was too busy having one hell of a night!
Where We Explored:
We found a walking tour that was perfect for exploring the other hills in Valparaiso. Lado B Tours (translates to B side) They provide walking tours in the Barron, Lecheros, Polcano, and hills. During our walk to we explored Barron and Lecheros and saw some amazing street art, learned about the history of the San Francisco Church and visited one of the homes that Pablo Nerdura hide out in during the Pinochet dictatorships
Overall the weekend was fantastic and really enjoyed seeing another side of Valparaiso. You can easily stay a couple more days to explore more of Valparaiso. Check out my other posts about more walking tours, more nightspots, and just more of Valparaiso!
Remember, when you give good you get good.
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