Hiking Parque Nacional La Campana

One of the day hikes from Valparaiso that are easy to access is Parque Nacional la Campana. You can go there fairly easy by train and bus. We took the Metro to the end of the line in Limache, then the bus to Olmue - and then we were kind of lost. The bus from the station only went up to bus stop 35 and then we figured out we had to walk. 

Asking a nice lady at the local restuarant solved the problem. Continue to stop 45 with the next bus and from there follow the signs. It worked. 

The park entrance was nice with good signs of all the walks. Many come here to hike the peak of La Campana which is a five hour hike. We chose to go for the "Portezuelo ocoa" which is a 2½ hours hike to the top of a ridge. From there you can overlook the valleys, see the snow covered mountains in the distance - and mix it with palm trees. 

We more or less had the entire park to ourselves. Only a few other hikers on the way up, having lunch on the hillside - bread and palta, and after some three hours we made it to Portezuelo ocoa - which looks like a small stone wall. And then the landscape suddenly included lots of palm trees. 

We enjoyed the view for some minutes, then we had to hike back, The park closes at 17:30 and we knew the walk back would be 2½ hours downhill. We made it to the park entrance, found our bus, took the train back to Valpo - and were a bit tired when we came back to the hostel. But such a nice hike.

Bus stop 45 - and the end of the line

Park entrance

Lunch on the hillside

Portezuelo ocoa

Portezuelo ocoa wall

Snow covered mountain peaks and palm trees

Tarantula

Nice big spider

Raising my leg to show just how dangerous I am