I wasn't at all impressed with "Terminal Pasajeros" (passenger port) in Puerto de Valparaíso,…read moreChile. The port is basically heavy-duty commercial shipping with few amenities for cruise ship passengers. Getting from my Holland America ship to the terminal itself involved a bus ride plus a lengthy walk. Then, once inside the terminal, not much. There is a café with mostly snack service, a Wi-Fi which, when I was there, didn't seem to be working. When you go through the terminal you exit into mass congestion of tour, local, other buses and vehicle traffic with seemingly little organization or order to it.

In the awesome city of Valparaiso, puerto de Valparaiso is a port area that is the perfect spot for…read moretourists who have never been to the city before. That being said, it wasn't over crowded with visitors at all, and actually had more of a local feel to it. The whole area has a blue collar feel and it's very quiet for being a port area. There are lots of places to sit and even a few local shops spread through out. On a sunny day, this is a great place to bring some lunch, grab a bench and just observe all the boats coming and going. It's located in downtown Valparaiso and is walking distance to and from other shops and restaurants in the area. Valparaiso itself is a pretty historic city in Chile and this area seems to have a bit of that vibe as well. Definitely a must visit if coming to this cool city.

We departed from this station to Mendoza (using Cata bus) -- while not greatest of ambience…read more(actually, quite terrible), we weren't harangued, and made our bus without trouble.