Why Santiago Is Underrated
Santiago suffers from a positioning problem — it sits between Patagonia (to the south) and the Atacama (to the north), and most travellers rush through it to reach one or the other. This is a mistake. Santiago is a city of genuine character: the Bellavista neighbourhood's street art and restaurant scene, the Lastarria barrio's bookshops and cultural energy, the extraordinary food markets, and the views of the Andes from the city's hills are all worth real time. On a clear day (typically winter and spring, May–September), the snowcapped Andes rise immediately above the city to a height of 6,000 metres — one of the most dramatic urban backdrops in the world.
Things to Do in Santiago Chile
Cerro San Cristóbal rises 300 metres above the city from Bellavista — take the funicular up and walk along the ridge for the Andes panorama. The Mercado Central, a 19th-century iron market building in the city centre, houses some of the finest seafood restaurants in Chile — arrive at noon for congrio (Chilean eelfish) or reineta (Chilean fish) fresh off the morning boats. The Museum of Memory and Human Rights, dedicated to the victims of the Pinochet dictatorship, is one of the most powerful contemporary museums in South America. The Museo de Bellas Artes in the Parque Forestal is an unexpectedly excellent collection of Chilean and European art in a beautiful Beaux Arts building.
Santiago Neighbourhoods Guide
Bellavista is Santiago's bohemian heart — street art, Pablo Neruda's Chascona house (open for visits), the best nightlife in the city, and restaurants of every register from cheap empanadas to fine dining. Barrio Italia, undergoing rapid gentrification, is the city's most interesting emerging neighbourhood — antique shops, design studios, craft beer bars, and weekend fairs. Lastarria is the most architecturally attractive barrio — colonial buildings, bookshops, outdoor café terraces, and a Sunday book fair around the Parque Forestal.
Santiago Day Trips: Wine Country
The Maipo Valley, Chile's premier Cabernet Sauvignon-producing valley, starts 30km south of Santiago's centre. Concha y Toro (the world's third-largest wine producer) offers daily tours and tastings at its Pirque estate. Viña Cousiño-Macul, with 19th-century architecture and estate-bottled Cabernet, is worth visiting for the history as much as the wine. Casas del Bosque in the cooler Casablanca Valley (on the way to Valparaíso) produces excellent Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. A wine tour from Santiago can be done independently by taxi or Uber, or through any Santiago tour operator — a half or full day well spent.
The Valparaíso Day Trip from Santiago
Valparaíso — 90 minutes by bus from Santiago — is the most popular Santiago day trip and deservedly so. The contrast between Santiago's modern capital energy and Valparaíso's funicular-crossed, street art-covered bohemian hills is extraordinary. Take the bus from Alameda (Turbus or Pullman, $8 return, every 30 minutes), spend the day wandering Cerros Alegre and Concepción, and take the last bus back. Or — the better option — stay overnight in Valparaíso and return the next morning.
Practical Information
Santiago is Chile's most expensive city but significantly cheaper than European equivalents. The metro (Bip! card, $0.80/ride) is clean, modern, and covers all the main tourist areas. Uber and Cabify operate and are reliable. The city is generally safe in the tourist areas; exercise standard precautions in the city centre. Air quality: Santiago sits in a valley surrounded by mountains and suffers from smog inversions in winter — the Andes are not visible every day, particularly June–August. Spring (September–November) gives the clearest skies and Andes views.
