2025_26 Oosterdam, San Antonio, Chile...

It was a very early arrival into the port of San Antonio, Chile…  Another cruise ends and a new one begins…  We planned a tour to Valparaiso today, one of our favorite places to visit…  Our driver Victor picked us up at the port and he took the coastal road to Valparaiso passing the small towns of Cartagena, San Sebastián, El Tabo, El Quisco, El Garrobo and Mirasol, crossing the Coastal Mountains to Valparaiso. Our first stop was Vina Del Mar, a popular Pacific coast resort city known as the Garden City for its parks, gardens, and beaches. On our way to Valparaiso, we stopped at the Playa Caleta Portales fish market. This is a lively stretch of Valparaíso’s coastline. It’s a great spot to see sea lions and sea gulls up close while watching the fishermen bring in their daily catch…we always enjoy a real look at the local maritime scene. Our next stop was the main plaza in Valparaíso known as Sotomayor Square with its unique monument commemorating the Chilies Naval Heros and flanked by the Chilean Navy Headquarters building. Valparaiso is famous for its vibrant street art, colorful hillside neighborhoods like Alegre and Concepcion, historic funiculars and the quirky homes. Valparaíso is full of street art…you don’t realize the sheer quantity of colorful masterpieces until you see it! There is art on every street and you can entertain yourself for hours admiring the murals. We stopped at the Piano Staircase on the aptly named Beethoven Street, next to a Beethoven mural. Around the corner is Templeman Street with art and plants, plus it has great views of from Mirador Atkinson. We toured a number of the key spots with colorful hills like Cerro Alegre and Concepción, as well as discovering street art on alleys and stairways…we never tire of visiting this wonderful area of Valparaiso and find new murals…so much talent. The area is a bit dilapidated in places and rough around the edges, yet it radiates warmth and charm up those steep hills for a unique experience and panoramic vistas.  We made our way back to our ship in San Antonio taking the major highway crossing the coastal Mountains and the Casablanca Valley, the world-renowned cool-climate wine region. So, with today being a turnaround day, we start another adventure to Antarctic reversing our direction…hoping for great weather again. I wrapped up the day with a few photos as we sailed away from the port of San Antonio…