Valparaíso has a Mediterranean climate — warm, dry summers and mild, damp winters. The best time to visit is from October through April (Chilean spring and summer), when the weather is reliably good and the hilltop terraces and outdoor spaces are at their most pleasant.
December and January are peak summer months: warm (20–28°C), sunny, and increasingly busy with Chilean tourists. February sees the famous New Year celebration — Valparaíso hosts one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in South America on the night of 31 December, drawing enormous crowds to the hillsides and bay.
May through September (Chilean autumn and winter) can be grey and rainy, though never cold. Prices drop, crowds thin, and the city returns to its working-port character, which has its own appeal.