Santiago of Chile at a Deep Glance
Santiago is the sprawling
capital of Chile. With a population of over 6 million people, 'comunas', which
are similar to large suburbs, divide the city, each with their own city
council.
Since Santiago is considerably
big, commute time to move from one end to the other might be long. One way to
get around is using the very efficient Metro (which is the underground / subway
system). It happens to be one of the cleanest and safest public transportation
seen in the world. The other option is to take the local buses.
Many national monuments are
open to the public with free admission on the last Sunday of May. Going
downtown where many of them are situated will be well worth your while. You will
get to enter places and see things that normally you would not be able to see.
Make sure you go as early as possible, because there are always queues of
people lining up for a couple of hours to see some of the attractions.
What to See and Do in Santiago
Some of the main attractions
and places to visit in Santiago are:
Cerro Santa Lucia Hill - The
hill, that was the original founding place of Santiago, is now adorned with
wonderful facades, fountains and stairways including Terraza Neptuno. (Metro -
Santa Lucia)
Santa Lucia Craft Market - The
most traditional place to buy handicraft and souvenirs in Santiago is just
across from the hill with the same name. (Metro - Santa Lucia)
Paris Londres Neighborhood -
One of the oldest streets in Santiago still maintains its old architecture.
(Metro - Universidad de Chile)
Patio Bellavista - In the heart
of the Bohemian Bellavista district, this beautiful plaza has become a meeting
place for tourists and locals alike. Here you will find around 50 shops and
restaurants to enjoy as well as frequently cultural events from music to art.
It's a great place to spend an evening.
Parque Araucano - This large
park in Las Condes Comuna has beautiful rose gardens with fountains, an aviary,
basketball and tennis courts, a bike park, many playgrounds, and lots of grass
areas to relax on. It is across from the Parque Arauco Shopping Mall.
Plaza de Armas
The main square of Santiago
was cleared and leveled when Pedro de Valdivia founded the city in 1541. The
West flank was reserved for the church, where the Cathedral now stands. The
present building, built between 1748 and 1775, is the fifth to be constructed
on the site due to earthquakes. The North side of the Square he appointed for
himself and eventually the governors of Chile and later the presidents lived
there until 1846 when La Moneda Palace was constructed. Today the northern side
contains the Central Post Office, a museum and the Santiago city council
office. Between 1998 and 2000, a controversial renovation of the zone gave
origin to the present layout, which mixes sectors for cultural activities,
especially for classic painters and humorists, gardens and a central pergola
for the municipal band.
There are a few cafés around
the plaza if you don't mind sipping your coffee surrounded by swarms of
pigeons. Also, if you think you game is up to it, you can challenge one of the
locals to a game of chess. Be warned, they're really good.
One of the most interesting
statues depicting the Mapuche heritage is also located here in the South-East
corner of the square. At the North-West corner you will find another statue of
Pedro de Valdivia riding a horse.
Be careful while in the area,
it is known for being a pickpocket haven and is also a meeting place in the
morning for men looking for work.
La Moneda
The Presidential Palace is a
beautiful building, although there is no formal tour. We recommend that you get
your picture taken with the Carabineros who guard the palace in there
impressively imposing uniforms. While some are unable to speak to tourists you
will find that others are there purely to help lost tourists locate the museum
below ground or other nearby attractions. The museum hosts several different
exhibitions throughout the year, mainly by Chilean artists. If you go at 10 in
the morning every second day you will be able to see the changing of the guard
in all its glory. (Metro - La Moneda)
Cerro San Cristobal
This seems to be the highest
point of Santiago at 880m above sea level (323m higher than Plaza de Armas). On
top of the hill, there is a statue of the Virgin Mary which is illuminated at
night as a beacon for the city. The Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception,
with its great statue at the summit of the hill, was inaugurated in 1908, by
initiative of the archbishop of Santiago, Mariano Casanova, thanks to several
private donations. The statue, visible from a large part of the city, is
considered as a symbol of Santiago. There is an open air sanctuary at the foot
of the statue where mass is offered. Pope John Paul II visited the sanctuary in
1987. The walk up is rather long and most travelers choose to arrive at the
summit by taxi, tour bus, or cable car. If you do choose to hike with the
pilgrims making their trek to the virgin on their knees it will take you
approximately an hour. There is also a public swimming pool in the park and a
small zoo, which is more appreciated for its beautiful gardens than the small
variety of animals within it.
One of Pablo Neruda's three
houses in Chile, it is located in the bohemian arts district of Santiago called
Barrio Bellavista. The home is open to guided tours every day of the week,
except Mondays (10am - 6pm). The home contains many of his collections, books,
and artwork by his third wife and his friends. There are over 9.000 books in
the library and here you can see the diploma he was awarded along with the
Noble Prize.
From metro Baquedano, cross
the river and continue north along Pio Nono Street. His house is located at
Márquez de la Plata 0192 Lane, near the end of Pio Nono and built on Cerro San
Cristóbal itself. His other two houses are in Isla Negra and Valparaíso.
Parque Forestal
While normally this park is
quiet with more dogs than people, on Sundays the park and neighboring streets
come alive as they are filled with street performers such as jugglers and
actors, making it a fun environment for families as well. You will also come
across a lot of second hand stuff such as books, clothes or handmade jewelry.
The main focal point of people is around the Museo Bellas Artes, especially
behind it. Another reason to visit the park on Sunday is that entrance to the
museum is free all day long.
Museo Bellas Artes / Museo de
Arte Contemporáneo
This palace holds two museums
in one. While the museum features different exhibitions downstairs, upstairs
there is also a permanent display of colonial art. The most stunning aspect of
the museum, however, is not the art, but rather the building itself, especially
the front foyer that filters in light over the marble walls and floors as well
as all of the statues throughout the room. You can take the metro to Bellas
Artes station, or if you are on Line 1, you can hop off at Metro Baquedano and
walk along the park Parque Forestal.
Mercado Central
The building is constructed of
steel that was made in England in 1868 and brought to Santiago. The building
was completed in 1872. Nowadays it is a favorite tourist spot for the colorful
restaurants that are located in and around the seafood market stands. We recommend
that you have lunch at one of the small bistros. However, if you are looking to
buy your groceries, cross the river to La Vega for cheaper prices at the same
quality. La Vega also has its own form of restaurants with two or three stools
where you can have freshly prepared ceviche for a fraction of the price, but
with a rather different ambiance. (Metro - Cal y Canto)
While you are there, try also
checking out the Mercado de Flores
(Flower Market) across the river where there are dozens of shops making flower
arrangements (mostly wreaths). The bright colors found here are nice changes
from the brown Mapocho River flowing nearby.
Barrio Brazil
This is a great place to hang
out at night for travelers on a budget. The architecture in the area is
beautiful, if you can look past the flaking paint and years of dirt. There are
several little bars serving cheap beer and an assortment of traditional Chilean
street food mixed in with elaborate restaurants serving sushi and martinis.
Fortunately there are several hostels nearby. Remember to be careful with your
bags in this area. (Metro - Republica) To get there, get off at Metro Republica
and walk north along Av. Brazil.
Los Dominicos
While not the cheapest of any outdoor
markets, this surely is the most orderly and high class one in all of South
America. You will surely be impressed by all that it has to offer and can pick
up a few gifts for friends back home. Most of the products are made on site and
sold in this unbelievable small town. It is a little out of the way from most
of the other tourist sites, but a trip there is well worth the bus ride as you
can go from the Center of town to upscale Las Condes. You can also take the
metro (subway) to the last station (called Los Dominicos) on line 1. When you
come out you will see a beautiful colonial style church called Iglesia Los
Dominicos, but it is usually closed.
Barrio Bellavista
This is currently one of the
hot spots for Chileans to hang out in. there is a fullness of different pubs,
restaurants, night clubs and several artisan shops during the day. Cross the
river from Metro Baquedano and walk along Pío Nono Street to the outdoor
market. Probably one of the cheapest places to buy "authentic"
Chilean knick knacks, you might sometimes get good deals from the bored vendors
if you arrived quite early before the peak hours. There are also a lot of
stores here overflowing with different lapislazuli carvings. At night we
recommend staying away from Pio Nono, as the sidewalks are just chalked full of
tables and plastic chairs with bars offering two different selections of cheap
beer.
Off this street you can find
Plaza Bellavista. Both the restaurants and the shops in the plaza are a bit
overpriced, but it is worth at least a walk through if you are in the
neighborhood. The district is well known for the bohemian roots; who knows
which local artist you might bump into while there. Be careful late at night,
while it turns a bit dangerous you should still keep your eyes peeled and your
hand on your purse at all times while out at night.
Great places to check out in
Barrio Bellavista are Patio Bellavista
located in the heart of the Bohemian Bellavista district. This beautiful
plaza has become a meeting place for tourists and locals alike. Here you will
find around 50 shops and restaurants to enjoy as well as frequently cultural
events from music to art. It's a great place to spend an evening.
Plaza Nuñoa
Plaza Nuñoa
The barrio itself is more of a
sleepy residential area, with a generally older population, but the plaza just
off of Irrarrazaval Avenue comes alive at night. This is the perfect place to
have a beer and chill out with friends at one of the outdoor tables all along
the plaza. It generally attracts young college students looking for cheap beer
and French fries covered in onions, fried eggs and sausage…. yum! A lot of
times you will find young kids hanging out in the middle of the plaza, no
matter how cold it might be, practicing their free style rapping, or sometimes
there are even gypsy bands and other street performers. There are also a few
stalls selling jewelry and other items, but nothing overly impressive. At night
try stopping in at one of the places with Kuntsman beer on tap, or during the day be sure to visit the artisan
ice cream parlor. The metro system doesn't get close to here, so you'll need to
take a micro or cab.
El Golf
El Golf is the city financial
heart, where most of the top businesses and embassies stand. By walking around
El Golf and Apoquindo streets, you will be amazed by the modern architecture of
the buildings that makes this part of town on a par with any of the major
cities in the world.
If you are dying for the food
back home and you just can't get into the local Chilean cuisine you can always
trod on over to El Golf Plaza where elegant Chileans somehow convert themselves
into Americans. The whole Isidora Goyenechea Street is lined with American
based restaurants, whose menus are normally written in English too. In fact,
the only real difference between these chain restaurants and the ones back home
are the lack of free refills. If you go at lunch time, chances are good that
you will run into foreign business men negotiating over a cheeseburger and
fries. This is also one of the many places to grab your classic cup of Joe that
you have been craving. You can easily walk there from metro El Golf or metro
Tobalaba. If you are walking down Bosque Norte Street to Plaza Peru you just
might not make it. Instead you might feel the draw to have a beer in Flannery's, the local Irish bar. It is
a favorite with ex-pats and is filled every night of the week. Sometimes there
are karaoke contests upstairs and large red headed Irish men belting their
hearts out. They have a variety of beers, including some they brew themselves,
although unfortunately there is not Guinness. The typical bar food is pretty
good. There are shows all through the week of St. Patrick's Day, but you have
to pay a cover to enter.
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