We stayed at a lovely B&B in Valparaiso -- highly recommend it -- Harrington B&B on Avenida Templeman

From Valparaiso to La Serena is only a day´s drive really. Los Vilos is quite nice if you want to get next to the sea and stop a night. After that the road doesn´t really go along the coast. There is a longer way to La Serena inland through Ovalle which is nice and more interesting than just driving up the highway.

We stayed 4 nights just north of Valparaiso in Vina del Mar-beautiful city with lots of great restaurants,harbor and places to explore!Valpo seemed like just another big city to us?

We thought Valparaiso a unique, fascinating port city with a bohemian charm to it. Lots of artsy shops and good restaurants as well as bars. The verticality was just amazing and the colorful houses added to the charm. There are many chaotic cerros (hills), with their steep labyrinthine roads. Ascensors somehow manage to creak their way up the hillsides providing absolutely stunning vistas.

Like yestravel, we found Valparaiso a unique and fascinating city. We were there for 3 days or so and never ran out of things to see and do. probably one of the more photogenic towns in South America, the graffiti is amazing and some would give Banksy serious competition!

We stayed at La Nona bed and Breakfast http://www.bblanona.com/ a traditional Valpo house up in Cerro Alegre. Clean comfortable accomodation and Renee is a great host who is full of suggestions for things to do one of which was a days horse riding in the dunes and beaches close to Vina del Mar some more detail on our blog:

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/candcthai/1/1223549640/tpod.html

and some photos of Valparaiso
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/candcthai/1/1223549520/tpod.html