Valparaíso has a vibrant nightlife, formerly focused on Avenida Ecuador establishments such as Liverpool (Ecuador 130, tel. 0322/610109) and Mr. Egg (Ecuador 50, tel. 0322/257534).

That neighborhood’s falling out of fashion, though, with redevelopment immediately southeast of the port and in hillside neighborhoods such as Cerro Concepción. La Piedra Feliz (Av. Errázuriz 1054, tel. 0322/256788, www.lapiedrafeliz.cl) is a live music venue that alternates jazz, rock, tango, and salsa.

Nearby Errázuriz Concert (Pasaje Ross 51, tel. 0322/595954, www.errazurizconcert.cl) also features live music in a variety of styles.

The legitimately Irish El Irlandés (Blanco 1279, tel. 0322/593675) claims to stock 161 different beers.

The biggest downtown venue, though, is El Huevo (Blanco 1386, tel. 0322/257534, www.elhuevo.cl), a multistory pub that, on any given night, can feature a variety of acts on the main stage and in its several separate lounges.

Cerro Concepción’s Café Color (Papudo 526, tel. 0322/746136) is more a teahouse but has the ambience of a classic neighborhood bar, its walls plastered with photographs of people and paintings and postcards of Valparaíso. Stocking a selection of menus from restaurants around town, it’s a good place to go to decide where to eat if the simple sandwich fare here isn’t enough for you; lively without being noisy, it’s small and intimate, with simpático staff.