Take an MSC World Cruise across the Pacific to Valparaiso – or Valpo as the locals call it. Built on steep hills, and famous for its colourful painted cliff town houses, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll find the Chilean parliament here, and its eccentric personality has attracted numerous writers and poets, including Pablo Neruda.

MSC Cruises excursions offer plenty of exciting activities and things to see including:

• Tour of the city
• Casablanca Valley and wine tasting
• La Sebastiana Museum

An interesting feature of the city are its many working funicular lifts, that take a near vertical climb to stunning ocean and city views. An MSC excursion goes to Plaza Sotomayor, a lively square in the heart of the historic quarter. Its monument is dedicated to the seamen who died in the Iquique Naval Battle in a defeat against Peru (the day of the battle is a Chilean national holiday).
The square, split into sections and separated by busy avenues, is surrounded by grand architecture and impressive landmarks like the Edificio Armada de Chile, a magnificent blue palace and headquarters of the Chilean navy.
Nearby a flower clock has been telling tourists the time since Chile hosted the world cup in 1962, and the Fonck museum has an impressive display of archaeological finds from Easter Island- an original moai, or Easter Island statue stands on guard outside.

Chilean’s wine goes back to the 16th century when Spanish conquistadors introduced grape vines to the region.
And if it tickles your palate, come on an MSC excursion to the Casablanca Valley and explore the region’s best wineries.
There’s Matetic Vineyards and Viña Casas del Bosque. Or the beautiful Estancia el Cuadro and Estancia el Cuadro Wineries. Whichever excursion you choose, you’ll see first-hand how the wine is made – and, of course, be able to sample a glass or three.

Paula Neruda, the Chilean poet who won the Nobel Prize for literature lived in El Quisco. It took two architects, with their demanding client advising, around 20 years to complete the house.
Now it’s the La Sebastiana Museum with rooms decorated according to the writer’s passion, so one shaped like a ship, another like a train carriage, and so on.
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