Camine como un peatón

Good pedestrian habits to develop for getting around Viña del Mar or Valparaíso without a car:

1. Look down occasionally, as the terrain can change suddenly.

You never know when the
sidewalk will end

Sidewalks are mostly in good repair, but you never know when a chunk may be missing, a section may have crumbled a bit, a dog may be taking a nap, a car may pull up, or the sidewalk will simply end. 

Some sidewalks are high than street level...

...and other sidewalks are lower
than street level

Don´t like the way I drive?
Get off the sidewalk!

Given the sheer number of stray dogs, you'd think that there would be more caca on the sidewalks. There's not as much as you'd expect, but it's there. Watch your step. 

2. Give up any jaywalking tendencies you may have.

While Chilean drivers have developed good defensive driving habits out of necessity, and seem to be prepared for anything from other drivers, buses, pedestrians, etc., it is best to use the crosswalks.

Use the crosswalks...

...even if it means crossing the street three times
to get from one corner to the next

...even if it means following creative pedestrian paths

Follow the traffic lights. Running Man is there to help you know how long you have to cross.

...but take a moment to watch
the stoplight performers

3. Take an ascensor when attempting to ascend the hills of Valparaíso. 

Catching a lift up the hill makes a difference...

...when they are open

4. Take a micro for longer distances, but sit near a window when possible. 

Un micro

The bus rides can be pretty terrifying, especially when climbing the windy hills. It was explained to us that the faster they drive, the more passengers they pick up. The more passengers they pick up, the more money they earn. Fair enough, but the way this plays out is that the drivers do not always come to a complete stop when picking up or dropping off a passenger, and often the doors are kept open as they approach and depart from the stops. And sometimes when they are making the sharp turns to climb the hills.

4. Better yet, take the metro and walk the rest of the way.

5. Get to know the colectivo routes -- somehow. 

Shared taxis are brilliant. A colectivo is a taxi that follows a specific route, and can accommodate up to five people at a time. It is easy to hop in and out as needed, provided that your stop is along the route and that you know what the route is. This mode of transportation works for me, because I had someone point out the Recreo route (the neighborhood we live in) to us when we first arrived. I haven´t figured out any other routes on my own, and there isn´t exactly printed information about the colectivos anywhere that I have found.

Sometimes I think having a car might mean being able to do get somewhere quickly, or to leave town, but really -- I would not want to drive (or park) here. The public transportation is very affordable (approximately $.60 per metro ride, $.70 per bus ride, and $1.25 per shared taxi ride), and I never know what I am going to encounter on my long walks. 

All in all, a fairly pedestrian-friendly area.