Santiago tourist information
Chile's capital, Santiago, is a study in paradoxes. It blazed into the 21st century in a mere decade, but has not yet managed to shake off entirely some of its quaint Third-World peculiarities. Shiny office towers, giant supermarkets and glitzy shopping malls are as much a part of the cityscape as are the poorer neighborhoods on the outskirts. A slick subway system contrasts with surface buses where passengers are treated to a succession of singers and peddlers.
Beverly Hills-style neighborhoods spread on the eastern suburbs, but streets tend to get flooded after a scant two hours of rain. A stunning mountain range looms right on the city's eastern edge, but it is often obscured by a layer of smog. Expensive sports-utility vehicles trundle alongside horse-drawn carriages.
But that is just what gives Santiago its flair: here you can experience a real Latin American capital, warts and all, but without having to relinquish your developed-world conveniences.
And, while Santiago is not Buenos Aires, its nightlife is picking up and, in the process, gaining a personality quite its own. The number of quality restaurants is on the rise and cultural life always has something to offer. An armada of five-star hotels provides world-class accommodation.
Lastly, Santiago boasts a couple of details that set it apart from almost any other big city: excellent ski resorts in the Andes, just one hour east of downtown, and Pacific beaches one and a half hours in the other direction.
Santiago lies 600 m (1970 ft)above sea level on a plain gently sloping from east to west, flanked on the east by the eternally snow-capped Andes and on the north and south by mountain spurs thrusting westward. Another spur thrusts into the heart of the city. Covering an area six times as large as New York, Santiago is South America's fifth largest city in terms of population, with around 5 million people.
The city is dissected from east to west by the Mapocho River, which in summer dwindles to a trickle. Roughly parallel to the river is the main thoroughfare, which changes its name repeatedly as it heads for the Andean foothills: first Alameda Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins (or simply "Alameda"), then Providencia, then Apoquindo and, finally, Las Condes. Another major east-west avenue is Kennedy. Most places of tourist interest lie in the neighborhood of the axis formed by these streets.
North to South, the main thoroughfares are Vicuña Mackenna, Pedro de Valdivia and Manquehue. Av. Américo Vespucio forms a ring around the city.
The center of the city lies between the Mapocho River -which crosses the city from east to west- and the Av. General Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins (referred to by practical-minded Chileans simply as Alameda), and between Plaza Baquedano and the Avenida Norte-Sur, an expressway linking the northern and southern portions of the Pan-American highway. The heart of Santiago is the recently remodeled Plaza de Armas. On its western side is the Cathedral (finished in 1789), the fourth erected at the same site; the previous three versions fell prey to fire or earthquake. A door on its south side leads to the Museo de la Catedral, which contains religious art and historical documents. Next to it is the Palacio Arzobispal, the archbishop's palace.
On the northern side are the buildings housing the Central Post Office and the City Hall, both national monuments of colonial vintage, and the Palacio de la Real Audiencia between the two of them, housing the Museo Histórico Nacional. On the eastern and southern sides of the square there are arcades with shops. Just off the Plaza de Armas, on Calle Merced, is the Casa Colorada, Santiago's best preserved colonial house; erected in 1769, it now houses the Museo de Santiago, which depicts the history of this city from aboriginal times.
A block west of the Plaza de Armas is the former Congress building, which now houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Congress has now been moved to a purpose-built complex in Valparaíso. Across from the old Congress building, on Calle Compañía, are courts of law and the Supreme Court. On the opposite corner, Bandera 361, is the superb Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, one of South America's best, with exhibits of pre-Columbian cultures from Central America to the Andean region. A pedestrian street -Paseo Ahumada- leads south from the Plaza de Armas to the Alameda, intercepting half-way another pedestrian street, Paseo Huérfanos. Following Calle Agustinas to the west -with the highest concentration of travel bureaus and money exchange houses in the downtown area- you will reach Plaza de la Constitución. On its southern side is the Palacio de la Moneda (finished in 1799), the presidential palace, a squat neoclassical building hemmed in by the ten-storied Civic Center buildings.
Originally built to house the Mint, La Moneda was the largest building erected by the Spanish Crown in its colonies during the 18th century. Behind La Moneda, towards the Alameda, is Plaza de la Libertad and, across the Alameda, the Plaza del Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, with an equestrian statue of Chile's foremost Independence hero. Another pedestrian street -Avenida Bulnes- leads south from this square towards Parque Almagro, at whose eastern and western ends are, respectively, the Palacio Cousiño, a neoclassical palace built by an eighteenth-century tycoon and open to public visits, and the Basilica de los Sacramentinos. Both buildings are national monuments.
Starting from Plaza de la Libertad to the east, you will pass by Santiago's "Wall Street" (on Calle Nueva York), where the Stock Exchange and financial institutions are clustered, before you can see the town's oldest church, on the south side of the Alameda: Iglesia de San Francisco. Erected between 1586 and 1628, this red-walled building has withstood a score of earthquakes. Next to it is the Convento y Museo de San Francisco (US$1.5), with Franciscan relics.
The street alongside the museum entrance leads to a small quarter dubbed Barrio París-Londres, as much for the streets bounding it as for the mix of European architectural styles that earned it National Monument status. Built between 1923-1926, it harbors cultural centers, artist studios, restaurants and small hotels. On the north side of the Alameda, continuing towards the east, is the neoclassical building housing the Biblioteca Nacional and, next to it, the Cerro Santa Lucía. One of the city's landmarks, this hill used to be just a forbidding mound of rocks until it was remodeled and landscaped into a fine park, with a faint European flavor. Pity that skyscrapers have blocked much of the view from its summit to the west. Estación Mapocho, the remodeled former railway station for travelers bound to Valparaíso and the North, has become Santiago's prime cultural center, hosting exhibits, book fairs and shows (access by Metro: line 2, Mapocho, end station).
Estación Mapocho can also be the starting point for a walk along Parque Forestal, designed by a French landscape artist at the turn of the century. Heading east, you will soon come to the Mercado Central, a colorful market with fresh produce and lots of eateries, ranging from the very simple to some prime restaurants, with a particular reputation for seafood. Farther east is the Palacio de Bellas Artes, housing the Fine Arts and the Contemporary Art museums. Now a National Monument, the French Neoclassical-style building was expressly built for this purpose. In the neighborhood is Barrio Lastarria, centered on Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, with restaurants, small bookshops and cultural centers.
Santiago's "Quartier Latin", Bellavista has evolved in the past decade or so from a sleepy, older part of town into one of the liveliest nightlife areas in town. Tucked between the river and San Cristóbal hill, it harbors scores of restaurants in all categories -including many fine ones-, cultural centers, theaters and a busy street-vending culture that blossoms on Friday and Saturday nights.
On its eastern fringes, at the foot of San Cristóbal hill (Fernando Márquez de la Plata 0192), is La Chascona, one of poet Pablo Neruda's three houses. Visits are arranged on a first-come, first-served basis ( daily except Mondays).
From Pío Nono street, in the middle of Bellavista you can take a small funicular railway to the top of the San Cristobal hill. This is a pleasant park area with great views of Santiago and surroundings. There is a small zoo and a statue of the Virgen. Note : it´s best not to wander alone, particularly a quiet times of day.
Not so long ago, Providencia was just a leafy residential neighborhood grown around a convent that gave the area its name. It was eventually "discovered" first by upmarket boutiques and restaurants, and later, once the Metro subway line started to operate under its surface, by companies looking for pleasant surroundings for their corporate offices.
It has now become a busy, heavily trafficked street of a nearly pure commercial nature, with restaurants, offices, shopping arcades, banks and the like. Farther east, Avenida Providencia becomes Apoquindo, wider and more luminous than Providencia, but pretty much in the same style. Apoquindo then spawns Avenida Las Condes, which heads towards the foothills and evolves into the road to the ski centers of Farellones/Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado.
Santiago's privileged location makes it an excellent springboard for numerous excursions which will give you an idea of the diversity of the Chilean countryside : trips to the foothills of the Andes, to the various ski resorts, vineyards and park areas or to the beaches of the pacific.
Heading towards the west (route 68), in 90 minutes you can stroll on promenades overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the port of Valparaiso or the seaside resort of Viña del Mar. Valparaiso is a historic port and university town which is famous for its more than 50 small hills which are covered in quaint, colourful old houses. Don´t miss out on a trip up one of the old cable-cars to the top, for a great view of the port and other surrounding hills. On Bellavist hill you can visit another of Pablo Neruda´s houses, now converted into a cultural center. The Victoria Plaza, Cerro Alegre ( happy hill) with it´s english-style houses, Cerro Barón and the San Francisco church are other sights not to be missed. The neighboring town of Viña del Mar has a good tourist infrastructure, with many hotels, restaurants and pleasant beaches. It boasts an elegant promenade and a Casino.
Taking the Autopista del Sol ( Highway to the sun), route 76, to the coast you will reach the port of San Antonio and the beach of Cartagena, once the popular hangout of the upper classes, but now somewhat neglected. North of Cartagena is the beach of Isla Negra, where the prettiest of Pablo Neruda´s houses can be visited. It is a fabulous location on the cliff top, looking out to sea. The house is fascinating, with trinkets and souvenirs collected by the poet from all over the world.
Heading north (route 5), via Catapilco, you´ll arrive at the coastal resorts of Maitencillo, Cachagua and Zapallar. The first two have beautiful extensive beaches, with impressive surf. There are mainly rustic, country houses made of wood with dried grass roofs, although many are owned by millionaires. At Cachagua there is a small island where penguins and other seabirds can be observed from a distance. Zapallar on the other hand, is one of the most well-preserved traditional and exclusive beaches. There are many impressive houses ranging from swiss-style chalets to a large stone house designed by Le Corbusier. It is posible to stay in the elegant Hotel Isla Seca. Don´t miss out on dining ( lunch or dinner) in the quaint Chiringito restaurant.
Santiago aerial map
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