Ascensor Cordillera, Funicular on Cerro Cordillera in Valparaíso, Chile

Ascensor Cordillera is the second funicular built in Valparaíso, running from Serrano street, the old Calle de la Planchada, up to Cerro Cordillera. Its 60-metre track climbs a 55-metre rise at a gradient reaching 70 degrees. A staircase beside the line gives pedestrians a second way up.

The funicular opened in 1886, the second built in Valparaíso, serving the maritime trade of the port area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The present car was built in 1894 as a reconstruction after a fire destroyed the original. After its acquisition, the funicular was restored in 2013.

The funicular is woven into daily life for residents who rely on it to avoid climbing the steep hillside. You see locals using it regularly, treating it as an essential part of how the neighborhood moves and connects its different levels.

The funicular is easy to access, starting right at street level and simple to locate. Visitors should know that there is also a stairway with many steps available if they prefer to walk instead.

The current car dates from 1894, when the original was rebuilt after a fire destroyed it. The line climbs at up to 70 degrees over just 60 metres of track, reaching a height of 55 metres, and a staircase runs alongside the whole route as a walking alternative.