Colors, many colors, all colors in the world and much more!!! This is what Valparaiso, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is all about; a city known for its bohemian culture, brightly colored houses and beautiful seaside views. Its chaotic, hilly streets are almost like an open air museum, full of incredibly beautiful street art.

Apparently it has never been designed/ projected as a city, but it just grew over the time due to its strategic position on the Pacific coast. So urbanism lacks completely: streets are quiet chaotic, houses/ buildings have very different styles and colors, etc. But that’s what makes it beauty and charm! It seems that painting the houses in different colors had initially a reason behind: as there were many houses just heaped on the hills with no logic, it was difficult for locals to identify their houses when they came from the coast. So they used colors, isn’t that brilliant?

In addition, in order to make it easier to reach houses in the higher parts of the hills, they built “ascensores” or “external elevators”, which are in fact some kind of funiculars. Some of them are still working even though they are hundreds of years old. We took one and I must confess I was a little bit stressed during the few minutes ascent. But we survived!

And the street art! Just amazing! Unique! It is not legal, but it is “accepted” if you get an approval from the owners of the building and talented young people just give life to the walls. They paint about anything from love, religion, food, political issues, history… Just have a look on the pictures and you will see real art!