The O bus
One of the cheapest ways to take in Valparaiso’s amphitheatre is on the bus “la O” (pronounced as the letter oooo), since 2007 also known as bus number 612. This bus crosses Valparaiso all the way from Playa Ancha to Viña, but the special thing is it takes the only road connecting all the hills. This comes down to stunning views and a sneak preview of several hills.
Starting point for this busroute is Avenida Argentina, but you can basically hop on anywhere along the way from Caleta Portales, to Plazuela San Luis on Cerro Alegre, to Playa Ancha. To travel from Avenida Argentina towards Caleta Portales for some fresh fish, take the O towards Viña/Miraflores. Otherwise, stick to the side of the National Congress building and hop on for a mad ride through the hills.
Avenida Argentina
This route starts right on the main entrance road to Valparaiso, the place to find the fresh fruit and vegetable market on Wednesday and Saturday. You can take the bus at a few steps from the bus terminal, at one block from Plaza O’Higgins, try to sit on the right hand side of the bus. The O leaves the busy street of Avenida Argentina by Calle Colon, a wide quiet street with some remarkable houses from the last two centuries. This is the easy-going part of the trip and then all of a sudden a sharp turn…
La Sebastiana
The bus goes straight up along Avenida Francia and then turns onto Avenida Alemania, the only road connecting the hills of Valparaiso. Once up here, you will see and grasp the way Valparaiso`s houses are seemingly built one on top of another. After a few turns, the ocean will come into sight as you drive towards Cerro La Florida and Bellavista. Next stop is La Sebastiana, one of Pablo Neruda’s houses that has been turned into a museum and is really worth a visit. Cerro Bellavista is a nice, quiet kind of cerro with a free open-air musuem.
Plaza Bismarck and Cerro Carcel
The bus continues along Avenida Alemania as the view keeps changing. After about seven minutes, you reach Plaza Bismarck, a pretty little park with a stunning view of the ocean, the hills, the port and on a clear day, the Aconcagua. If you walk down from this little plaza, you will find yourself on Cerro Carcel. Here you find the old prison, housing a cultural centre these days, as well as the two cemeteries.
Cerro Alegre
Once past Plaza Bismarck, you’ll notice a change of style, you have reached the more expensive and touristic areas. Plazuela San Luis is the place to get off if you want to visit the gastronomic centre of Valparaiso, Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción. Or if you are staying in a hostel around here, this can of course be your starting point. Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción are also perfect for afternoon strolls with the colourful houses, loads of little souvenir and clothes shops and quiet streets.
The Historic center
The bus then moves on to the rather grim and poor neighbourhood of Cerro Cordillera. This is where the mad ride through the hills ends and you plunge back into “el plan”. Straight through the historic centre it is, past plaza Echaurren and the old market, towards the pink customs building ”La Aduana”, right next to elevator Artillería, take a ride up here to admire the port. The bus continues a short bit along the coastline,passing by Playa San Mateo, one of the few beaches in Valpo.
Playa Ancha
And up you go again, towards Playa Ancha, along Avenida Gran Bretaña, a neighbourhood quite different from the rest of Valparaiso with its wide lanes and beautiful enormous houses. The final stop is the cemetary of Playa Ancha, an amazing, albeit kind of eery, place with stunning views and “appartment blocks” for graves. Now you can walk back down, or take the ride in the opposite direction.
