HISTORY OF VIñA DEL MAR AND VALPARAíSO

Valparaiso was inhabited by the people chango, a group of nomadic fishermen who traveled on rafts made of sea lion skin and ate seafood and wild fruits.

The Spanish conquerors arrived with the marine expedition of Juan de Saavedra in the Santiaguillo boat in 1536. Valparaiso was considered the natural port of the newly founded city of Santiago, and its foundation was held on September 3, 1544.

During the colonial era it suffered the siege and looting of English pirates such as Francis Drake, a situation that persisted until after the independence of Chile. In this time, Valparaíso became an important trading port, where U.S. and European immigrants arrived, which gave the city a modern feel, set in the time of the Industrial Revolution.

This is the reason why in Valparaiso homes and neighborhoods were built on the hills to provide housing for the many people who arrived to the port. This led to discontent among the citizens and dock workers, in the early twentieth century, which ultimately caused the expansion work of the ports, where places like Muelle Barón (Pier Baron) were built.

Currently Valparaíso is considered a World Heritage Site because of its Old Towns, where you can find buildings of English colonial architecture, scenic elevators, beautiful viewpoints and some hills. It is also home to the legislative power of the country where the National Congress, Customs Service, Ministry of Culture, National Fisheries and Aquaculture Services and the headquarters of the Chilean Navy are.

Viña del Mar for its part, was used by the Spaniards as farmland, being famous the Viña de la Mar, a vineyard that was destroyed by a storm in 1827. In the early nineteenth century some lands were sold and leased for small parcels or country homes, which began with the development of its land.

However, it was not until 1855 with the opening of the railroad that connected Santiago to Valparaiso, which began the development of Viña del Mar. This became a separate municipality of Valparaiso in 1874 and the first buildings were made around the railway station.

The town became known for its industries such as shipyards and arsenals, where iron bridges were built for the transportation of the railway line from Santiago to the south of Chile, and the Muelle Vergara.

It was after an intense earthquake in Valparaiso in 1906, leaving large areas with damage, that the wealthier families moved their homes to Viña del Mar, building small mansions like Palacio Rioja and el Castillo Wuff (Rioja Palace and Castle Wuff). This made Viña del Mar a high class place to live, especially in zone around the railway.

In the 20s, Cerro Castillo Presidential Palace and the Municipal Theatre were built, al well as the inauguration of the Casino Municipal. Another important building that was built at that time was the Hotel O'Higgins.

Viña del Mar today counts with major hotel chains, excellent services and is considered the best city to live in Chile. It currently connects with Valparaiso through the MERVAL, a train that allows you to tour both cities and travel destinations in less time.