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Barrio El Almendral is a neighborhood in the UNESCO World Heritage listed port city of Valparaíso. It contains a couple of plazas, historic buildings, and churches. It’s in the seedier part of town and away from the touristy parts.

 

Plaza Victoria

On the west end you will find Plaza Victoria. It’s a lively plaza with lots of children running around and a few street vendors. The church on the plaza is the Cathedral of Valparaíso (Catedral de Valparaíso), a Gothic building constructed between 1910 and 1950.

Plaza Victoria in Valparaíso, Chile
Plaza Victoria
Catedral de Valparaíso in Valparaíso, Chile
Cathedral of Valparaíso

On the southwest corner of the plaza are two colorful buildings. One of them is the Naval Club (Club Naval), an officer’s club formed in 1885. A block west of there on Condell is Lyon Palace (Palacio Lyon). It was built in 1887 and now houses the Natural History Museum of Valparaíso (Museo de Historia Natural de Valparaíso). Entrance is free and it’s open daily except Mondays.

Club Naval and another building in Valparaíso, Chile
Naval Club (left) and another building
Club Naval in Valparaíso, Chile
Naval Club
Palacio Lyon in Valparaíso, Chile
Lyon Palace

 

East of Plaza Victoria

To the east of Plaza Victoria, there really isn’t much of interest worth going out of your way for. I walked down Calle Independencia and visited the Church of the Sacred Hearts (Iglesia de los Sagrados Corazones), which was built in 1874, and Parque Italia, which has a monument of the Capitoline Wolf. There are a few street vendors in the park and some benches to relax.

Iglesia de los Sagrados Corazones in Valparaíso, Chile
Church of the Sacred Hearts
Parque Italia in Valparaíso, Chile
Parque Italia
Parque Italia in Valparaíso, Chile
Capitoline Wolf in Parque Italia
Parque Italia in Valparaíso, Chile
Band students practicing in Parque Italia

 

Imperio Theatre

Finally, to the west of Parque Italia on Calle Pedro Montt is the old Imperio Theatre (Teatro Imperio). It opened in 1922 and is a Chilean national heritage site.

Teatro Imperio in Valparaíso, Chile
Imperio Theatre

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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