Valparaíso, located 68 miles northwest of Santiago, is Chile's primary commercial harbor. The city gives both entrance and exit to the increasing international exchange of commodities and business activities. As both location of the legislative power and capital city of the Valparaiso Region of Chile, a national political division, this city contains the home offices of many of the main agencies that make up the organization of the Chilean nation, such as the Intendencia Regional, the top local authority, the Gobernación Regional, the Consejo de Desarrollo Regional, the Secretarías Ministeriales Regionales and all other main divisions of the government services. You can also find the Chilean Navy headquarters in Valparaíso. With a population of roughly 284,000 inhabitants, Valparaíso houses four traditional universities and many other relatively new private institutes.Valparaíso, known by locals as just Valpo, is a city with a very unique layout. Its architecture climbs up the sides of 48 hills which surround the bay and feature an impressive layout of streets, alleys and stairways. Its old-fashioned lifts, acensores, with their characteristic yellow and red colors, were built over 100 years ago and are still used today. They provide tourists and residents access to its picturesque hillside neighborhoods. The intricate alleys hide many architectural treasures such as colonial churches and beautiful miradores. The financial and commercial activity of the port city takes place in the beautiful old English-style buildings of "El Plan" in the lower part of the city.Viña del Mar, where students may be living and/or attending classes, is a coastal town separated from Valparaíso by a single street, and it has roughly the same population as Valparaíso. Though physically close, the cities vary greatly in style. From the winding, chaotic streets of Valparaíso, the uniform, block-style streets of Viña may come as a surprise. The brightly-colored houses on the hillsides in Valparaíso make way for neutral-toned high-rise buildings in Viña. Built more recently than Valpo and with the purpose of promoting tourism, Viña is a social and commercial hub, boasting some of the most popular beaches in the region!Your experience with ISA in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar will give you the opportunity to experience the Chilean culture, form friendships with Chileans, and expand your understanding of the country. These experiences are facilitated by Valparaíso's relative lack of tourists, and the preservation of its culture and its architecture. It's up to you to take advantage of all that Chile and ISA offer, and broaden your cultural horizons!

Cerro Alegre:
An artist's cultural haven. There are artisan shops, cafes, street performers and restaurants.

Museo a Cielo Abierto:
A winding street lined with murals painted on the sides of buildings by famous artists. It is named "Open Sky Museum" due to the fact that it is outdoors and part of a normal Valparaiso neighborhood.

Pier at Viña del Mar:
Features artesanías with locally made handicrafts, performers, fishing, a boardwalk, and where families gather at dusk to watch the sun set.

La Sebastiana:
One of poet Pablo Neruda's 3 houses in Chile. It has been turned into a museum exhibiting his works and unique collection of art.

La Ex-Cárcel:
A historical prison turned into a cultural artist's haven including a museum, theater, concert stage, dance classrooms, photo expositions, and a playground for children.

Archaeological Museum Francisco Fonck (Viña del Mar):
Displays fossils from local species in Chile's past, and of Easter Island.

Naval and Maritime Museum
Displays important relics that tell about the history of the Chilean Navy from 1818 to 1880.

Note: As any other speaking Spanish country, Chilean Spanish is an idiomatic language. The book "How to survive in the Chilean Jungle" by John Brennan and Alvaro Taboada, is a good source for learning a wide variety of Chilean slang.

al tiro - immediately; right away

una luca- 1000 pesos

ya - "okay"

agarrar papa - to take advantage of a situation; to get a project off the ground

a la pinta - to dress very well and appropriately; also used as an exclamation meaning "perfect"

porsiaca (por si acaso)/ por si las moscas - just in case, by the way

Example Dialogues:

En la estación de autobuses:
Tú: ¿ A qué hora sale el autobús para Santiago?
Vendedor: Uno sale a las diez de la mañana y el otro sale a las dos de la tarde.
Tú: ¿Cuántas horas tardará en llegar?
Vendedor: Es un viaje de dos horas.
Tú: ¿Cuánto cuesta un pasaje?
Vendedor: Cuesta tres lucas y lo compra el mismo día del viaje.
Tú: Gracias por la información.

En un taxi:
Tú: Oye, taxi!
El taxista: Sí, a dónde va?
Tú: Quisiera ir a la Plaza Victoria. ¿Cuánto me cobra/ Cuánto es?
El taxista: Son 750 pesos.
Tú: Es demasiado! Puedo caminar. Gracias.
El taxista: Pero...lo puedo llevar por 500 pesos.
Tú: Por 500 pesos?
El taxista: Sí.