Ecomapu

Santo Domingo, Valparaíso’s oldest quarter, has always been the cornerstone of Chile’s second city. Centered around the Iglesia de la Matriz church, destroyed and rebuilt several times following earthquakes and pirate attacks, this district is a maze of cobbled together port workers’ and tradesmen’s houses adjacent to the commercial district of Barrio Puerto, a UNESCO World Heritage site. But while the rest of the city, with its colorful houses nestled on hillsides, attracts visitors from all over the world, Santo Domingo has not been able to harness the benefits of tourism in the same way, and this close-knit community, which has survived for generations together, is under threat from gentrification and uncontrolled tourism. Ecomapu’s Ruta La Matriz is, however, tourism on a human scale, working closely with residents, neighborhood organizations and trade associations to create alternative walking tours of the neighborhood and city. Offering development through tourism and providing an economic alternative to families in the Cerro Santo Domingo neighborhood, Ruta La Matriz gives residents the opportunity to improve their living conditions, while also promoting and preserving the district’s unique culture. On a variety of walking tours that include a food tour through the picás (popular restaurants) of Barrio Puerto, travelers can explore the neighborhood with a local and get beyond the architecture and history to meet locals and discover the culture, food, stories and customs of Cerro Santo Domingo.