Santiago – or Santiago de Chile – is a cultured city with a bit of flair and great transportation system. Officially the capital of Chile, Santiago handles all government business except legislative issues which are taken care of a short one-hour drive away (or 1 1/2 hours by bus) in the coastal city Valparaíso.

Editor’s Note: If you are thinking of a move to Santiago or want to travel extensively, view our Cost of Living page for information on bus and taxi fares; apartment rental and food costs; medical care, etc.

     Best Time to Visit         Where To Eat         Where To Stay       City Map

Traveling throughout Santiago is a breeze thanks to extensive, regular bus service and an underground subway system – Metro de Santiago – that will get you from one end of the city to the other cheaply and efficiently.

Popular Activities in Santiago and Sites to See

• Take a Historic Walking Tour. Begins at the Plaza de Armas. Continue on and visit the popular tourist sites: Catedral de Santiago; Casa Colorada; Parque Forestal; Mercado Central; Congreso Nacional; Palacio de la Moneda; Bolsa de Comercio (stock market exchange) and lastly the magnificent Iglesia San Francisco at the University of Chile that houses the Museo de Arte Colonial.
• After all that walking – see above – stop in at any number of lovely street-side cafés / restaurants for a coffee or beer and light snack.
• Visit Parque Metropolitano (Santiago’s largest park) and spend an afternoon wandering through the adjoining Santiago Zoo. Official park website (Spanish-only)
• Sit by a famous fountain – Fuente De Neptuno – at historic Cerro Santa Lucía (Santa Lucía Hill in English) and relax amidst the well-landscaped gardens enjoying the view of the city below.
• Get yourself the recent edition of El Mercurio and find-out what is going on Saturday and Sunday – live theater, cinemas and Jazz clubs.

Within an hour or less of the city many outdoor adventures can be enjoyed such as:

• You can go skiing or snowboarding at Valle Nevado Ski Resort (June through September), only 40 minutes from downtown Santiago. Ski Resorts in South America
• You can hike the Andes by climbing San Ramon (3000 meter / 9843 feet) peak or go on an easier day hike with your family up to the lookout point Cerro Pochoco (1,800 meters / 5905 feet).
• You can head to Valparaiso (closer to Santiago but a larger, industrial city) or Viña del Mar (popular beach resort 2 hours from Santiago) to lay on the beach, listen to the ocean and work on your tan (December through February). Travel Guide to Viña del Mar

Best Time to Visit

Santiago doesn´t slow down regardless of the season or time of year but does have winter/summer variations in the weather that makes some months more pleasant for a visit than others. Unless your primary goal is to go skiing – you may want to choose to visit during Spring or Summer.

During winter (invierno in Spanish) – June through August – it
is normally cold and rainy though the city does not get snowfall. During summer (verano in Spanish) – December through February – the sun will most likely be shining and humidity is comfortably low.

Where to Stay

Expensive

1. Name: Grand Hyatt Santiago   Book Now
   Area: Las Condes business district
   Address: Kennedy Avenue #4601
   Website: http://santiago.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp
2. Name: InterContinental Hotel & Resort   Book Now
   Area: Las Condes business district
   Address: Avenida Vitacura #2885
   Website: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/

Midrange

1. Name: Casa Bonita Bed & Breakfast
   Area: Centro – 100 mts. from Republica metro station
   Address: Pasaje Republica 5
   Website: http://www.bbcasabonita.com/
2. Name: Meridiano Sur, Petit Hotel
   Area: Central
   Address: Santa Beatriz 256 Providencia
   Website: http://www.meridianosur.cl/

Cheap

1. Name: Footsteps Backpackers
   Area: Bellavista area
   Address: Almirante Simpson 50
   Website: http://www.footsteps.cl/
2. Name: Atacama Hostel
   Area: Central near a subway stop
   Address: Roman Diaz 130
   Website: http://www.aconcaguahostel.cl/

Where to Eat

Expensive

1. Name: Anakena (International cuisine)
   Area: In Hyatt Regency Hotel – Las Condes area
   Address: Av. Kennedy 4601
   Website: santiago.grand.hyatt.com
2. Name: Europeo (Traditional – considered one of the best restaurants in the city)
   Area: Vitacura
   Address: Alonso de Cordova 2417
   Website http://www.europeo.cl/

Midrange

1. Name: Pub-Licity (Contemporary / Mexican)
   Area: Las Condes business district
   Address: Avda El Bosque Norte 155
   Website: None. Read a review.
2. Name: Ocean Pacific (Seafood)
   Area: Barrio Brasil
   Address: Ricardo Cumming 221
   Website: None. Read a review.

Cheap

1. Name: Plaza Café
   Area: On the Plaza
   Address: 54 Lincoln Ave
   Website: None. Read a review.
2. Name: El Huerto (Vegetarian)
   Area: Providencia
   Address: Orrego Luco 054 Providencia
   Website: http://www.elhuerto.cl/index/

More Articles You May Like:
Travel in Ecuador – Otavalo
Travel in Bolivia – Coroico
Travel in Uruguay – Colonia del Sacramento

South America Living Now on YouTube! – Virtual Vid Directory so you can see South America up close & personal!

Photographs of Parque Metropolitan by Kati Engholm, all rights reserved.