30 Things To Do When Visiting Santiago, Chile

Santiago has so many sights and activities worth seeing and doing that it's hard to limit the recommendations to only 30 items. I first got the idea to make this list for Santiago after reading Jeff Barry’s great article, 30 things to do when visiting Buenos Aires. So here’s my list of things to do in Santiago, Chile. I don't feel that's complete by any means, but these are the things that I really love about Santiago. If you see a link, click on it to read an article that I’ve written with all the info you'll need. For those without links, info can generally be found in standard travel literature or researched easily on the internet. My goal is to write a full review of every item on this list, including all relevant tourist information, and I will be adding to it over time. If you don't have time to read this list now, feel free to print it out and bring it with you to Santiago.

1. Cerro San Cristóbal: Although it’s almost exclusively a tourist site, there is really no view of the entire city that compares to the panorama at the top of this hill. Take a ride up in the funicular from Bellavista and make sure you visit the statue at the peak. Go a half an hour before sunset on a clear day and watch night fall over the city. You will be amazed.
2. Plaza de Armas: In the main pedestrian plaza of the city you’ll see tons of street entertainment, art for sale, and get a good look at the faces of Santiago. The chess club of Chile almost always meets here during the days (pretty much every time I’ve been) and I’ve seen public dance displays on weekends. Check out the Cathedral of Santiago here, it’s probably the biggest one in Chile.
3. Bandera: 30 used clothing stores all on one street. Find anything from used leather jackets to bridal gowns to little league uniforms.
4. Jazz: There are 4 or 5 jazz clubs in Santiago, 3 of which are in Bellavista. The most famous, however, is Club de Jazz, Santiago, located a short walk from Plaza Ñuñoa (open Thu-Sat). You can find live jazz Wednesday thru Saturday.
5. La Chascona: One of the 3 homes of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, the place is decorated with an incredible collection of anything you can imagine from all over the world and is also host to his Nobel Prize. There are rooms designed to create the feeling that you are on a ship, and there are some great views of the city. Check out his Nobel Prize here too. Neruda’s other two houses aren’t too far from Santiago (one in Valparaiso, the other in Isla Negra) and all are worth seeing if you have time (there are tours that take you to all 3 if interested).
6. Villa Grimaldi: This enclosed plot of land was used as a torture center under Dictator Augusto Pinochet from 1974 – 1978. The political tortures in Chile haven’t been publicized enough to the outside world and this memorial site holds both history and memory. You need to go on a tour of this place if you want to learn about the history of the 1973 military coup and dictatorship in Chile and its violations of human rights. The tour I went on was guided by a survivor of the camp itself, and was extremely emotional. Unfortunately, I don’t have contact info for tours guided by survivors in English, but I know they exist and I will get the info up as soon as I have it.
7. La Moneda: The courtyard of the Presidential house of Chile is very easy to enter and there are awesome sculptures by Chilean artists worth seeing. Tours of the inside of the building need to be planned in advance. Be sure to toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish.
8. Cerro Santa Lucia: Right in Santiago Centro, this hill takes 15-20 minutes to climb and provides another sweet view of the city. There are various murals, statues, lookouts and ponds hidden all over the Cerro, and multiple ways to get to the peak (just keep going up).
9. Fútbol: If you like sports, or even if you don’t, going to a Chilean league game or seeing “La Rojita”, Chile’s national selection, is an experience worth having. Crowds can get pretty rowdy, and I wouldn’t recommend sitting in “la barra” where the crowds chant and jump nearly the entire game. The most popular teams are Universidad de Chile, Colo-Colo, and Universidad Catolica (the teams use the names of the universities, but have no current relation).
10. Skiing and Snowboarding: – How many global cities are only an hour away from high quality ski resorts? Well Santiago is. Check out one of the biggest resorts in South America, Valle Nevado, or one of the smaller ones such as Farellones or La Parva, all within an hour and a half from the city.
11. Mercado Central: After walking around the fish market of Santiago, have a meal at one of the restaurants. Although touristy and a bit overpriced, you’ll find the most exquisite seafood in the city, including crabs the size of a basketball. While you’re here, check out La Vega Central, the biggest fruit market in Chile (a whole city block), just across the river from Mercado Central.
12. Have a Terremoto at La Piojera: – The terremoto (translation: earthquake) is a Santiago staple “copete” (drink) that every traveler needs to try. What is it? A mix of wine, pisco (a domestic liquor made from grapes), pineapple ice cream, and a hint of grenadine. Make sure to mix well and you will walk out feeling like a tremor just hit you. La Piojera is only a minute’s walk from Mercado Central.
13. Giratorio: – If you haven’t had enough panoramic views of the city at Cerros San Cristóbal and Santa Lucía, have dinner at this restaurant on the top floor of a 20-something story building. You’ll eat on a rotating platform that allows you to view all points of the city throughout the course of an hour and 15 minutes. Pricier than most, but eating with the view is worth it. Metro: Los Leones.
14. Sushi: While I’m not too keen on Chilean food itself, the countless sushi restaurants in the city never let me down. You do have to be careful however, as Chilean sushi comes with cream cheese on just about everything (although it can be requested without). Try “Too Much” near Metro Tobalaba. They have an all you can eat special (really tasty) for 5.000 pesos ($10 US) and a really interesting drink called Wasabi Sour, which seems to be a Pisco Sour with some wasabi inside. Map on their website.
15. Salsa Dancing: There are live Salsa shows as well as some dance clubs with live bands in Santiago. Check out Havana Salsa (address: Dominica 142) for shows or Ilé Havana (on Bucharest, a short walk from Metro Los Leones) for live music and dancing. Yes, they like to exploit the name Havana.
16. Emporio La Rosa: The best ice cream in Santiago. Have one while wandering around the neighborhood of Lastarria/Bellas Artes. Close to Plaza Italia. Address: Merced 291.
17. Republica: This street is lined with tons of small universities and stately manors that house specific schools of major ones. Go on a school day in the afternoon to check out the Chilean college scene. Many of the buildings on this street are stately manors converted into schools. The Savlador Allende Solidarity Museum, a collection of art confiscated and hidden during the dictatorship, can also be found here. Metro: Republica.
18. Quinta Normal: You could call it Santiago’s museum district, a huge park on the east end of Santiago Centro. I don’t know the exact number, but I would guess there are between 5 and 10 museums in the park and you could spend a whole day here. Some museums include: Museum of Visual Arts, the Train Museum, and Artequin, which displays remakes of the world’s masterpieces, such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Most museums close around 5 or 6.
19. Plaza Ñuñoa: Great for a night out with an ambience completely different from the hustle of El Centro and Providencia. Safe neighborhood, tons of bars and restaurants, a rock club (Batuta), a university theater, a jazz club, and a cool lit up fountain.
20. Lastarria: One of the more bohemian streets in Santiago, go for a stroll at night and pick from one of the many restaurants or cafés to eat at. During the day/evening, there are a few street vendors that cater to the more sophisticated crowd, like the guy who sells original prints of historic Chilean newspaper editions (including the first report of the 1973 military coup). You can also head towards Museo Bellas Artes from here and there are even more mid-upper range restaurants, cafés and bars to chose from. There’s also an art theater that plays principally foreign films on Lastarria.
21. Museo Bellas Artes and Museo de Arte Contemporaneo: Museo Bellas Artes is Santiago’s flagship museum and for good reason. I had avoided going in for my first four months here because I thought it would typical art that I don’t really care for. Turns out that Chile has an amazing Contemporary art scene and Museo Bellas Artes hosts some of the best works in the country. The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo is adjacent to Bellas Artes and is basically an extension of the latter. Admission is free on Sundays, plus when you’re done, you can check out…
22. Barrio Bellas Artes and Parque Forestal on Sundays: Every decent-weathered Sunday, hundreds to thousands of Chileans come out to the section of Parque Forestal right around Museo Bellas Artes to enjoy the life in Santiago. There’s tons of used clothes and art for sale, people playing music and break dancing, jugglers, great street entertainment that you can understand without speaking Spanish, and more. You really can’t go to Santiago without seeing this. Check out Kyle’s great article with some cool photos: Play in Parque Forestal.
23. Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, Universidad de Chile: This awesome open art display by the students of the school of design at the national university never ceases to amaze me. I studied here for six months and saw sweet new art every week.
24. Parque Arauco: If you want to see where the upper echelon of Santiago buys its clothes, check out some of the department stores at this huge indoor/outdoor mall. Has a year-round ice-skating rink, a Nike store, an Apple store and live music Saturday evenings. My favorite store here is Zoo Concept, which has awesome shoes and odds and ends. For even more upper echelon, head to Portal La Dehesa.
25. Museo Ralli: One of the smaller museums I’ve been to in Chile and also perhaps my favorite. The museum hosts modern art from all over ibero-america and has works that really impressed me. My personal highlight was stumbling upon the six to eight original sculptures by Salvador Dalí. Awesome. You can get there by metro, then bus, then walking, but I would just get to Metro Escuela Militar and then take a taxi to the address: Alonso de Sotomayor 4110. Map. Hours: November to April, Tue-Sat, 11:00am to 5:00pm. May to October, Tue-Sat, 10:30am to 4pm. Call (56) 2 2064224 to confirm hours as they aren’t always fixed.
26. Cementario General: All but two of Chile’s presidents (Liberator Bernardo O’Higgins and Dictator Augusto Pinochet) are buried here. Each president’s tomb varies between 2 and 3 stories in height and is really impressive. If you liked the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, you’ll love this one. Metro: Cementarios.
27. Bellavista: The ultimate nightlife sector of Santiago is also very centrally located. Tons of bars (for drinking), discotecas (for dancing and drinking), and restaurants (for eating, and of course, drinking). There is also plenty to do here during the day, but be on your guard at night as there are many drunks and people looking to take advantage of outsiders.
28. Sanhattan/El Golf: Get off the metro at stops Tobalaba or El Golf to see the modern second financial center of Santiago. There is some great architecture here and awesome sculptures all around, including a series of painted horses down the main drag, Apoquindo.
29. Sculpture Park: Along the banks of the not so beautiful Mapocho River running through Santiago lies a tranquil park with about 30 sculptures made by Chilean artists. This is a gem of the city that I have never seen talked about in English guides to Santiago. Make sure to check out the concerts in the park in summer months (January-March). Getting there: From metro Pedro de Valdivia, walk north on Pedro de Valdivia to the other side of the river and it’ll be on your right hand side. Map. Ask anyone for “Parque de Esculturas” if you feel lost.
30. Winery Tours: Chile is known for a lot of things, but I think wine is that which I was most aware of before coming here. Viña Concha y Toro offers tours all seasons, but I've heard about much better tours (Concha y Toro is the only one I've been on). Some tours let you actually pick grapes and participate in the wine making process while at others you only get to do the tasting, so research carefully.

If you feel I missed anything, messed anything up, or want to give me any feedback, please feel free to post in the comments section below or email me at ajblock7 "at" gmail.com. Hope you enjoyed.

Cerro San Cristóbal – Spectacular Panoramic View of Santiago

Although it’s probably on of the Top 5 tourist sites of Santiago, Cerro San Cristóbal is not overrated in the least. The big mound in the middle of the city affords one of the most incredible Santiago panoramas available. Every time I head up, my knowledge of the city has increased, and thus I am able to point out more landmarks, distinguish different sectors, etc. For those unfamiliar to Santiago, the view from up here will let you orient the city in its surroundings: the Andes Mountains and the Cordillera de la Costa.

Whenever someone comes to visit me in Santiago, I take them up Cerro San Cristóbal, and even on smoggy winter days, the view is still stunning. The last time I went up with a couple of friends from Buenos Aires, we climbed as it was getting late in the day and we got to see night fall over the city. Having an amazing panorama and watching it turn from day to night in the course of about a half an hour is a sight that can’t be missed.

Note: The clearest view you will ever get from up here is after a rain, as it reduces the amount of smog in the air. This is especially relevant in winter, and if you do go after a rain, you will have an amazing view of the snow-capped Andes. In the summer, most days should have decent visibility.

The Santiago Zoo is also halfway up Cerro San Cristóbal and can be accessed from the Bellavista Funicular (Zoo hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm).

Getting there: There are two common ways to get to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal. You can either take the funicular that leaves from Bellavista, walk-able from Plaza Italia, or the Gondola (Spanish: “Teleférico”) that goes from Providencia, a 10-15 minute walk from Metro Pedro de Valdivia in Providencia.

Bellavista Funicular: From Metro Baquedano (Plaza Italia), head towards the only big hill you see (to the north). The funicular station, as well as zoo access, can be found at the star on this map. Open Mon 1pm–8pm, Tue–Sun 10am–8pm.

Providencia Teleférico: Walking distance from Metro Pedro de Validivia. Ask around for how to get there. I’ll try to get some better information on this site ASAP (update 11/29/07: Directions have been posted below in the comments section). Hours Mon 2:30pm-8pm, Tue-Fri 12:30pm-8pm, Sun 10:30am-8:30pm.

Using Public Transportation in Santiago

In February 2007, Santiago went through a complete overhaul of its public transportation system and most travel literature on Santiago has not yet accommodated for the change. This article will explain in depth how to get around the Chilean megalopolis using public transit. Riding on Transantiago (the name of the new system) is pretty safe and efficient, even for foreigners. I get around the city almost exclusively on “micros” (buses) and “metro” (subway). The only times I ever take a taxi are if it’s late at night (past 11), and even then I’ll still take a bus after midnight (the metro closes around 10:30) if I’m with friends. However, I don’t recommend doing so if you don’t feel comfortable with the system nor speak spanish. Taxis at night are pretty cheap since there is little traffic.

I understand this is a lengthy article, so if you don’t have time to read it now, I suggest you print it out and bring it with you to Santiago, as it will give you all the information and resources you will need to navigate the city.

Tarjeta bip!

This charge card allows you to get on any metro or micro for 380 pesos (about 75¢ US). Furthermore, you can transfer from metro to a micro or vice versa and not get charged extra, as the fare carries over for 90 minutes from your first point of entry. The card itself costs 1,000 pesos ($2 US) and can be charged in any metro station or any corner store where you see the bip! logo. Sometimes when I go out at night, the only things I carry are cash and my tarjeta bip!

MapCity

Since there is no Google Maps website for Santiago (at time of writing), the equivalent is www.mapcity.cl. However, as a traveler, I know you will not always have access to the internet, and thus the website is not ideal. Luckily, you can buy a great little book that the company publishes and sells at newpaper/magazine stands anywhere in the city for 1,000 – 2,000 pesos ($2-4 US). Just ask at any kiosk if they sell “Mapcity” (pronounced “map see-tee”) and they’ll understand. In both English and Spanish, the booklet itself (pictured) has 153 pages of city maps, a metro plan, and a list of all the streets in the city (like any road atlas) so you can do your own analog Google map search. The book is really better than any tourist map you can buy because it has all of the metro stops displayed clearly on the maps, and you can get to a lot of sites of interest by metro. Unfortunately the information on using the buses (known as “micros”) in Mapcity is less than adequate, and getting to certain sites such as Plaza Ñuñoa, Estadio Nacional, and Parque Arauco will require the use of buses (see “Getting on a micro” below).

Transantiago map and/or website

Transantiago puts out both a website and a free paper map that are essential to the understanding of transit in the capital. The map lists all the bus routes and metro lines and is super user friendly. I get around exclusively by using the Mapcity book and the Transantiago paper map, which I keep posted on my wall. The map can be picked up at any Transantiago information center in the city (note that they all close 6pm weekdays, 4pm Saturdays, and aren’t open on Sundays) or online in nine pdf documents. You really only need 2 to 4 of these map segments, especially the maps of El Centro and Providencia which can be joined by placing them side by side, connecting the red metro line. I would actually say that if you are planning ahead, it’s worth going to a print center and paying a few bucks (or pounds, or whatever currency you readers use) to print color versions of the two map segments in particular.

Planning a trip on the Transantiago website can be confusing, and if you don’t speak a bit of Spanish, I wouldn’t even bother trying. The site works just like getting driving directions on Google maps: you can list a starting point and destination, and the site will tell you how to get there via public transit. In that respect the site is pretty unique, but unfortunately, this site is confusing even for me, and I speak Spanish. So for those of you wishing to try your luck, go to the Transantiago website and then click on “Planifica tu viaje”. Try getting to Plaza Ñuñoa by typing the intersection of Jorge Washington with Irarrazaval (use your own starting destination).

Metro

The Santiago Metro is very clean, efficient, and packed like sardines during rush hours. If you are planning on going in metro between 7 and 9 am, you may have to wait for a few trains to pass because of the packed conditions. Nevertheless, you will have to be aggressive if you want to get on, but don’t be scared. 95% of the time that I go in metro its not packed, the only real times you have to be worried about are if you are going toward El Centro or Providencia during those hours on a weekday.

When you walk into a metro station, there are generally maps of the entire metro network very clearly displayed. The lines are named by the last station that they reach in a given direction, so for example, Line 1 east is named Escuela Militar, and Line 1 west is named San Pablo. Check out this interactive metro map that lets you calculate travel time by metro. So once you know where you are going, just swipe your tarjeta bip! and head toward the line you want to get on. Transferring lines is also simple. When you get off a train in a transfer station, you will see a sign that says something like “Cambiar a Linea 4 – La Cisterna”. Make sure you get on the right direction or else you will be on the wrong side of the platform.

Getting on a micro (bus)

The Santiago micros can take a while to master, but riding them is a skill worth having as they provide access to the parts of the city that the metro doesn’t. The main micros that you will be using are the inter-communal buses (go to more than one zone as defined by the transantiago map), which can be discerned by their color: white with a green diagonal stripe (see photo). The local buses (those that stay within one zone) are painted the color of that zone on the map. Thus buses in Ñuñoa (zone D) are yellow, but depending on where you are staying in the city, you may not need to have to bother with the local buses. Anyways, at each metro stop there is a placard that says which buses should stop there. When a bus pulls up, it has its route # and a list of the main streets it runs posted in its front window in the lower right. If the bus stops, don’t be shy to step one foot on and ask the driver “a metro Baquedano?” or “a Parque O’Higgins?”. If he understood you he should let you know if you are on the right line, but if there is a problem communicating, you may just have to wing it… buena suerte

Taxi recommendations

Taxi drivers in Santiago are notorious for ripping off gringos, so you have to be careful, although I really can’t think of a way to prevent getting shafted. Actually I can, be with a Chilean and only have him speak, haha. Radiotaxis are the safest, they come right to your door after a quick phone call. They start the fare at 1000 pesos ($2 US) and then start charging you at the same rate as a normal taxi, which starts the fare at 200 pesos. The normal taxis are the ones that you see everywhere, yellow on top and black on the bottom. For some perverse reason, fake blonde girls here are called “taxis”, but I can’t seem to figure out why… Like I said, taxis at night should be cheap. The other day it cost me 3,000 pesos ($6 US) to get from Plaza Ñuñoa to Cerro Santa Lucia (in El Centro), so if you start seeing anything more than that on a short ride, start suspecting something. I’ve heard of gringos getting charged between 10 and 20.000 pesos ($20-40 US), but I think if your smart and agreeable, you shouldn’t run into too many problems.

So that’s pretty much it for the guide, if you've made it this far, you are now ready to tackle the mean streets of Santiago. I hope you enjoyed, and please, let me know if this guide helped you or if you feel it’s missing anything.