A Local’s Guide to Santiago, Chile
Santiago is a one-stop-shop for anyone who wants to visit Chile but does not have a lot of time to spend. Because the country is so thin, Santiago is close to both of the country’s defining geographic features: the towering Andes mountains and the shimmering Pacific Ocean. Vineyards, canyons, national parks, powerful rivers, and good beaches are all within an easy drive of the capital.
Santiago city can serve as a hub to visit nearby surrounding wonders, or as a logistical base to travel throughout the country. It has connections to almost every destination in Chile, as well as most of South America and the rest of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Perú, and Brazil).
History meets modern attractions in this grand metropolitan area and in just about a week, you can get a feel for what Chile is all about, experiencing its mixture of ethnicities, gastronomic diversity, and local customs.
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Table of Contents
Why visit
A brief history of Santiago
Where is Santiago
How to get there
Transportation and getting around
Best time to visit
How long to spend
Where to stay
Things to do
Where to eat and drink
Why visit Santiago
A view over Santiago from the top of Cerro San Cristobal hill. Photo: Omnespsx (D•ES), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Santiago long had a reputation as a city not really worth visiting in its own right, always overshadowed by the glamour and culture of Buenos Aires and the stunning natural attractions and exuberance of Rio de Janeiro. This is no longer really the case.
Santiago offers visitors a wide array of experiences. It has a very vibrant feel to it and there is always something to do. The city is home to excellent dining, a host of good museums, booming nightlife, some great parks, and many pleasant neighborhoods.
The art scene is up-and-coming and for urban explorers, the street art is among the best in Latin America. While Santiago admittedly doesn’t have any marquee sites, it’s a pleasant place to spend some time and an exceedingly convenient base for day trips to other parts of Central Chile.
While in Santiago you can travel up the Andes Mountains to the ski resorts during the winter or practice horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, or white water rafting in the summer months. Travelling west will take you to the coast, where you can enjoy the seaside while trying scrumptious delicacies paired with typical wines.
In the surrounding countryside, towards the outskirts of the city, you can visit several wineries offering tours and tastings.
A [very] brief history of Santiago
A depiction of colonial Santiago. Photo: John Carter Brown Library , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Colonial/Spanish period
The city was founded in 1541, as the base of operations for the Spanish conquistadors during their search for gold in Chile. Where Santiago now sits was, of course, not uninhabited terrain. The Picunche indigenous people had various settlements throughout the valley and they were subjugated upon the Spaniards’ arrival.
The city’s construction followed the normal guidelines of most important cities back then, starting at a main square and expanding from there. If you’re a history buff, there are several good museums that harbor very interesting pieces from our history before and after the Spanish conquest.
Santiago was a rather sleepy city for much of its first few hundred years of existence. Separated from most of the rest of South America by impenetrable mountains and lacking the coveted resources of places like Peru and Bolivia (gold and silver), the Spanish didn’t pay much attention to their holdings in Chile.
Independence
Chile, along with Argentina, gained independence from Spain in 1818. Then under local rule not much changed for Santiago.
Valparaiso, on the nearby coast, was the country’s financial center during colonial times and it was not until the mid 1800s that Santiago began to grow rapidly. Close to the end of the century, as industrialization began to take hold in Chile, Santiago quickly replaced Valparaiso as the nation’s economic hub. It has remained so to this day.
Population growth exploded in the early 1900s and then extremely rapidly in the ‘50s. What was a city of 40,000 people in the early 1800s had almost 500,000 residents by 1920 and well over a million by 1950.
During the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, from 1973 to 1990, Santiago became further entrenched as the economic and political center of the country. The economy boomed and population growth continued to accelerate. By the time the country emerged from the brutal dictatorship and returned to democracy in 1990, there were over 4.5 million people living in the city limits.
Modern Santiago
Today, that number stands at 5.5 million, just over 1/3 of Chile’s entire population. The city is also home to the main international airport, the governmental headquarters, major corporations, and all the main financial institutions.
This growth, coupled with the city’s location in a bowl and surrounded on all sides by mountains, has led to some unfortunate consequences. For one thing, pollution tends to accumulate over the city, resulting in a rather dense smog clouding the sky for many months of the year, particularly in winter. Temperatures are also significantly higher than you might expect during the winter months.
Much of today’s Santiago is a shiny and developed city, especially in the eastern neighborhoods, and it looks by far the most modern of any city in South America. However, the glitz and glass of eastern suburbs like Las Condes are contrasted by grittier (and much poorer) neighborhoods all around the city’s outskirts.
The people of Santiago are known for living a more hectic life than in the rest of the country. In fact, it is common to hear the saying “Santiago is Chile,” since most of the governmental institutions have their headquarters here.
Life in the city is fast paced and everyone is usually in a hurry, running late, or trying to do several things at once. This type of lifestyle demands that services function with more speed than in the rest of the country, so if you need to get something done, Santiago is the place to do it.
Although Santiago is hectic and busy, it also has a more mellow side that allows you to relax, especially in front of the imposing snow-capped Andes mountains. The city is known for its shopping centers that attract many tourists from Argentina and Brazil, as well as its easy access to the ski resorts and beaches located only a few hours away.
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Where is Santiago?
The city of Santiago is located right in the middle of Chile, in what is known as the Metropolitan Region. It harbors a bit over one-third of the country’s total population, along with the main international airport, the governmental headquarters, and the main financial institutions.
The city sits inside a basin within Chile’s “central valley”, surrounded by mountain ranges on both sides; the Andes to the east and the Chilean Coastal Range to the west. It’s only about 105 kms (65 miles) to the coast while the Andes mountains literally begin at the eastern edge of the city.
Valparaiso, the nearest other big city in Central Chile, is 116 km east of Santiago. Lake district and Patagonia lie hundreds (and over a thousand potentially, depending on where you’re going) of miles to the south while San Pedro and the Atacama desert are more than 1,000 miles to the north. It’s a big country.
How to get to Santiago
By plane
Santiago is the main entry point to Chile, mainly via air traffic. Passengers arrive from all over the world night and day. Our international airport currently works with 18 airlines managing over 120 flights per day.
If you’re coming from elsewhere in South America, Santiago is connected with most capitals and major cities on the continent and you have both legacy airlines like Latam and Avianca as well as low cost carries like Sky Airlines and jetSmart.
From North America, you have daily non-stop flights from New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Mexico City, and Panama City. From Europe, you have direct flights every day from Madrid and multiple times per week from London and Barcelona. From the Asia Pacific region, there are direct daily flights to Santiago from Auckland, New Zealand.
Overland
Tourists also arrive via land, usually coming across the Andes by bus from Mendoza in Argentina, overland from the northern border with Peru, or via 4x4 adventures from Bolivia after traveling through the salt flats of Uyuni. Cruise ships also make call at two of our main ports, Valparaíso and San Antonio, both located just two hours from Santiago.
Buses are available from Peru (almost always requiring one or two changes – it’s more than a 24-hour journey) and Argentina, with a typical travel time of about 8 hours from Mendoza to Santiago.
Getting around Santiago
Public transport
Santiago’s public transportation has improved dramatically over the last decade, and the city is now very well served by buses and an extensive metro system. Many new metro lines have been built and countless bus routes added. Public transportation is largely safe, efficient, and extensive.
Most buses and metros do not accept cash though, so you will need to purchase a rechargeable BIP card and load up a balance. Cards can be purchased in almost all metro stations.
The Metro is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday; 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays; and 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Sundays. The BIP card costs $1.500 (CLP) and the minimum first top up is $750 (CLP). Keep in mind that you cannot get extra money back from the card once you finish using it. For more information you can visit: https://www.metro.cl/el-viaje/horarios-y-tarifas.
Public transport via bus to other major cities and larger towns is quite good, but getting out to small towns and natural places can become a confusing and time-consuming endeavor.
Taxis
Taxis are available everywhere in Santiago and you can hail them. They are black sedans with yellow roofs. The rate starts at either $700 or $800 (CLP), then the price goes up every 1 minute or 328 ft (100 meters). Gypsy cabs are common and, unfortunately, it is easy to get tricked into paying more than you should. This happens even to locals.
So, if you need to use a cab, I suggest you request a radiotaxi service. These are secure and monitored by the Transport Ministry. Most hotels have an agreement with a radiotaxi company and can request a car for you.
Ride share apps
While apps such as Uber and Cabify function in Santiago, they are not fully regulated in Chile. The options are not the same as the ones the same apps have in other countries, and there is a huge riff between app drivers and taxi drivers because the latter, must pay for permits that the former do not have to apply for. There have been some cases of violence towards both Uber drivers and passengers.
Driving
Renting a car in Santiago is exceedingly easy and is a good option if you’ll be based in the city for at least a few days and are planning some day trips. In general, traffic and driving conditions in Santiago (and Chile on a whole) are much better than what you’ll encounter elsewhere in Latin America.
Road conditions are typically excellent and drivers are, for the most part, fairly well behaved. Even so, if you’re coming from North America, Central or Northern Europe, or many parts of Asia, you may find it a bit chaotic and stressful.
Also be aware that navigating central Santiago will be more challenging than the eastern suburbs. If you want to have a car during your stay in the city, you should probably reserve a hotel in somewhere like Providencia, Las Condes, or Vitacura.
Best time to visit
A freak snowfall in central Santiago (from 2018)
In general, I prefer to visit Santiago during the summer, since it provides the right balance between available activities, good weather, and fewer crowds. Due to its location in the central valley, there are significant temperature fluctuations during the day. Therefore, even in summer it’s best to always have a jacket and a hat handy in case it gets too cold or too sunny.
It’s important to remember that seasons are the opposite between the northern and southern hemispheres. I’m providing tips for the seasons as they are for us in the Southern Hemisphere (so when I say summer, that’s Chilean summer, i.e. winter in North America or Europe).
Another significant fact to consider is that Chile has some national holidays when all stores and services must close, as established by law. These are: New Year (January 1st), Labor Day (May 1st), National Independence and Glory of the Army (September 18 and 19), and Christmas (December 25).
This is also the case whenever there is an election, which in addition prohibits restaurants and shops to sell alcoholic drinks the day before.
Winter (June through September)
Our winter is considered low season, although some families travel out of Santiago during their children’s two-week winter recess, usually in July. Prices are also lower and most of the city has special activities. Temperatures tend to be much lower, as well, but it will depend on if you wish to stay in Santiago or visit nearby cities.
There is usually heavy snow in the Andes mountains during these months, sometimes forcing transport and border authorities to close domestic and international roads. Snow sports are common in the ski resorts of Farellones, at an altitude of 7,972 ft, and Portillo, which is also the crossing to Mendoza Argentina, located 8,497 ft above sea level.
Temperatures tend to fluctuate between 36°/ 67° F during this season. If you are heading to the ski resorts, remember to bring sunscreen because the reflection from the snow can be very high.
Spring (September through December)
Santiago blossoms during Spring. The weather is mild and pleasant, and attractions and services are open, offering several activities. If you come on the week of September 18, you will run into people celebrating Chile’s independence from Spain.
The typical celebrations are the Fondas held in various locations throughout the city, where you can enjoy delicious preparations like the empanada de pino (meat turnovers); anticuchos (kebabs); mote con huesillos (a sweet desert drink with wheat and rehydrated dried peaches); and barbecues with beer or wine.
The parties are very lively, and you can see people dancing the traditional cueca and other crowd favorites such as cumbia. The Fondas usually open from noon until 3 a.m. and, depending on the day of the week, the parties might be available up to a week.
There are also games that have been around since colonial times, like tossing hoops onto bottles, Rayuela (which consists of tossing a rock to fall on a string), or sack jumping.
This is a very windy time of the year, so many families enjoy flying kites together, as schools take a recess that week and parents usually request some vacation days to enjoy the entire week off with their children. Due to the non-renounceable holidays, most places will be closed on September 18th and 19th, unless they have special permits to hold Fondas.
Temperatures tend to fluctuate between 41°/ 84° F during this season. Due to the wind chill factor, jackets are always a must.
Summer (December through March)
This is the high season for tourism in Chile, when you’ll find the broadest offer throughout the year, and everything will be open. Luckily, it is also the time when Chileans take their annual holidays and children don’t start school again until March.
Therefore, Santiago will be less busy since most people travel during February. The temperatures do increase but they come back down in the evenings. There are also several activities that can be done in the city.
I do recommend avoiding the beach towns of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar because you will find huge crowds and traffic. Although there is no snow, the ski resorts offer other activities such as horseback riding and mountain biking.
Temperatures tend to fluctuate between 49°/ 86° F during this season. UV radiation is high, therefore, sunscreen and hats are highly recommended.
Autumn (March through June)
Santiago in the Fall is beautiful, with all of the trees in the main streets changing their color into orange and red hues. It’s much calmer than the summer but there are still several things to do, and the climate is nicer. Stores are usually closed for Good Friday, since it’s a public holiday in Chile. It falls in either March or April, so please take that into consideration when planning your trip.
Temperatures tend to fluctuate between 37°/ 82° F during this season. Jackets and hats are a must if you travel during the fall, since there is always a chance for a very windy day and scattered showers.
How long to spend in Santiago
Lovely Calle Londres in downtown Santiago
For a first visit to Santiago, I would suggest staying for 5 days/4 night. 5 days in Santiago gives you enough time to enjoy the city’s highlights, explore some of its lesser-known neighborhoods, and plan a few day trips to the mountains, vineyards, and ocean. It’s just enough time for you to enjoy a bit of everything from our great country, all in one place.
Below I’ve provided a little itinerary for how to spend 5 days in the city.
Day 1 - Santiago full immersion
Upon arriving at Santiago International Airport, ideally on an early morning flight, you should head to your hotel, get settled and take a half-day city tour. There are morning and afternoon options.
Taking a tour will give you a fast introduction to the city, help you better understand its history and development, and help you decide how you want to dedicate the rest of your time here.
Having already seen the main central area and probably a bit of neighborhoods like Lastarria, Bellas Artes, and Bellavista, you could dedicate the afternoon to enjoying a walk (or cable car) up Cerro San Cristobal hill and a wander around either leafy Providencia or street art-filled and bohemian Barrio Yungay.
In the evening, go for a terrific dinner of fresh seafood in swanky Vitacura and then live music in the little-visited Ñuñoa neighborhood, Providencia, or around the city center. You could also enjoy one of the dinner show specials available in Santiago, which showcase our beautiful dances and musical traditions from north to south, including Easter Island.
Day 2 - Up to the mountains
I would suggest visiting the Andes Mountains. You can go to any of the ski resorts that also have activities during the summer in Farellones or Portillo. If you want to make things easy for yourself, you can take one of many organized tours available from Santiago.
If you want to go on your own, you’ll find tons of good information on line as well as loads of ideas for hikes, ranging from a few hours to full days. A nice option is to hear out to the Cajon del Maipu area where you have some good hikes (my favorite being up to the hanging glacier at Monumento Natural El Morado), thermal baths (in Baños Morales), and a couple of cute towns.
Embalse del Yeso is an enormous reservoir of stunning water created by a nearby dam that also offers some hiking/walking trails.
Day 3 - Taste our famous wines
Here, you could take either a half-day or full-day winery tour (or choose some wineries, make reservations, and visit on your own – though please don’t drink and drive). There are some wineries right on the outskirts of the city and others further afield into the countryside.
If you purchase wine bottles to take home, check with your airline if there are any limits to how much you can bring with you. Most wineries also offer international shipping.
Day 4 - Relax on the coast
The cities of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso (adjacent to each other) are both worth seeing, but they are also very popular places to go to, especially during the summer, and they become very crowded and a bit unpleasant.
Viña del Mar is a glitzy beach resort with high-rise condominiums, shopping malls, and casinos whereas Valparaiso is a big city with colorful buildings (in varying states of repair) tumbling down hillsides towards the sea. Valparaiso is famous for street art and its many hills are traversed by steep staircases and charming rickety trams.
If you’re here in peak season, I recommend going somewhere more low-key, such as Isla Negra beach, the resting place of Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda. One of his house-museums is located here and it is very interesting. You can pair it up with a unique winery such as Matetic and get to see their organic and biodynamic vineyard.
Day 5 - Visit some museums, enjoy the city’s parks, and prepare for your departure
Santiago has a host of good museums with its Pre-Columbian art museum the crown jewel and probably one of the best museums in Latin America. One of famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s three house-museums (La Chascona in this case) is located in Santiago, right in the cool Bellavista neighborhood.
One of my favorite parks in the city, Parque Forestal, is also a lovely place to spend an hour or two sitting and strolling, and you’ll find lots of nice cafes all around it. It’s also very close to the pretty Lastarria neighborhood.
You’ll find more info on museums, parks, and specific sites to visit in the “What to do in Santiago” section below.
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Where to stay
The Hyatt hotel in Las Condes. Photo: Pauchileperu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Santiago is a very large city, which could take you over five hours to cross from end to end via public transportation. I would advise staying close to the main attractions to avoid spending most of your trip on a bus or the Metro.
Taking this into account, including access to the Metro, I would recommend choosing a lodging option in the comunas (neighborhoods) of Providencia, Las Condes, or Vitacura. These are the city’s eastern suburbs, and its nicest neighborhoods.
All three neighborhoods have accommodation options suitable for all budgets, ranging from Apart-Hotels – which basically consist of an apartment where you can get breakfast and daily cleaning services - to 5-star hotels. Airbnbs are not very common and, just like the rideshare apps, are not fully regulated in Chile. So, I suggest you choose official options.
If you want to stay more central, I’d suggest Barrio Lastarria, Bellas Artes, or Barrio Italia. Barrio Bellavista, while potentially tempting, is a hub of boisterous nightlife and, while a place I like to visit, not one in which I’d want to have my hotel. Downtown, while mostly safe and very convenient for sightseeing, can get a bit deserted at nighttime and is pretty chaotic during the day time.
Regardless of where you choose, remember that in Chile if you pay in Chilean Pesos, you will be charged an additional 19% for the consumer tax at hotels. However, this charge will be waived if you pay in Dollars and present your passport along with the immigration receipt of entry into Chile.
Providencia
This used to be a traditional residential area, but part of it has converted into a commercial and financial hub that attracts many people from all over Santiago who come to work here. You’ll find several shopping malls, restaurants, banks, and other services. These are my lodging recommendations:
RQ Apart-Hotels – A chain of 3-star apart-hotels with two locations in Providencia (Santa Magdalena 034 and Av. Ricardo Lyon 25). These are very quaint and cozy, as well budget friendly. Average rates with/without breakfast are US $80 / US $54 per night.
Hotel Diego de Almagro Providencia – This 4-star hotel is part of a chain with properties in Chile’s main tourism regions. It has a privileged location, close to Providencia Avenue but not in the middle of its busy streets. Average rates are US $80 per night in a double room and include buffet breakfast.
Hotel Diego de Velásquez Providencia - This 4-star hotel is a classic in Providencia. At the heart of this commune and close to many restaurants and shops. Average rates are US $80 per night in a double room and include buffet breakfast.
Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center – This is Providencia’s traditional luxury hotel, on San Cristóbal Hill. It has amazing views of Santiago’s Andes mountains and all amenities associated with a 5-star hotel. Average rates are US $155 per night in a double room, and you can include buffet breakfast for US $20 if you call to book your rooms instead of doing so online.
Las Condes
This neighborhood is mainly located along the sides of the red Metro (Subway/Underground) line, which can take you to most of the primary sightseeing highlights in the city. It’s also very close to the Metropolitan Park’s eastern entrance, which connects with the teleférico (cable car) that can take you to the summit of Cerro San Cristobal.
You’ll also find several shopping malls, restaurants, banks, and other services. These are my lodging recommendations:
Hotel Plaza El Bosque Ebro – This 3-star hotel is part of a chain of properties in Las Condes catering to different budgets with modern rooms. Average rates are US $102 per night in a double room and include buffet breakfast.
45 by Director - This 4-star hotel is a classic in Vitacura, located in a mixture of residential area with several restaurants nearby. Average rates with/without breakfast are US $112 / US $89 per night.
NH Collection Plaza Santiago - This 5-star hotel is located at the heart of the financial and commercial center, between Providencia and Las Condes. It’s also across from the Costanera Center shopping mall. Average rates with/without breakfast are US $126 / US $105 per night.
W Santiago - This 5-star hotel is located at the heart of the restaurant scene close to El Bosque and Isidora Goyenechea. The hotel’s bar is also famous for hosting prominent events. Average rates are US $155 per night in a double room and can include buffet breakfast for US $20 if you call to book your rooms instead of doing so online.
Vitacura
This is the easternmost neighborhood close enough to all of the main attractions of the city. It’s known for its boutiques from Alonso de Córdova Street, which encompass everything from the local Hermés Store to Faba Lapis Lazuli luxury store.
There are also several shopping malls, like Casa Costanera, with amazing views of the Andes Mountains, and fabulous restaurants, such as the Borde Rio complex with nine restaurants offering a wide array of options and fusions.
NH Collection CasaCostanera - This 4-star hotel is located at the CasaCostanera mall. It’s close to the Ralli Museum and to several great restaurants. Average rates with/without breakfast are US $118 / US $92 per night.
Santiago Marriot Hotel - This 5-star hotel is a classic in the upper-end of the city. Average rates are US $172 per night in a double room, and you can include buffet breakfast for US $20 if you call to book your rooms instead of doing so online.
What to see and do in Santiago
1. Walk through the Plaza de Armas
This is Santiago’s Main Square and Kilometer 0 of the country, marked by a plate on the ground at the square’s center. The square remains on the same spot where the city was originally founded in 1541. As you stroll around it, you’ll see other plates on the ground with maps that show how the city evolved over the centuries.
You can also visit some of Chile’s oldest and most important historical buildings, such as: the Cathedral (built in 1548); the Museum of National History, which used to be the Royal Tribunals (a sort of justice tribunal during the 16th century); and the Central Post Office, which used to be the Governmental palace until it burnt down in 1882, with its postal museum on the second floor.
Santiago’s Metropolitan Cathedral and Plaza de Armas. Photo: Sfs90, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2. Visit Palacio de La Moneda and Cultural Center
The Presidential Palace, La Moneda (The Coin), was built in 1799 and functioned as the mint of the country until 1882, when the Governmental palace burned down at the Main Square. It was then used as the President’s home and office until 1956, and only serves as office since then.
Below Citizenship Square (on the Alameda, the main street of downtown Santiago), you’ll find the Centro Cultural La Moneda, a very relaxing place inaugurated for Chile’s Bicentennial in 2010 to bring the arts closer to the people. It houses four galleries, two exhibit halls, a cinema, a reading area, a café, a restaurant, and two unique shops that are truly worth visiting.
The first one is the Fundación Artesanías de Chile store, which is part of the foundations run by the Presidency of Chile and showcases the finest handicrafts from all over the country. The second unique shop is Mundo Rural La Moneda (Rural World La Moneda), which was set up by the National Farming Development Institute (INDAP) to sell products manufactured by rural communities throughout Chile.
These include jams, oils, beer, ointments, and liquors, among many others. You can find out more on their website: https://www.cclm.cl/en/home/
Palacio de La Moneda
3. Explore Barrio Bellavista
This neighborhood is very fun. With a fusion of cultural influences, it has become a great melting pot for culinary experiences mixed with theaters, especially around the square of the streets Dardignac, Constitución, Antonia López de Bello, and Mallinkrodt.
This is also a good place to find good deals for Lapis Lazuli handicrafts and jewelry, mainly on Bellavista street. This blue semi-precious stone is only found in Chile and Afghanistan.
If you like art and handicrafts, Patio Bellavista is a great place to spend an afternoon relaxing at the heart of this neighborhood, between Pío Nono and Constitución streets. Along with a great selection of art exhibits, handicraft shops, and live performances, you’ll find a wide range of restaurants. It’s closed on Mondays. For more information, you can check their website: https://patiobellavista.cl/
A mural on a Bellavista street. Photo: Rodrigo Fernández, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Tour La Chascona house/museum
Our Noble Literature Prize winner, Pablo Neruda, loved the Bellavista neighborhood so much that he built one of his three main houses here. Today it functions as a museum, so you can see how he lived, his collections, enjoy a coffee, and also buy his works in several languages. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
For more information, you can check its website: https://fundacionneruda.org/museos-casa-museo-la-chascona/.
5. Catch the views from Cerro San Cristóbal
Rising up to approximately 2,890 ft and covering 1,870 acres, San Cristóbal hill is the largest urban park in South America. It encompasses several attractions providing different experiences, the National Zoo, a Botanical Garden, a Japanese Garden, a cultural center, an old-school observatory built in 1903, educational trails, an event venue, public swimming pools, and sport courts among others.
At the top of the hill, you’ll find a statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception that was commissioned by the Catholic Church in Chile to a foundry in France and placed in its current location in 1908. At the foot of the statue, there’s a promenade with food and handicraft stalls, as well as a lookout with great views of Santiago.
There are two ways to reach the top, by cable car and by funicular. For a full experience, I recommend going up by funicular - located at the end of Pio Nono Street in the Bellavista neighborhood – and descending via cable car from the top to the final station on Pedro de Valdivia Street.
For more information and access to maps, you can take a look at their website: https://parquemet.cl/informacion/ Some activities are free but still require booking ahead of time, while others charge for entrance. You can check availability for the National Zoo and swimming pools at: https://reservas.parquemet.cl
The view from Cerro San Cristobal
A walkway atop Cerro San Cristobal
6. Wander the Bohemian neighborhoods of Barrio Brasil and Barrio Yungay
Just west of downtown, Barrio Yungay and Barrio Brasil (centered around Plaza Brasil – Brasil square) are two of Santiago’s best neighborhoods in which to hunt for street art. You really won’t have to do much hunting as it’s everywhere. A good idea would be to start at Plaza Brasil and then explore from there.
The neighborhood can look a bit run down in places (and totally lovely in others), but it’s safe and it’s a bohemian area filled with cafes, restaurants, bars, galleries, and artist workshops, often located in places where you least expect them. It’s very fun.
A quiet street in Barrio Yungay. Photo: B1mbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
7. Check out Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
The Museum of Memory and Human Rights tells the history of the Pinochet dictatorship, with a focus on those killed, oppressed, and harmed by it. It’s definitely not the most feel-good experience you’ll have in Santiago, but it’s an excellent museum and it provides an honest account of a vitally important and sad chapter in Chile’s history, and one that every visitor here should learn about.
The museum sits right on the edge of Parque Quinta Normal in the Yungay neighborhood (mentioned above), so a good way to visit it is by enjoying the street art in the surrounding neighborhood, then the museum, then a walk in Parque Quinta Normal before a good lunch.
8. See even more street art the Museo Cielo Abierto
The “Museum of Open Sky” (open air, if you will), is an open-air street art exhibition with enormous murals painted on the sides of buildings in a residential Santiago neighborhood. You’ll find works by some of Chile and Latin America’s biggest urban artists as well as lots of underground and up-and-coming ones too.
The museum is located a bit out of the way in southern Santiago between the neighborhoods of Franklin and Lo Ovalle, but it’s worth the trip if you’re a street art fan.
Street art in Museo Cielo Abierto. Photo: Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Another mural. Photo: Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
9. Enjoy unexpected experiences in Santiago’s chic shopping malls
At Costanera Center you’ll find one of the tallest buildings in South America. The penthouse lookout point at Sky Costanera provides amazing views of the Andes Mountains and a once in a lifetime experience at 984 ft. There is also a bar where you can enjoy a coffee or a drink.
For more information, you can check its website: https://www.skycostanera.cl/en The shopping center also has a food court and other restaurants that offer a very broad variety of meals for every budget and craving.
Santiago’s newest high-end mall is CasaCostanera. Aside from world-famous brands, here you can find two unique stores. The first is a branch of the Fundación Artesanías de Chile (Chilean Handicraft Foundation), where you can get handicraft products from all over the country.
The second one is Moda Chile (Chile Fashion), showcasing products made by the members of a trade association of up-and-coming designers whose main objective is to collaborate and promote national design. There is also a hotel. For more information, visit: https://www.casacostanera.cl/
Sky Costanera tower, home to one of the city’s biggest shopping malls.
10. Visit Museo Ralli Santiago
Located a few blocks away from CasaCostanera, this is the second of the five museums created by the Harry Recanati Foundation in different countries. It has over 16,000 sq ft of exhibition areas, distributed over three floors, 18 halls, and a sculpture patio. It’s located in the residential neighborhood of Vitacura and houses an important collection of Latin American and European art.
It includes works by world-famous masters like Dalí, Chagall, Miró, and Rodin, as well as others by artists such as Wilfredo Lam (Cuba), Manuel Pailós (Uruguay), César López Claro (Argentina), Oswaldo Sagastegui (Perú), Roberto Matta (Chile), and Mario Toral (Chile).
Entrance is free. The Museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. It opens only on weekends in January, and it closes in February.
For more information, check their website: https://www.rallimuseums.com/en/Santiago_de_Chile.
11. Enjoy Santiago’s excellent parks and plazas
Santiago has a repuation for being a big, congested, polluted city. While it is all those things, it’s also a city filled with leafy squares and terrific parks. It would take you weeks to visit all of them, but right in the city center you have a few must-visits.
Parque Forestal, just behind downtown and adjacent to the neighborhoods of Bellas Artes and Lastarria is a long park with manicured lawns, a whole variety of trees and plants, and countless benches and places to sit and relax. There are even restaurants in the park.
Cerro Santa Lucia, also just at the edge of downtown, is a park centered around a huge hill that offers great views all over Santiago. Parque Bustamonte/Plaza Bustamonte has great people watching and feels like being in the very heart of Santiago.
Parque de las Esculturas is an open-air, riverside park filled with interesting sculptures and for something totally different, the Cementerio General (city’s main cemetery) is a beautiful leafy space filled with grand mausoleums, many containing the final resting places of notable figures from Chilean history.
The list goes on and on.
Cerro Santa Lucia park/hill.
12. Go on a winery tour
Visiting a winery is one of the best half-day or full-day tours you can go on from Santiago. There are several located in the outskirts of the city, in the Maipo Valley.
Perhaps the most famous one is Viña Concha y Toro, with its legends of the ‘Devil’ guarding the wines. Aside from admiring its plantations and tasting its wines, you can see its colonial house with a private park that includes a lagoon. For more information, you can check their website: https://conchaytoro.com/en/
Another good option is Viña Undurraga. This classical winery has an amazing wine museum, a beautiful park, and a delightful tour. Additionally, the winery donates part of its sales of Aliwen bottles around the world to the Reforestemos Foundation, which restores, protects, and promotes the reforestation of degraded ecosystems, recovering high ecological value areas such as national parks and reserves and generating a culture of awareness of the importance of native trees. Find out more at: https://undurraga.cl/en.
A third great option is Viña Santa Rita. This is also a very old and beautiful winery with a prominent place in history. One of its signature wines is called 120. The story goes that during the Independence War, the Chilean leader hid in the house (in its cellars) along with 120 men, after fighting against the Spanish army. When the royalists came demanding for them to come out, the owner of the estate, Doña Paula Jaraquemada, refused to give them up. Today, you can enjoy a broad variety of activities. You can find out more about the winery here: https://www.santarita.com/en.
Besides the vineyards and the winery, the grounds of Santa Rita also encompass a hotel, a restaurant, and the Andean Museum, which houses two floors of bilingual exhibits (Spanish-English) on pre-Columbian cultures that once inhabited Chile. Entrance is free. The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. For more information, you can check its website: https://www.museoandino.cl/
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13. Get out into nature in the Cajon del Maipo
Just on the outskirts of Santiago (but still in the city limits) you have a very extensive network of hiking trails, so you actually never need to leave the city to go for a hike.
However, for a wander deeper in the Andes, you should head southwest of the city to the Cajon del Maipo. This is ahuge area with countless trails, but one great one leads up to the Monumento Natural El Morado which is a hanging glacier adjacent to a little lake.
Nearby, you have thermal baths at Baños Morales, a cute town in San Jose de Maipo, and the beautiful Embalse del Yeso damn and reservoir. It’s about a 2-hour drive to the El Morado trailhead (found in Baños Morales) from downtown Santiago.
It is awe-inspiring how deep into majestic wilderness you can get only a couple of hours away from such a massive metropolis.
The peak of El Morado mountain in the Cajon del Maipo.
The calm waters of Embalse el Yeso in the Cajon del Maipo
14. Visit a ski resort
Even if it’s during the summer, a visit to a ski resort is always an unforgettable experience because you’ll be climbing the Andes mountains. Some of them offer summer activities such as horseback riding or mountain biking.
The ski resorts closest to Santiago – and also near the mountain town of Farellones – are La Parva and Valle Nevado.
At an altitude over 11,000 ft, La Parva offers easy access to tracks suitable for skiers ranging from beginner level to world level competitors and its downhill slopes are approved by the International Ski Federation. For more information, visit: https://laparva.cl/
Valle Nevado is famous for powder skiing and for having phenomenal views of the Andes Mountains. Here, you can go over 12,400 ft above sea level. You can find more information at: https://vallenevado.com/en/ Be careful, though, because the road to any of these resorts has at least 40 curves up to Farellones and 20 more if you go to Valle Nevado.
So, I recommend that you hire a tour with a local operator that can provide an experienced driver.
Another popular and beautiful option is to visit Portillo Ski Resort. It is located in the Valparaíso Region, very close to the crossing to Mendoza, Argentina, at 8,500 ft above sea level. The altitude changes are abrupt, since the visits usually involve doing the round trip in one day and it takes approximately two hours to get there from Santiago. However, the views as you climb are breathtaking.
Once you arrive at the resort, you can visit the Laguna del Inca, a beautiful lagoon reflecting the peaks of the Andes mountains. I also recommend hiring a tour with a local operator so that you can just relax and enjoy the trip. For more information, visit: https://skiportillo.com/
Skiers on a patch of slope at Valle Nevado ski resort.
15. Enjoy a day trip to the Pacific coast
If you want to see the coast, there are three main options from Santiago. Viña del Mar is a resort beach town where you’ll find several places to visit and great restaurants with wonderful food. Reñaca is one of its most famous beaches.
Right next to Viña del Mar, Valparaíso is one of the most important ports in Chile. There are many historical sites to visit. The only difficult issue with this city is that it was built on hills, so it requires a lot of walking and experienced drivers to get to the hill tops. However, several hills have funiculars that you can ride to get to the top.
Our Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda also loved this city and built another one of his three homes, La Sebastiana, here. You can visit it and enjoy a coffee with amazing views. For more information, check out its website: https://fundacionneruda.org/museos-casa-museo-la-sebastiana/
A trip to Isla Negra beach would allow you to visit Pablo Neruda’s third house and resting place. It is also a house-museum that you can visit. You can find further information at: https://fundacionneruda.org/museos-casa-museo-isla-negra/. You can combine this trip to Isla Negra with a visit to a unique winery in the San Antonio Valley, Matetic, to see their organic and biodynamic vineyard. You can find more information at: https://matetic.com/en/
Good restaurants in Santiago
A view from the dining room of Giratorio restaurant. Photo: Paulo JC Nogueira, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Edited from original.
1. Los Adobes de Argomedo
Specialized in Chilean barbecues, this restaurant in downtown Santiago is a favorite among locals and tourists for its great food and fun dance presentation showcasing rhythms and attire from different regions of Chile. If you want to enjoy a dinner and show, this is it!
2. Galindo Bellavista
A classic but casual Chilean cuisine restaurant in the artistic Bellavista neighborhood, Galindo has been around for over 50 years and is included in most tourist guides with good reason. Its menu offers the most typical Chilean dishes in substantial rations.
I particularly recommend the pastel de choclo (corn pie), the caldillo de congrio (conger eel stew), the carne mechada con agregado (stuffed meat with side dish), and the chacarero sandwich made with sliced beef meat and tomatoes, green beans, and chili.
3. Los Buenos Muchachos - Patio Bellavista
If you haven’t had enough parrilladas (barbecues) and Chilean food, you can try some more at the Patio Bellavista branch of Los Buenos Muchachos. Or perhaps you can have a lomo a lo pobre or bife a lo pobre, which translates roughly into ‘poor-style steak’, although the portions are substantial.
This is a very traditional plate that consists of a beef steak served with French fries, sautéed onions (almost caramelized), and one or two sunny-side-up fried eggs. Its national day is celebrated on April 24. Besides Los Buenos Muchachos, at Patio Bellavista you’ll find restaurants offering other types of cuisine, including Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Colombian, Peruvian, Irish, and American.
4. Kiosk at Cerro San Cristóbal
Mote con huesillos is a typical Chilean summer drink/dessert made from dried peaches boiled in water with molasses and wheat. It’s delicious and very refreshing! It’s sold in many restaurants and street carts. My favorite is the one you can get at the kiosk of the promenade at the top of San Cristobal Hill, which is the final stop of the funicular.
This is like a public square with stands selling souvenirs and snacks. From here, you can climb the stairs to the base of the Virgin Mary statue, or just buy a mote con huesillos and enjoy great views of Santiago.
5. Divertimento
Nestled among the trees on the foothills of Cerro San Cristobal by the Pedro de Valdivia cable car station, Divertimento restaurant combines the best of Chilean and Italian cuisine, sometimes mixing their flavors. Although its prices are on the high end, their options to share are certainly worth trying with a glass of good wine or a cocktail.
Some of my favorites are the empanaditas fritas de queso o pino (deep fried pastry filled with cheese or minced beef) and the machas a la parmesana (razor clams au gratin, with parmesan cheese, butter, and cream).
6. La Fuente Alemana
Believe it or not, hot dogs are almost like Chile’s imported national dish and we even celebrate National Hot Dog Day on May 24. A hot dog covered in toppings is referred to as a “completo”. Fuente Alemana, located just on the border between downtown and Providencia has been a favorite among locals since the 1950s, combining German and Chilean flavors.
Originally, it seems, the word completo came from putting everything available on a hot dog, making it ‘too full’. So, in some places they’ll offer you a completo with five or six toppings.
At the Fuente Alemana, however, you’ll find the most traditional versions. Depending on the toppings, they are: the completo especial with mayo; the completo (other times this is called the German hot dog – completo alemán) with sauerkraut; and the completo italiano, a hot dog whose toppings – avocado, tomato, and mayo – resemble the colors of the Italian flag.
The restaurant makes its own bread and mayo, and it also offers sandwiches and more elaborate dishes.
7. Coppelia
This café is a classic in Providencia. Opened in 1947 by a French baker, it quickly became known as one of the best places to get cakes in Santiago. And that continues to be true. You can buy full cakes or by slices, as well as different kinds of pastries, crêpes, cookies, ice creams, and sandwiches. It also has a broad assortment of teas and coffees.
The brazo de reina (that actually translates into ‘queen’s arm’) is a type of log cake typical of Chile. It is traditionally filled with manjar – similar to dulce de leche – and definitely worth trying.
8. Giratorio
Located at the top of a tall building in the heart of Providencia, this restaurant is famous for its international cuisine and its fantastic 360° views of Santiago thanks to its rotating structure. Although its prices are on the high end, it is considered one of the most romantic dining experiences in the city, with somebody usually playing the piano in the background.
Recommended dishes include the grilled shrimp over basil risotto and burrata, and the locos or cooked mollusks similar to abalones but exclusive of Chile with mayonnaise potatoes and green sauce. They also have a good dessert tasting platter and a typical Chilean dessert called celestino con helado, which consists of a warm crêpe filled with manjar, accompanied with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
9. Vinoteca – Nueva Costanera
Since Chile is a wine-producing country, it makes sense that there would be a good place to taste them. La Vinoteca, a high-end establishment that combines a wine shop and a restaurant, holds regular tastings, and has excellent cuisine.
There’s also a variety of charcuterie boards and pizzas to choose from, and a Mediterranean-inspired menu that includes their signature dish: the chanchito maravilla, which consists of boneless ribs braised with syrup and pipeño vinegar served with potato millefeuille, roasted pumpkin, and confit tomatoes.
10. Krossbar - BordeRío
Chile has an interesting beer industry and Krossbar is a budding chain of pubs with a beer-inspired menu established by the owners of an artisanal brewery in Curacaví, a valley close to Santiago. The one at BordeRío is one of the favorites among younger locals who come to try their great assortment of platters to share, which range from quesadillas and tequeños to boards with barbecue cuts of different meats.
They also have salads, several versions of French fries, and a variety of pizzas (all long and narrow, not round) and sandwiches. I recommend trying their Kross 5 and Lupulus beers.
The place has a great terrace where you can see the sun set. Additionally, if you want to try something else, you can roam around BordeRío, where you will find other restaurants with a broad offer of fine Chilean and international cuisine, from seafood classics to fusion dishes combining Andean and Japanese flavors.
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