Polanco Lift, Historic vertical elevator in Polanco Hill, Valparaíso, Chile.

The Polanco Lift is a vertical elevator in Valparaíso that connects Simpson Street with Polanco Hill through an underground tunnel passage. The ride passes through intermediate stations and climbs inside a tower structure to deliver passengers to the hilltop.

The lift was built in 1915 to solve the problem of steep hills in Valparaíso, and it began operations in 1916. Its arrival changed how people moved up and down the city by offering a mechanical solution to the geography that once limited urban growth.

The lift's name comes from Cerro Polanco, the hill it serves above the El Almendral flatland. Since 1976 it has been a National Monument of Chile, the first of Valparaíso's lifts to receive that status. By 2019 it recorded about 19,000 trips a month, and today tourists use it more than local residents do.

The lower entrance is on Almirante Simpson, about 150 m from Avenida Argentina; a 150 m tunnel leads to the base of the tower at Valderrama street. The lift has three stations and a 48 m bridge links the top to Simpson at Cicarelli. It has been out of service for two years, with a restoration tender approved in April 2026.

Unlike the other lifts scattered around Valparaíso, this one operates as a true vertical elevator with a cabin and cable system rather than functioning as a funicular railway. This technical design makes it stand out among the city's similar transportation structures.