Battle of the Cell Phone Towers

Torre Entel (seen here) is the biggest eyesore I have ever seen. Odds are, you'll most likely see it if you are doing anything in Santiago Centro, but for those who don't, it's located a block west from La Moneda on Alameda (map). Fortunately, there are many tall buildings on the north side of the tower, so you don't have to be exposed to this urban atrocity from too many points in the city. Check out a picture of the Movistar Building, the second ugliest building in Santiago, in my Plaza Italia Article.

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.

The Center of the Chilean Universe – Plaza Italia (Baquedano)

The first thing you need to know if you want to orient yourself in Santiago is the location of Plaza Italia, also known as (Metro) Baquedano. This huge roundabout sits in the heart of the city, with Bellavista and Cerro San Cristóbal to the north, Providencia to the east, Ñuñoa to the south, and El Centro to the west. From what I understand, the name Plaza Italia originated from the statue (northeast side of the plaza) given to Chile by Italy for their 100 year anniversary. Note that Plaza Italia is the point where Alameda (Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins) changes its name to Providencia on the east side. The most blatant feature of the central hub is the Telfónica tower, which is shaped like a ridiculously large cell phone (referred to as La Torre Celular, see photo).

This recent addition to the Santiago skyline (1996) happens to be the tallest building in the city, perhaps in the country. I suppose that Telefónica, one of the largest telephone service providers in Chile, really wanted to make a statement, as you can pretty much see the building from any decent vantage point in the entire city. The bottom floor of the building is a free museum, which is worth a stop if you are passing by (which you inevitably will be if you plan to actually see Santiago). I’ve seen two exhibits there: an abstract art exhibition and a Star Wars tribute, so who knows what you’ll find.

Metro Baquedano is a convenient access point for the following locations: Bellavista, Cerro San Cristóbal, and La Chascona (Pablo Neruda’s house) all found due north of the plaza, just walk toward the big hill and cross the bridge (northeast side of the plaza or left hand side if you are walking from the metro toward the hill). Parque Bustamante, Parque Balmaceda and Parque Forestal flank the east, south and western tips of the plaza.

Note: I almost always hear the plaza referred to as Plaza Italia by Chileans, unless they are talking about going to the metro station, in which case they will say Baquedano. To see Plaza Italia on a map, click here.