Best Trips 2013: Valparaiso, Chile Photos -- National Geographic

Artillery Hill Funicular
Photograph by Frank Tophoven, laif/Redux
A colorfully painted funicular car carries visitors to the top of Artillery Hill in Valparaíso. The elevator, as it's known, was built in 1893 and originally ran on coal.
>> Find out more about what to see and do in Valparaíso, one of our 20 best trips for 2013
Valparaíso Bay
Photograph by Gianni Muratore, Alamy
A stroll on his home's roof gives a Conception Hill resident a sprawling view of Valparaíso Bay. The city is an important seaport and was once known as the Jewel of the Pacific.
Hillside Homes
Photograph by Anne Rippy, Alamy
A total of 42 cerros, or hills, ascend sharply from the water in Valparaíso, creating vertical neighborhoods.
Street Art
Photograph by Ivan Kashinsky, Panos Pictures
Paintings by Valparaíso street artists cover the walls of a home. Art is embraced in the city, which retains a bit of a bohemian vibe.
Plaza Echaurren
Photograph by Frank Tophoven, laif/Redux
Centuries-old buildings surround Plaza Echaurren, a central city square named after former Valparaíso Mayor Francisco Echaurren.
Graffiti
Photograph by Patrick Brooks Brandenburg, Tandem
Colorful graffiti brightens a Valparaíso neighborhood.
Neighborhood
Photograph by Jean Marc Charles, Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Steep hills mean challenging climbs for residents in a Valparaíso neighborhood—as well as great views of the Pacific.
Stairway
Photograph by Frank Tophoven, laif/Redux
As Chile's vital harbor, Valparaíso retains the signature grittiness and edge that often endow ports.