We visited Plaza Sotomayor while on a tour of Valpo. It's centrally located downtown and had several nice historic buidlings as well as some restaurants and souvenir shopping. It was a pleasant place to walk around and is a good starting point for touring the downtown area.

Our walking tour of Valparaiso began at the town square by the war memorial. Valpariso was once a vibrant city but today is one of the poorest cities in Chile. This decline started with the construction of the Panama Canal. Abandoned mansions and brightly colored houses can be found over Valparaiso’s 45 hills. Near the town plaza is what was once Latin America’s first stock exchange and is a reminder of the earlier times of wealth. Monument a Los Heroes honors the Chilean sailors who were killed during the Battle of Iquique and the Battle of Punta is on Plaza Sotomayor across from the Navy Headquarters’ building. On top is a statue of Arturo Prat who died while commanding the Frigate Esmeralda. Underneath the monument is a vault holding the remains of some of the sailors who perished. An iron fence circles the monument, and a guard stands watch to prevent defacing the memorial with graffiti or vandalism. This is a must see for those interested in Chile’s naval history.

Very nearby the busy port, this plaza has a lot to offer. The large blue building in the back is the Edificio Armada de Chile. Underneath the middle of the square resides the Monument a los Heroes de Iquique. So...the port, the square, the monument, and on the day we were there, there was a large market covering the plaza.

The central heartbeat of Valparaiso surrounded by beautiful buildings housing the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Naval headquarters, iconic 100 Year old hotel and the Monument to the Heros of Iquique with its underground vault of heroes and the statue of Arturo Prat . Close to the Puerto Metro, stores, cafes’ and tourist shops. Rather small, but a celebrated space for the community to host special events with pride.