The unforgettable route of Pablo Neruda

They say that Neftali Reyes, whom you probably know better as Pablo Neruda, was not only one of the most outstanding poets in the world, but also a lover of travel. Each opportunity was used to add a new object to his collection, among which are conchs, miniature boats, pipes and bows.

By Faro Travel / www.faro.travel

Fortunately, after his death some people were concerned to keep these precious treasures safe, showing them to the world in a very entertaining way, in the three homes where the poet liked to spend his days.

The Sebastiana, the Chascona and the House Museum of Isla Negra have become a must for all who know the work of Neruda. Here we tell you a little more about them.

La Sebastiana, Valparaiso

Immersed in the beautiful but little touristy hill Florida (Ferrari 692) is this house, where Neruda liked to spend the New Year, to watch the fireworks over the bay. In 2012 it was named National Historic Monument not only for having been the home of the poet, but also for its impressive architecture and for the decoration that still remains inside. Take a tour of it and see the most beautiful old photos of the harbor and a portrait of one of his favorite poets: Walt Whitman.

The Chascona, Santiago

This house, located at the foot of Cerro San Cristobal, in the Bellavista neighborhood (Fernando Márquez de la Plata 0192), owes its name to Matilde Urrutia, the nickname of who was the secret love of Pablo Neruda at that time. To decorate it, Naphtali Reyes brought from the south some cypress logs for the living room, giving him the rustic wave that he longed for. The great surprise of La Chascona is its art gallery with works by Chilean and foreign painters, its collection of African wooden carvings and its dining room, where original crockery and cutlery are displayed.

House Museum Isla Negra

Between the white sand and the rocks of Isla Negra (Poeta Nerdua s/n) is located this house museum of the poet. It is undoubtedly the largest of the three and has the best collections of Neruda, so you can find shells, bottles, nautical maps, masks of bows and the most incredible marine details; thus managed to give his home on the coast a design that simulates a ship looking towards the horizon. There he also wrote his saddest poems, and in the courtyard is buried his body next to the one of his beloved Matilde Urrutia, whose tombs look at the sea.