“I apologize. It’s been forever since I posted, but the last week was an absolutely insane whirlwind tour across the entire width of the continent. I’ll write about it later, but for now I want to focus on Valparaíso, perhaps my favorite city that I visited in all of Chile.

Located about an hour away from Santiago along the coast, Valparaíso is a charming, colorful, crumbling port town with a strong sense of culture and a vibrant artistic community. I arrived just after dark to Hostel PataPata, located on Cerro Alegre. Valparaíso is built into a series of hills right on the water, and each of these “cerros” has a distinct personality. Cerro Alegre is a particularly steep, historical and colorful hill that now serves as a major center for tourism. It’s filled with world class restaurants, boutique hotels, hostels and cultural centers.

I don’t normally go on at length talking about a hostel, but my experience at PataPata might be the best I have ever had in budget accommodation. The second I walked through the door a member of the staff named Jorge (originally from Mexico), sat me down and explained to me everything there was to do in Valparaíso. He then proceeded to introduce me to all the other guests. His passion for the city was so strong that I knew I had to stay more than my originally planned two days. It seems everyone who lives in Valparaíso, locals and transplants, is intensely proud of their home on a level I haven’t seen anywhere besides maybe Rosario in Argentina.”

(via: Mike Cary)