Can coastal scenery be managed? The Valparaíso region, Chile as a case study

Coastal tourism developed along the Valparaíso region of Chile is being threatened by a very particular issue: scenery degradation related to extreme urbanization and collateral effects. This paper presents the results of scenic evaluation of 96 sites along this region. The scenic evaluation assesses values from a checklist of 18 physical and 8 human parameters, and permits calculation of a scenic evaluation index (D Value), which classifies coastal sites into five classes: Class I, usually natural areas of top scenic characteristics, to Class V, poor scenic natural areas with a higher impact of human interventions. In summary, 14 sites (15%) appeared in Class I; 7 (7%) in Class II; 9 (9%) in Class III; 17 (18%) in Class IV and 49 sites (51%) in Class V. This evaluation provides a complete scenic assessment overview of the Valparaiso Region, allowing implementation of an adequate management strategy based on knowledge of coastal scenery for the maintenance and preservation of scenic quality.