Originally, there were 30 ascensores in Valparaiso. Those that exist today were built within a thirty year span, approximately 15 years either side of 1900. As the city expanded further into the hills, the ascensores were needed to move the people of Valparaiso up and down the steep slopes of the city. While one car ascends, the other descends. Over the years, the increased popularity of cars, buses, and taxis has meant reduced traffic on the ascensores. Of the fifteen listed on the tourist maps, only nine remain in operation today. Fares to ride the ascensores vary between 150 and 300 pesos (30 and 60 cents Cdn) each way. Interestingly, prices are sometimes higher for going up than coming down as people are often willing to walk down the hills but not up. This also made the financial viability of the ascensores challenging. The lower fares for the descent are meant to entice people to ride more often.
Earthquakes and fire have also played a part in the history of the ascensores.
Here they are . . . in alphabetical order.
Artilleria: Operational
Location: Cerro Artilleria
Built: 1893
From 2-50 meters above sea level
Track length: 175 meters
This ascensor serves Cerro Artelleria. It is one of the oldest in the city, and at one time, had the highest passenger capacity. It achieved that by operating two cars on each track - 2 up and 2 down. With a capacity of 25 passengers per car, the ascensor was able to move 100 people at a time. Today, there is one car per track, and 25 in a car would be a little uncomfortable.
This old home, half way up the hill, is now a restaurant and is often used in postcards of the city. The postcards look spectacular . . . the reality is a tired old building in desperate need of repair.
Outside of the entrance is a small confectionery selling gum, chips, etc. How many times a day do you think this fellow gets his picture taken?!
Artilleria is one of the most popular tourist ascensores, and you'll see why in a moment. First,
let's go for a ride from the bottom to the top. The "Motor Heads" in the crowd will want to watch the end as it shows a little of how these things work!
This is a view of Valparaiso from about three quarters of the way up the hill with the shipyards and container depot in the background.
There are three things that make Artilleria popular among the tourists. First, it is visible from the dock where passengers disembark the many cruise ships that come through Valparaiso. Secondly, there is an artisan's market at the top of the hill.
. . . and thirdly, the view of Valparaiso is spectacular!
For these reasons, Artilleria is one of two funiculars in the city that remain profitable.
This area is also the home of the Naval Museum. It used to be the Naval School, and that is one reason that the lift was built in the first place . . . to provide easy access from the waterfront to the school. Chile has a long and proud naval history, and you'll see more about the museum in a future blog.
Atilleria also has a small museum to explain the workings of the funiculars.
Motor heads . . . pay attention! The rest of you may want to tune out or skip this portion! As part of the museum, there is a drive assembly set up so that guys like me can get up close and see just how these things work. The large wheels on either side are the spools where the cable is wound.
In the bottom right is the electric motor.
Motor specs:
Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.
Engineers, Edinburgh
Mach. No. 13067
B.H.P. - 49
AMPS - 81
R.P.M. - 680
VOLTS - 500
The meshing of the main drive gear.
And from this room, you can see the actual assembly operating (pardon the reflection in the glass). All ascensores are now operated with this system, but at one time, some used a system of water weights and balances.
Baron: Closed
Location: Cerro Baron
Built: 1906
From: 5 - 35 meters above sea level
Track Length:75 meters
This is the upper station on Cerro Baron.
There are a few standard scenes depicted in much of the artwork of Valparaiso. Ascensor Baron is one of them.
It also happens to be on the route we take while walking from our home on Cerro Placeres to the grocery store on Avenida Argentina. The highway to Vina is in the background with the harbour beyond that. Notice how the building protrudes to accept the upcoming car.
Baron was the first ascensor to be converted from a water weight system to an electric motor.
This is one of the few side shots I have of a car. The colour scheme at each ascensor is unique.
In the last few years, the area at the foot of Baron changed significantly with the building of a major supermarket and department store. Both upper and lower stations have recently been renovated and are among the most attractive in the city. However, Baron is owned by the city, and when some money became available, it was spent on the aesthetics of the lift and not the structural repair that was required. As a result Baron is not operational today.
Concepcion: Operational
Location: Cerro Conception
Built: 1883
From 10 - 45 meters above sea level
Track length: 70 meters
Ascensor Concepcion is the oldest in the city, is the other of two that remain profitable, and is located in the heart of Valparaiso's business district. The Turri clock, in the centre of the shot, is a landmark in the city. The entrance to the ascensor is across the street to the left.
This is also the best part of the city to look at European architecture from the mid to late 1800's.
The sign above the entrance lists some of what can be found at the end of the ride. The Paseo Gervasoni and Paseo Atkinson are pedestrian walkways that provide city vistas and artisan's crafts.
Going up! Ascensor Concepcion is not only the oldest, but is also one of the steepest.
On the way up, the Turri clock and the harbour reveal themselves.
The upper station isn't as elaborate as the street below but . . .
. . . it opens up into a another pedestrian market (Paseo Gervasoni). Cerro Conception is considered part of the "Historical" area of Valparaiso, and as such, receives much of the tourist's attention. As you move further up the hill, there are many small restaurants and shops.
Most of the displays on the Paseo Gervasoni are by local painters.
Cordillera: Operational
Location: Cerro Cordillera
Built:1887
From 5 - 30 meters above sea level
Track length: 60 meters
Ascensor Cordillera was the second lift to be built and has recently survived a fire in the lower station house. It was rebuilt and is now back in operation.
Notice the stairway to the left of the tracks. We have come to believe that this is an example of "Scottish Steps". When the ascensores were being built, the stairs were put in to accommodate the Scots in Valparaiso as they were too . . . . "thrifty" to pay for the lift and so chose to walk the stairs instead! A Scottish acquaintance joked recently that he had "deep pockets and short arms".
It appears as though the upper station has also received some attention lately.
Like most of the upper stations, this one is quite unremarkable . . .
...but a short block or two away is the Lord Cochrane Museum. In May of 1817, at the request of Chilean leader Bernardo O'Higgins, Lord Cochrane took command of the Chilean navy in Chile's War of Independence against Spain. The front of the museum has a patio that overlooks the city. The back of the building is done up with murals.
El Peral: Operational
Location: Cerro Alegre
Built: 1902
From 10 - 40 meters above sea level
Track length: 52 meters
This is Plaza Sotomayor and the statue of Admiral Pratt. Directly behind me, is the Plaza Justicia (Justice) and the entrance to the Ascensor El Peral.
The turn-styles are often interesting, but these are perhaps the most ornate.
This is looking out of the car while sitting at the bottom of the hill.
This short but steep climb (perhaps the steepest) led us to a very well maintained station with a computerized kiosk containing information on all of the ascensores.
The inner workings of the lift were also visible from here.
This is a view of El Peral from across the valley on Cerro Cordillera. The building in the background is Palacio Baburizza. It was built in 1916 for the Zanelli Family. In 1971, it was obtained by the city of Valparaiso and converted into a fine arts museum for many of Chile's finest paintings. In 1979 it was declared a national monument but has been closed for renovations for the last . . . 12 years!!!
Palacio Baburizza.
Espiritu Santo: Operational
Location: Cerro Bellavista
Built: 1911
From 15 - 35 meters above sea level
Track length: 40 meters
It seems that the ascensores are maintained and repaired as they would have been when they were built. This results in a rustic charm and a ride that can sometimes shake your confidence in a safe journey. The area surrounding the upper station of Espiritu Santo was the object of an urban revitalization project in the mid ninety's. That included the refurbishing of some homes, cleaning up the neighborhood, and the creation of some outdoor wall murals. (Museo a Cielo de Valparaiso - Open air museum) That project was undertaken by the Fundacion Valparaiso. "The mission of the Valparaiso Foundation is to develop projects that trigger an urban renaissance in Valparaiso as a cultural heritage and tourism city."
The Espiritu Santo gets our vote for the best street sign.
Should you want to visit poet Pablo Neruda's Valparaiso home, this ascensor is a good place to start. The lower station is a block away from Plaza Victoria and is a good start for the trek up Cerro Bellavista on the way to Museo La Sebastiana. Be prepared, though, it is a steep climb! We have read that Calle Ferrari, the main street to the museum, is the steepest in Valparaiso.
Florida: Operational
Location: Cerro Florida
Built: 1906
From 10 - 60 meters above sea level
Track length: 138 meters
In Spanish, "i" is pronounced "ee". Therefore, this ascensor is not pronounced like the US state, but as follows: "Flor ee' da".
What makes this ascensor unique is a footbridge over the track, and that is what you should be watching for in the following video.
Excuse me while I take time for short rant:
If I were the king of Valparaiso, I would ban those responsible for graffiti from my kingdom. While some call it an art form, I see absolutely nothing good about it. It displays a complete and total lack of respect for the property of others, and in this city, it is everywhere.
What prompted the rant was the shot below, but graffiti in Valparaiso is inescapable!
OK . . . I'm done!
This is another example of the interesting turn styles. I have to believe that they are the originals and have therefore been guiding passengers through for over 100 years.
The upper station is covered in the ever-present corrugated metal. There is so much of this stuff used in Valparaiso that one blogger, has dubbed it "The Corrugated City". It is an interesting blog about many aspects of life in Valparaiso.
La Cruz:
Location: Cerro La Cruz
This is the 16th ascensor that I referred to in the opening. It is not listed in any of the tourist information that we came across and is currently closed. La Cruz is privately owned and is up for sale.
The following is taken from the November 6th, 2008 edition of the "Valparaiso Times" (Written by Kat Shiffler; EL MERCURIO).
One of port city Valparaíso’s treasured ascensores (hillside cable cars) will be sold to the highest bidder next year. The privately owned “La Cruz” ascensor is one of the 30 original ascensores in the port city, almost half of which are now non-functional because of fires, earthquakes and mechanical failures over the years.
This is a wide shot of the neighborhood. The upper station can be seen in the centre of the shot at the top of the hill. It is the vertical concrete structure.
Being made of concrete sets La Cruz apart as most other stations are wooden.
The following is speculation on my part, but I suspect that the reason La Cruz is not listed on the tourist maps is because it has not been designated a National Historical Monument. The other 15 received this designation between 1976 and 1999.
Larrain: Operational
Location: Cerro Larrain
Built: 1906
From 10 - 45 meters above sea level
Tack length: 68 meters
As you approach Ascensor Larrain, you come across Iglesia Al Corazon de Jesus (1900). You can see the upper station to the right of the steeple.
And around the corner is the lower station.
Larrain wouldn't be on a tourist's list of "must see" ascensors, but when we took the trip, there were many locals riding both ways.
We have heard stories of long term employees of the Compania de Ascensores Vaparaiso. This woman has been spinning turn styles and making change for 40 years! As an aside, the employees of Compania de Ascensores Vaparaiso are unionized.
Going up!
This is the entrance to the upper station.
In the section about Baron, I talked about the area having changed due to a supermarket / department store complex. You can see that complex in the upper left side of this shot. Also visible (if you're ambitious and expand this photo) is the Baron upper station. It is indicated by the lower arrow. The upper arrow indicates the Lecheros ascensor which is next on the tour. Both of those ascensores are closed leaving the neighborhoods without service.
Lecheros: - Closed
Location: Cerro Lecheros
Built: 1906
From 5 - 40 meters above sea level
Track length: 98 meters
Lecheros was closed after a fire destroyed the lower station house in 2007.
(The entrance to Larrain is just a couple of blocks behind us in this shot)
The remains were knocked down after the fire. The scorching can been seen on the lower left side of the shot.
Unique to this ascencor is a foot path that runs under the track. The roof of the tunnel is evident in both the previous, and the next two shots.
Near the top of the Lecheros ascensor (not seen here) is the home where Pablo Neruda hid for two years.
In 1943, Neruda returned to Chile, and in 1945 he was elected senator of the Republic, also joining the Communist Party of Chile. Due to his protests against President González Videla's repressive policy against striking miners in 1947, he had to live underground in his own country for two years until he managed to leave in 1949. (Wikipedia)
Mariposa: Operational
Location: Cerro Mariposa
Built: 1904
From 20 - 80 meters above sea level
Track length: 177 meters
The Mariposa Ascensor is a few blocks off the beaten tourist track and therefore is used primarily by the locals. I suspect that they are happy that it is still operational as it is a long way up this hill. With a length of 177 meters, Mariposa is among the longest lifts in the city, almost 4 times longer than the shortest track which is Reina Victoria (40 meters).
The ride up was made interesting as the passageway is restricted by buildings, trees, the
hillside . . .
. . . and homes. Looks like laundry day for one family! When an ascensor travels this close to people's homes, it is referred to as a "copuchentos ascensor" because the passengers can look into the homes as they pass by. Loosely translated, "copuchentos" means "nosey". The traffic bridge running over the track is another unique feature of this lift.
And keeping with Valparaiso tradition, the paint is bright and colourful.
Monjas: Closed
Location: Cerro Monjas
Built: 1912
From 25 - 70 meters above sea level
Track length: 110 meters
This photo shows that Monjas is not a thriving neighborhood, and the lift has only been open intermittently over the last few years.
Throughout the hills of Valparaiso are stairs that help pedestrians move up and down. Although they are steep, they are much quicker than following the roadways. Many are narrow passages between buildings. I don't think that these would be considered Scottish steps as they don't run for the entire length of the ascensor.
As economically challenged as this area seemed, there was a busy university (Universidad Arcis) about a block from the lower station.
Polanaco: Operational
Location: Cerro Polanco
Built: 1915
From 20 - 80 meters above sea level
60 meter vertical lift
First to be declared a historic monument
Three things make the Ascensor Polanco unique. First, it runs vertically like a modern elevator shaft. Secondly, it stops half way for passengers to load and unload. And thirdly, it has received a recent face lift.
Even though the ascensores are a major tourist attraction for the city, most look very run down and tired . . . nothing more than a means to an end . . . getting up and down the steep slopes. The Polanco is the exception. The entrance is surrounded by interesting, well maintained stone work, flowers and fresh paint.
If you look closely, and have better eyes that I do (or expand the picture) you will see the name arched across the doorway. You may also notice "1915 " in the brickwork. This was the last of the existing ascensores to be built.
After paying the toll of about 300 pesos (60 cents CDN), and passing through the turnstile, we entered a very long tunnel that took us directly into the Cerro Polanco (Polanco Hill).
At the end of the tunnel, we boarded the elevator and ascended to the mid point where a passenger disembarked. As I mentioned, this is the only ascensor that stops mid way. The bottom of the tower in the next picture is the mid point where the elevator emerges from the hill, stops, and then proceeds to the top. From the top level, the catwalk to the left is the last leg of the ascent.
This is the view from the top of the tower with the harbour in the background.
The walk back down the hill was one of those unexpected treasures that we have talked about.
The stone sidewalks, steps, and water channels were incredible!
The tunnel, the elevator, and the stone walkways back to near sea level made for a great afternoon.
Reina Victoria: Closed
Location: Cerro Conception
Built: 1902
From 25 - 45 meters above sea level
Track length: 40 meters
The Ascensor Reina Victoria is located two blocks south of the busy Anibal Pinto Plaza and until recently helped to connect the "flat" part of Valparaiso to Cerro Concepcion. It is now closed for repairs.
This was shot from across the valley while we were visiting Cementario #1 on Cerro Panteon.
San Agustin: Closed
Location: Cerro Cordillera
Built: 1913
From 20 - 55 meters above sea level
Track Length: 51 meters
San Agustin is the furthest away from any sort of tourist traffic and has long been one of the least used ascensores, even by the locals. As a result, this lift is closed and appears to have been so for some time.
Ascensor San Agustin is a short walk away from the top of Ascensor Cordillera on Cerro Cordillera. In Valparaiso, one must always be watchful of those who are more than willing to relieve you of your valuables (camera, wallet, jewelery, etc). With that in mind, some areas are worse than others.
Cerro Cordillera is one of those areas, and as Bruce Springstein said: " it's in a part of town where if you hit a red light you don't stop." (Hey Springstein fans (B.L.), which song is that from?)
If you should ever find yourself in Valparaiso and want to see all of the ascensores, I suggest that you talk to the locals about which areas are safe (for tourists) and which are not. As you can see by the pictures, this is a rough neighborhood, and we didn't spend any more time here than we had to.
Villaseca: Closed
Location: Cerro Artelleria
Built: 1907
From 2 - 40 meters above sea level
Track length: 155 meters
The lower station of the Ascensor Villaseca opens onto a main thoroughfare (Antonio Varas) and is therefore not very conducive to pedestrian traffic.
It is located near the port and is a 15 minute walk from the "Historical Area" of Valparaiso.
That places it just north of the Ascensor Artelleria. In fact, the remaining shots were taken from beside the Artelleria funicular.
This is the only funicular with roadways running underneath. That fact makes this ascensor among the most costly to repair and maintain as the tracks are essentially a raised railway. Combine this with historically low usage and you have a recipe for closure: High cost and low revenue. Villaseca has been closed for about three years.
At one time, there was a proposal to convert this building into a small hotel as part of an overall Ascensor revitalization plan (more on that later).
As is often the case in buildings that appear to be (or should be) abandoned, there is laundry hanging out of one of the windows!
The following are owned and operated by Compania de Ascensores Vaparaiso:
* = closed as of January 2009
Artilleria
Concepcion
Cordillera
Espirito Santu
Florida
Larrain
Monjas *
Mariposa
Villaseca *
The City of Valparaiso owns and operates the following:
Baron *
El Peral
Lecheros *
Polanco
Reina Victoria *
San Agustin *
The story of the Valparaiso ascensores is a long, complicated and now political one. Everyone involved seems to recognize the need to do something . . . but . . . well . . . let me go back a few years. In 1996, the ascensores were included on the list of the "World's 100 At Risk Monuments". In 2003, Valparaiso was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This designation opened the door to $70 million (USD) for heritage projects in the city. But . . . as I mentioned, 9 (10 if you count La Cruz) of the ascensores are privately owned and none of the $70M can be turned over to private enterprise. Thus far, the family that owns these 9 ascensores has refused to sell the funiculars, even though they are reportedly losing money and are in desperate need of major repair. Around the year 2000, there was a tentative deal in place that would have seen the Valparaiso Foundation take ownership of these 9 ascensores. This plan called for all of the funiculars to be turned over to an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Valparaiso's heritage. The foundation proposed a restoration plan that included cafes, museums and a small niche market hotel (see Villaseca above). The funding was in place, but the deal fell apart when the current owners pulled out of the deal.
Another issue with significant impact is the type of restoration that should be done. Historians and public officials are at odds over the correct method. Heritage designation and the cash that came with it have caused some to worry that the character of Valparaiso will be destroyed when (if) the city is turned into a Tourism Disneyland. Meanwhile, about half of the $70 M has been spent.
We have heard of three possible options for the future:
1) A non-profit entity purchases, restores and operates the ascensores.
2) A wealthy Chilean family takes control of the lifts with a somewhat benevolent motivation of cultural preservation.
3) The Ministry of Transport takes control and operates them as part of the overall public transportation system.
After riding all of the operating ascensores and talking to people involved, we can't help but think that these historical monuments will simply continue to decay. In 2000(aprox), there was desire, momentum, and cash, but the deal fell through. Since then, it appears that nothing of substance has been done. In the meantime, the cost for the project continues to escalate. In a world where global tourism is the savior of so many economies, the restoration of Valpo's ascensores would seem to be a perfect opportunity! Unfortunately, it may soon become "Opportunity Lost". We feel fortunate to have had the chance to ride these bits of history. I suggest that if you would like to do the same, you start making plans.
Hasta luego,
Norm and Chalrene
In doing the research for this blog, we came across many factual inconsistencies. What is contained is correct to best of our knowledge and we apologize for any errors.
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