Fodor's Expert Review Plaza Sotomayor

Valparaíso's impressive Plaza Sotomayor serves as a gateway to the bustling port. The Comandancia en Jefe de la Armada, headquarters of the Chilean navy, is a grand periwinkle building that rises to a turreted pinnacle over a mansard roof. At the eastern end of the plaza the Monumento de los Héroes de Iquique honors Arturo Prat and other heroes of the War of the Pacific. At the southern end, the Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio often hosts art exhibitions. A crafts and products fair also happens weekly during the warmer months. Beware of traffic in the middle of the square; cars and buses come suddenly from all directions.