Santiago, Chile Travel Guide
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
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.
Expensive
- 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 - Name: InterContinental Hotel & Resort Book Now
Area: Las Condes business district
Address: Avenida Vitacura #2885
Website: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/
Midrange
- Name: Casa Bonita Bed & Breakfast
Area: Centro – 100 mts. from Republica metro station
Address: Pasaje Republica 5
Website: http://www.bbcasabonita.com/ - Name: Meridiano Sur, Petit Hotel
Area: Central
Address: Santa Beatriz 256 Providencia
Website: http://www.meridianosur.cl/
Cheap
- Name: Footsteps Backpackers
Area: Bellavista area
Address: Almirante Simpson 50
Website: http://www.footsteps.cl/ - Name: Atacama Hostel
Area: Central near a subway stop
Address: Roman Diaz 130
Website: http://www.aconcaguahostel.cl/
Expensive
- Name: Anakena (International cuisine)
Area: In Hyatt Regency Hotel – Las Condes area
Address: Av. Kennedy 4601
Website: santiago.grand.hyatt.com - 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
- Name: Pub-Licity (Contemporary / Mexican)
Area: Las Condes business district
Address: Avda El Bosque Norte 155
Website: None. Read a review. - Name: Ocean Pacific (Seafood)
Area: Barrio Brasil
Address: Ricardo Cumming 221
Website: None. Read a review.
Cheap
- Name: Plaza Café
Area: On the Plaza
Address: 54 Lincoln Ave
Website: None. Read a review. - Name: El Huerto (Vegetarian)
Area: Providencia
Address: Orrego Luco 054 Providencia
Website: http://www.elhuerto.cl/index/
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Photographs of Parque Metropolitan by Kati Engholm, all rights reserved.