World City Guide

Mini Guide of Santiago

City Overview

Santiago de Chile occupies arguably the most spectacular setting of any world capital. Sprawled across the fertile Santiago valley, 100km (62 miles) from the Pacific coast, the city is dominated by the full might of the Andes mountains, which loom over its eastern suburbs. Indeed, Santiago's 5.5 million residents are theoretically able (money and motivation permitting) to take a morning dip in the sea, followed by an afternoon on internationally renowned ski slopes.

Santiago’s status as a colonial backwater has long been consigned to history, and the economic hub is at the forefront of Latin American commerce. In this city of contrasts, glass-fronted skyscrapers tower over 18th-century churches, while indigenous women in tribal costume hawk penny snacks outside world-class restaurants and hotels. The fashionable districts of Providencia and Las Condes, where the young and affluent sip cappuccinos, seem a world away from the squalid callampas (shanty towns) situated nearby. But despite its obvious problems, Santiago enjoys one of the best standards of living on the continent and the ‘work hard, play hard’ ethic provides the sense of a modern, thriving city.

Founded on 12 February 1541 by a small band of Spanish conquistadors led by Pedro de Valdivia, who had trekked across the Andes from Peru, Santiago had an unpromising start. Within six months, Araucanian Indians destroyed the settlement and the Spaniards were besieged for two years on Cerro Santa Lucia (a hill, now a popular city park). The eventual arrival of reinforcements from Peru enabled the city to be re-founded and Santiago settled into its colonial role as a provincial capital within the Viceroyalty of Peru. After independence from Spain in 1818, Chile emerged as the most economically dynamic of the new South American republics. The growth of the country's agriculture and mining industries served to boost Santiago's status and, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the city experienced large-scale immigration from Europe. The protracted economic boom of the 1990s, nurtured by Chile's mineral wealth (particularly in copper), resulted in the demolition of much of Santiago's architectural heritage to make way for luxury apartments and offices. Nevertheless, the city retains much of its Old World charm, particularly around the Plaza de Armas, the central square first delineated by Pedro de Valdivia.

Unfortunately, many visitors regard Santiago as little more than a convenient place to spend a night before heading either north or south in search of Chile's natural wonders. But to avoid Santiago is to miss out on a unique city whose residents remain surprisingly friendly, given its size and the disparities of wealth. Travellers prepared to venture beyond their hotel lobbies will be rewarded by 17th-century churches, lively markets and colourful street life, set against a dramatic backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The city's position halfway up Chile's 'string bean' shape ensures a comfortable Mediterranean climate, hot and dry in summer, cool and wet in winter. Santiago is renowned for its smog, which gets trapped in the natural bowl of the city, but this should not affect short-term visitors and clear skies can be expected during spring and summer.

Getting There By Air

Aeropuerto Arturo Merino Benitez (SCL)
Tel: (2) 690 1752 or 690 1753 (information).
Website: www.aeropuertosantiago.cl

All flights to Santiago arrive at the Arturo Merino Benítez Airport located in the city’s eastern suburb of Pudahuel, 25km (16 miles) northwest of the city. There are two terminals, international and domestic, and over six million passengers pass through here every year on flights from all major cities in the Americas and Europe.

Approximate flight times to Santiago: From London is 20 hours; from New York is 10 hours; from Los Angeles is 16 hours; from Toronto is 17 hours and from Sydney is 26 hours.

Airport facilities: These include restaurants, bars, a post office, left-luggage, tourist information, duty-free shops, boutiques, VIP lounges, a bureau de change and ATMs. There is a first-aid centre at the western end of the first floor of the International Terminal, with a fully equipped ambulance on 24-hour standby. Passengers in search of lost property should call the airport’s helpline (tel: (2) 690 1707), open daily 0800-1800. Car hire is available from eight companies, including Avis and Alamo.

Transport to the city: TurBus (tel: (2) 270 7500 or 601 9573; website: www.turbus.cl) operates buses that leave every 30 minutes (0530 to 0000) from outside arrivals, stopping at city centre locations, including Los Héroes and Universidad de Santiago Metro stations. CentroPuerto (tel: (2) 601 9883 or 601 0549) offers a similar service. Door-to-door mini-van transfers from airport to hotel are offered by TransVip (tel: (2) 677 3010/00; website: www.transvip.cl) and TurTransfer (tel: (2) 677 3600; website: www.turtransfer.cl). It is possible to find space in one of these mini-vans on arrival but advance booking is advisable and can be done by phone or by Internet. For safety purposes, visitors are advised to only use the airport’s official taxi service (tel: (2) 690 1381), which is available 24-hours a day. A trip to the downtown area should cost little more than US$15 (journey time – approximately 25 minutes, although it can take much longer due to traffic).

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

Chile’s roads are fast, well maintained and a far cry from the potholed quagmires of its South American neighbours. Highways connecting towns and cities are Rutas Nacionales (national routes), and are identified by their numbers, for example, Ruta 5 or Ruta 68. It is sometimes stated that visitors only require a current driving licence from their country of residence but an International Driving Permit is much more preferable and will avoid any confusion. If using a non-Chilean-registered car, it must be taken out of the country within 90 days. This period cannot be extended. Cars brought into Chile need local insurance and a Relaciones de Pasajeros (Passenger Relations) document, both of which are available at points of entry and border crossings. Public liability insurance is compulsory. The minimum driving age is 18 years. In Chile it is illegal for the driver of a vehicle to smoke, listen to a Walkman or use a phone while at the wheel. Seat belts are mandatory for drivers and passengers. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08% and all drivers involved in a road accident will undergo an obligatory blood alcohol test at the nearest police station. Speed limits on roads in Chile vary from place to place and it is best to keep an eye on road signs. Maximum speed limits are as follows: 60kph (37mph) in urban areas; 100kph (62mph) on one-lane highways and 120kph (75mph) on two-lane highways. Drivers are charged for using Chile’s highways at tollbooths (peajes) – the charge ranges from Ch$350 to Ch$2,700, depending on the location, day and time.

Chile’s automobile association is the Automovil Club de Chile (tel: 600 464 4040 in Chile only or (2) 431 1000; website: www.automovilclub.cl), which has offices in most large towns, offering local information maps and vehicle rental. Reciprocal benefits exist for members of some motoring organisations in other countries.

Emergency breakdown service
Automovil Club de Chile (ACCHI) 600 6000 600

Routes to the city: Santiago sits halfway along the north–south Ruta 5, the Chilean section of the Pan-American Highway. Destinations that can be reached via Ruta 5 are Rancagua, Chillán, La Serena, Valdivia, Puerto Montt, Antofagasta and Arica. It is linked to the coast by Ruta 68, which runs to Valparaíso and the resort town of Viña del Mar. There is no land route within Chile’s borders to Punta Arenas and the far south, and drivers must pass through Argentina. All routes into the city eventually link up with the main downtown thoroughfare of Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda).

Driving times to Santiago: From Rancagua – 1 hour; Valparaíso/Viña del Mar – 1 hour 30 minutes; Chillán – 4 hours 30 minutes; La Serena – 5 hours 30 minutes; Valdivia – 9 hours 20 minutes; Puerto Montt – 12 hours; Antofagasta – 15 hours; Arica – 23 hours.

Coach services: By far the most popular form of long-distance transport in Chile is bus, with several companies competing with each other for domestic as well as marathon transcontinental routes to cities as far away as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main providers for international routes are Tas Choapa (tel: (2) 779 4925; website: www.taschoapa.cl) and El Rapido (tel: (2) 776 0049; website: www.elrapidoint.com.ar). These operators also run principal domestic routes. There are dozens of companies with domestic services, but among the best known are Tur Bus (tel: (2) 270 7500; website: www.turbus.cl) and Pullman Bus (tel: (2) 560 3700 or 600 320 3200; website: www.pullman.cl).

There are four main bus terminals in Santiago, all on or around Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda), with several companies competing out of each one. Perhaps the most useful is Alameda, Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda) 3750 (tel: (2) 776 2424), near Metro Los Héroes, where Tur Bus, Pullman Bus and a few smaller companies share a modern terminal. San Borja, Calle San Borja 184 (tel: (2) 776 0645), near Metro Estacion Central, is for some international and northern destinations, as well as the coast and mountains near Santiago. Santiago, Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda) 3848 (tel: (2) 376 1755), near Metro Universidad de Santiago, serves international destinations, as well as towns in the south and along the coast. Los Héroes, Calle Tucapel Jimenez 21 (tel: (2) 420 0099), near Metro Los Héroes, serves the north and south of the country.

Getting There By Rail

Chile’s railway system, run by Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE) (tel: (2) 585 5000; website: www.efe.cl), is not what it used to be. There has been some investment in recent years but routes are limited. Trains leave from Estacion Central (Central Station), Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda) 3170 (tel: (2) 376 8500) - the grand 19th-century terminus that was designated a national monument in 1983, but is nevertheless run down.

Rail services: The only long-distance passenger trains from Santiago go south to Chillán (journey time – 5 hours 30 minutes), with a bus connection to Concepción and Los Angeles (journey time – 10 hours), or Temuco (journey time – 12 hours), with bus connection to Pucón (journey time – 14 hours), with several stops en-route.

Transport to the city: Passengers arriving here should take the Metro at Estacion Central to downtown Santiago.

Getting Around

Public Transport
The easiest way to travel around Santiago is on its clean, efficient and modern Metro system, Metro de Santiago (tel: (2) 250 3000; website: www.metrosantiago.cl). The system’s three lines run 0630-2300 Monday-Saturday and 0800-2200 Sunday and holidays. There continues to be a lot of investment in the underground system. A southern extension on Line 2 was opened at the end of 2004 and a northern extension on Line 2, plus a new fourth Metro line, are imminent. Regular travellers can buy a Valor or a Multiviaje pass. Special buses, known as MetroBuses, start from Metro stations and act as an extension to the Metro system, and MetroBus combination tickets are available.

Santiago’s city buses (micros) are run by competing private companies, although all vehicles are painted a uniform yellow, with drivers reliant on a commission from the fares they collect. The result is a chaotic and dangerous system where rival carriers race each other along the major thoroughfares. Route numbers and a list of destinations are displayed in the front windscreen. Attempts at utilising electronic ticket machines have largely failed and drivers still collect fares on most buses. They usually only have change for small notes.

Taxis
There is no shortage of taxis, which are black with yellow roofs, in Santiago and visitors will never have to wait long to flag one down, day or night. Travellers should note that Santiago taxi drivers have a reputation for taking foreigners to their destinations via very indirect routes, as a means of bumping up the fare. Despite this, foreign visitors can assume that they are not in any physical danger while using the city’s taxis. Women are advised to exercise caution when travelling alone at night, however, as there are occasional horror stories. There are also a number of minicab or radiotaxi firms providing a door-to-door service. Among the best known are Centro (tel: (2) 695 4148), Andes-Pacifico (tel: (2) 225 3064; website: www.andespacifico.cl) and Apoquindo (tel: (2) 211 6073).

Driving in the City
Driving in Santiago is a headache, with congestion to rival any European or North American metropolis. The boom in car ownership has brought problems; the most noticeable of which is the permanent pall of smog that hangs over the city, often obscuring the Andes from view. Attempts to combat this include the introduction of executive bus services between the affluent eastern suburbs and the central financial district, and limits on the use of cars that run on leaded petrol. Some areas impose traffic restrictions by barring entry to cars with certain registration numbers on certain days of the week. Nevertheless, foreign visitors will find Chilean drivers to be significantly more courteous than their London or New York counterparts. Visitors wishing to drive should avoid the morning and afternoon rush hours, when traffic can sometimes reach a standstill on city streets.

Parking in the downtown area is difficult but there are two car parks close to Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda). These are at Calle San Francisco 75 (tel: (2) 632 4024) and outside Calle Santa Rosa 76 (tel: (2) 460 8555). There are also underground estacionamientos along Avenida Providencia, situated beside Metro stations. Alternatively, many urban streets offer metered parking.

Car Hire
Most car hire companies require the driver to be 25 years or over. Drivers must hold a current driver’s licence in their country of origin (International Driving Permit is not usually essential but can be helpful), must show a passport and must leave an imprint of a credit card as a deposit. Insurance is usually additional to the car rate and is recommended.

Providers include Automovil Club de Chile (tel: (2) 431 1000 or toll free in Chile only 600 464 4040; website: www.automovilclub.cl), Chilean Rent A Car (tel: (2) 737 9650; website: www.chileanrentacar.cl), Avis (tel: (2) 601 9747 or 690 1382; website: www.avischile.cl) and Dollar (tel: (2) 490 4000; website: www.dollar.cl).

Bicycle Hire
Cycling is not recommended in central Santiago. In addition to the danger posed by racing bus drivers, the pollution makes it a less-than-pleasant experience. Having said that, many parks have cycle lanes, there is a nice riverside ride and there is good mountain biking along the winding lanes of Cerro San Cristobal. Mountain bikes can be hired from LYS Rent-a-Car, Calle Miraflores 537 (tel: (2) 633 7600; website: www.lys.cl). The company also offers bike transportation from hotel to cycling destination.

Business

Business Etiquette
The dominance of the landed elite in Chilean commerce throughout history has ensured financial life in Santiago remains firmly slanted towards the formal. In a business environment, usted, the polite Spanish form of address, must be used instead of the more familiar tu. Failure to observe this linguistic etiquette could be construed as disrespectful or even arrogant. Many Chilean executives speak reasonably competent English but any attempt to use Spanish, however faltering, will be greatly appreciated. Dress codes are formal suits and ties, although the dark suits of Wall Street and the City of London are not the only uniforms on offer. Chilean office workers often look to southern Europe for inspiration on their daytime wardrobes and visiting businesspeople may find themselves confronted with brightly coloured shirts and blazers.

Like their counterparts in North America and Europe, members of Chile’s business community make good use of the working lunch. Meanwhile, Santiago’s international hotels have benefited in recent years, from the increased popularity of the ‘business breakfast’. Chileans are big anglophiles, despite the arrest and detention in London of the business community’s hero, General Augusto Pinochet. As a consequence, it is not unknown for meetings to conclude with the foreign business traveller being invited to dinner at home.

Business hours in Chile traditionally followed the Spanish model of an 0800-2000 working day, divided by a three-hour lunch and siesta break. The realities of globalisation, however, mean practices have generally been brought into line with the North American 0900-1800 working day.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Santiago is not famed for its architectural heritage, unlike other Latin American cities such as Mexico City or Buenos Aires. Those visiting Chile for leisure are unlikely to make it a highlight of their trip and most take only a fleeting glimpse before heading off in search of natural wonders. Nevertheless, Santiago has much to offer travellers eager for cultural diversion and serene oases can be found in even the most fume-choked streets of the downtown area. Affluent Chileans, and indeed many ex-pats, are eager to portray the centre of town as a lawless ghetto and warn against spending time there. Despite a rise in non-violent petty crime, however, the horror stories are largely exaggerated. Visitors prepared to venture beyond their hotel lobby will find a city of lively markets, atmospheric old quarters and shady parks with thriving artistic, social and cultural scenes. The city’s museums, albeit small, boast impressive collections, while quality cuisine is accessible to those on even the tightest of budgets.

Santiago is easy to master, as many of the city’s main attractions are located in the small downtown area sandwiched between the Rio Mapocho (Mapocho River), Avenida Bernado O’Higgins (Alameda) and Cerro Santa Lucia. Bellavista, just north of the river, is a popular area for its handicraft shops, cultural attractions and nightlife options, situated below Cerro San Cristobal, which looms over the city.

Tourist Information
Servicio Nacional de Turismo – SERNATUR (National Tourism Board)
Avenida Providencia 1550
Tel: (2) 731 8336 or 731 8419 or 600 SERNATUR (600 737 62887), toll free in Chile only.
Fax: (2) 236 1417.
E-mail: info@sernatur.cl
Website: www.sernatur.cl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1830, Sat 0900-1400.

SERNATUR has another office in the arrivals hall of the airport’s international terminal, as well as a kiosk on Paseo Ahumada.

Oficina de Turismo Municipalidad de Santiago (Santiago Tourist Office)
Casa Colorada, Merced 860
Tel: (2) 632 7783/5.
E-mail: cerrosantalucia@munistgo.cl
Website: www.ciudad.cl
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri 1000-1700.

There is another city tourist office on the Terraza Neptuno on Cerro Santa Lucia.

Passes
There are no tourist passes currently available in Santiago.

Key Attractions

Plaza de Armas (Arms Square)
Since colonial times, Santiago’s focus has been its main square, the Plaza de Armas. Surrounded by the grandest of the city’s surviving Spanish public buildings, including the Metropolitan Cathedral and the ornate Correos Central (central post office), it acts as a haven from Santiago’s often oppressive traffic. Local artists display their latest canvasses in the square, which on weekday evenings is the scene of a thriving Santiago institution, when locals set up trestle tables and pit their wits against each other in fiercely contested chess matches. Another well-attended attraction is the weekly outdoor concert performed by the Santiago police band on Sunday mornings.

Museo Histórico Nacional
The colonial Palacio de la Real Audiencia houses the Museo Histórico Nacional (National History Museum), which displays many fine exhibits on Chile’s native peoples, the colonial period, independence and the modern era, ending abruptly with the military coup in 1973.

Plaza de Armas
Tel: (2) 638 1411 or 633 0462.
Website: www.dibam.cl/museo_historiconacional.htm
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.

Palacio de la Moneda (Moneda Palace)
The bombing of Moneda Palace by air force jets during General Augusto Pinochet’s coup against Salvador Allende’s Socialist government in 1973 is one of the 20th century’s most enduring images. It was in this colonial building that Allende finally took his own life, with a gun given to him, according to local legend, by Fidel Castro. Built in 1805, during the last days of Spanish rule, it serves as the official seat of Chilean government. The palace is not open to the public but visitors can stroll along the courtyard that runs through the middle of the building. Bullet holes from Allende’s last stand are still visible in the ornate façade.

Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda), Calle Morande and Calle Teatinos

Casa Colorada (Coloured House)
This 18th-century colonial mansion just off the Plaza de Armas is an attraction in itself, with its elegant façade and rose-coloured walls. However, it also houses the Museo de Santiago (Santiago Museum), which gives comprehensive coverage of the city’s history from pre-Colombian times to the founding of Chile as an independent republic.

Calle Merced 680
Tel: (2) 633 0723.
Opening hours: Tues- Sat 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Museo Casa La Chascona (La Chascona House Museum)
Nobel-Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda’s Santiago pied à terre is situated in the lively Bellavista neighbourhood. A series of small buildings, rather than a single house, La Chascona has been meticulously restored since it was vandalised by supporters of General Pinochet and now houses a collection of Neruda’s possessions. Visitors are taken on a guided tour (Spanish or English) through the house, where the history behind the furniture and possessions is explained.

Fernando Márquez de la Plata 0192
Tel: (2) 777 8741.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1300 and 1500-1800.
Admission charge.

Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Chilean Museum of Pre-Colombian Art)
The Museum of Pre-Colombian Art houses a collection to rival any in the world. Located in a handsome colonial building, the Palacio de la Real Aduana (Royal Customs House), it treats visitors to an endearing display of artifacts from Latin America’s pre-Hispanic civilisations. The collection includes artifacts intricately crafted in ceramics, metals, textiles and wood. Tastefully presented and meticulously cared for, the items on show give a unique insight into the lost cultures of the Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and many other groups which once dominated this vast continent.

Bandera 361
Tel: (2) 688 7348.
Website: www.precolombino.cl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.

Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts)
This fine arts museum, housed in a turn-of-the-century copy of Paris’ Petit Palais, evokes the city’s aspirations to lift itself out of the cultural wilderness. It occupies an entire block in the Parque Forestal area, the city’s most ‘European’ neighbourhood, which is rapidly becoming Santiago’s main red-light district. Nevertheless, the country’s best collection of painting and sculpture is on display is this elegant museum which regularly hosts exhibitions by contemporary artists from Chile and abroad.

Parque Forestal
Tel: (2) 633 0655 or 633 4972.
Website: www.dibam.cl/bellas_artes
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1800, Sat and Sun 1200-1630.
Admission: Donations invited.

Iglesia de San Francisco (Church of St Francis)
Hemmed in by busy roads, the Church of San Francisco, with the adjacent Franciscan Monastery, is a welcome island of serenity. The church was originally built in the late 16th century by Chile’s conquistador, Pedro de Valdivia, although regular earthquakes ensured little of the original structure remains. What can be seen, however, is still one of Santiago’s oldest buildings and the monastery houses the Museo Colonial San Francisco (Colonial Museum of St Francis), with an interesting collection of ecclesiastical art from the colonial era.

Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda) 834
Tel: (2) 639 8737.
Website: www.museosanfrancisco.cl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1330, 1500-1800.
Admission: Free (church); Charge (museum).

Santiago Parks
Santiago’s most attractive features are its four huge parks that offer spectacular views of the Andes, as well as welcome respite from the city’s traffic. All of the following parks are free and are open from dawn to dusk. The landscaped hill, Cerro Santa Lucia, to the east of the downtown area, was where Araucanian Indians besieged Santiago’s original Spanish settlers for two years, before reinforcements arrived from Peru. Now under siege by urban sprawl, it is popular among courting couples by day and a notorious gay pick-up spot by night. From its summit there are uninterrupted views of the Andes, while the tree-lined avenues around its slopes are good for walking or jogging.

Parque Metropolitano de Santiago contains Cerro San Cristobal – a pine-forested spur of the Andes that juts into the city’s heart and Santiago’s largest open space. At its summit, a 36m- (120ft-) high white statue of the Virgin Mary dominates the horizon. This is where, in 1987, Pope John Paul II held mass to celebrate his only visit to Chile (much criticised because of the Pinochet regime’s human rights record). Its forested slopes are crisscrossed by hiking trails and facilities include a public barbecue area, two outdoor swimming pools and a modest zoo. The most convenient way to reach the summit is by the funicular railway that leaves from the terminal on Calle Pio Nono in the Bellavista area. There is also a cable car that connects Pedro de Valdivia Norte with the top. Roads lead up the hill from Pedro de Valdivia Norte, Pio Nono or La Pirámide.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Santiago’s beautiful people would come to Parque Quinta Normal for a promenade. However, the well heeled have left the area for good and a solidly working-class district now surrounds this leafy park. It nevertheless retains a peaceful Mediterranean feel and is a good place to take a stroll while waiting for a train at the nearby Estacion Central. The park also provides the setting for some rather neglected attractions, including four museums, all of which have seen better days. The best of the bunch is the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (National Museum of Natural History), an impressive neo-classical building that houses a collection of fossils, flora and fauna, most of which were found within Chile’s borders.

Parque O’Higgins, also a one-time preserve of Santiago’s elite, nowadays attracts visitors from more modest echelons of society. Within its confines is a lake, swimming pool, amusement park and the Museo del Huaso. A huaso is a Chilean cowboy, rather like the Argentinian gaucho and this museum is dedicated to Chile’s rural communities.

Cerro Santa Lucia
Calle Subercasseaux

Cerro San Cristobal
Calle Pedro de Valdivia or Calle Pio Nono
Funicular operates: Mon 1300-2000, Tues-Fri 1000-2000, Sat and Sun 1000-2030.
Cable car operates: Mon 1430-1900, Tues-Fri 1030-2000, Sat and Sun 1030-2030.

Parque Quinta Normal
Calle Matucana Museo

Nacional de Historia Natural
Tel: (2) 681 4095 or 638 1411.
Website: www.dibam.cl/museo_historianatural.htm
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1730, Sun 1200-1800.
Admission charge; free on Sun.

Parque O’Higgins
Avenida Via Norte Sur

Museo del Huaso
Tel: (2) 556 1927.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1400.
Admission: Free.

Mercado Central (Central Market)
A wrought-iron structure (shipped out piece by piece from England in the 19th century) is home to Santiago’s Central Market, on the south bank of the Rio Mapocho. Although this impressive building still has a fish market, it has become an unashamed tourist trap full of overpriced ‘rustic’ restaurants. It retains much of its atmosphere, however, and is a good spot to buy an empanada (pastry) or a cheap bottle of wine.

Calle Puente and Calle San Pablo, near Plaza de Armas
Opening hours: Dawn to late afternoon.

Further Distractions

Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende (Salvador Allende Museum of Solidarity)
This museum has a new home in a beautiful building that has been designated a national monument. It houses works of art donated by artists from around the world in support of the Chilean people. The collection began in 1971 when a group of artists and thinkers decided to bring together contemporary works of art to show their sympathy with the social policies of the Salvador Allende government. During Pinochet’s military dictatorship, exiled artists continued the project and the collection now includes donations by artists from over 39 countries. Among the famous artists featured are Joan Miro, Roberto Matta, Antonio Saura and Yoko Ono.

Calle Herrera 360, on the corner with Calle Compañia
Tel: (2) 681 7542.
Website: www.mssa.cl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1900.
Admission: Free; donations invited.

Villa Grimaldi Peace Park
Villa Grimaldi, the former headquarters of General Pinochet’s notorious secret police force, has reopened under a new guise as a memorial park to the victims of Chile’s military dictatorship. An estimated 5,000 political prisoners were detained and tortured here between the 1973 military coup and 1987 – and 142 of these ‘disappeared’. The park opened in March 1997, marking a crucial step in Chile’s reconciliation with its bloody past, and is the first government-sanctioned memorial to Pinochet’s victims.

Avenida Arrieta, eastern suburb of Peñaloen
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk.
Admission: Free.

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
The Santiago Tourist Office (tel: (2) 632 7783/5; website: www.ciudad.cl) offers four walking tours of the city, provided free of charge by bilingual (Spanish and English) guides. The ‘Church Circuit’ visits the Cathedral and the churches of Santo Domingo and San Augustin. The ‘Civic Neighbourhood Circuit’ covers many public buildings in the Plaza de Armas and the downtown area (including the former Chilean parliament building, the law courts and Constitution Square in front of the Moneda Palace) and ends at the mausoleum of Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile’s liberator. The ‘Museum Circuit’ takes in the Museo de Santiago and the Museo Histórico Nacional, among others. The ‘Santa Lucia Circuit’ is a tour of Santiago’s historically significant hilltop sanctuary. Those in search of more strenuous walks within the city limits should head for Cerro San Cristobal (see Key Attractions), which is traversed by hiking trails and tracks.

Bus Tours
TurisTour (tel: (2) 488 0400; website: www.turistour.cl) operates evening city tours of major landmarks with minibus transportation and a bilingual (Spanish and English) guide. The tour is rounded off with a dinner and show with traditional Chilean dancing and singing. Terracota Excursions (tel: (2) 696 1097 or 836 1026; website: www.terracotachile.cl) offers a four-hour tour of Santiago’s historic sites and parks with a bilingual guide and private transportation.

Excursions

For a Half Day

Viña Concha y Toro: Chile’s wines have soared in international reputation and some of the country’s best-known tipples are produced at the Concha y Toro Winery (tel: (2) 476 5269; website: www.conchaytoro.com) in the village of Pirque, southeast of Santiago. Established in 1883, Chile’s largest winery is surrounded by seemingly endless fields of vines and blessed with spectacular views of the Andes. It is here that such internationally recognised brands as Casillera del Diablo and Don Melchor (both award-winners) are produced. The management offers guided tours of the grounds and the whitewashed adobe storehouses with their gloomy cellars full of huge oak barrels. Visitors are invited to sample three varieties of wine during the tour and are given a souvenir glass to take home. Tours are at 1130 and 1500 in English and 1030 and 1600 in Spanish, Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, English tours are at 1000 and 1200, Spanish tours at 1100. It can take one to two hours to reach the vineyard and visitors need to make an online or telephone reservation in advance. Visitors should take the Metro to Bellavista de la Florida on Line 5, then take one of the blue MetroBuses marked Pirque and ask to be dropped off at the winery.

For a Whole Day

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: Valparaíso is a ramshackle city of multi-coloured mansions and houses balanced precariously on steep hills overlooking the historic port. Every corner turned, alleyway walked or staircase climbed reveals a vibrant street scene or sweeping view of the sea and city – and it is easy to see why artists and intellectuals have traditionally been attracted to Valparaíso. Among the best known is the poet Pablo Naruda, whose former home La Sebastiana (tel: (32) 256 606; website: www.lasebastiana-neruda.cl) is open as a museum. The best way to reach the top of the steep hills is by the century-old boxcar elevators. The heritage of Valparaíso is so unique that UNESCO is considering declaring certain parts of the city World Heritage Sites. Valparaíso is also an important naval base, financial centre and, following the construction of the new congress building, the seat of the national government. It is also next door to the swish resort of Viña del Mar, with its sandy beach, leafy Riviera-style boulevards, casino and nightclubs. Buses to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar depart approximately every 15 minutes from Santiago’s Alameda bus terminal. The main tourist office is situated in the Municipalidad building, Condell 1490 (tel: (32) 882 285) and is open Monday to Friday 0830-1400 and 1530-1730. There is also a small information kiosk at the bus terminal.

Sport

Shopping

Chile’s new affluence has led many European and North American clothing chains to open stores in Santiago. It is a bustling centre of commerce with the facilities to match and foreign residents do not have to live without state-of-the-art modern appliances or their favourite foods. The main shopping areas are the Paseo Ahumada, in the downtown district, and the stretch of Avenida Providencia between Metro Pedro de Valdivia and Metro Tobalaba. These offer a wide range of shops and department stores, such as the homegrown Ripley and Almacenes Paris chains. Chile was a late discoverer of the American-style mall and several such complexes sprang up around Santiago in the 1990s. The most central of these is the Mall del Centro, Calle Puente 689, in the downtown area. Arguably the best shopping to be had is in the Parque Arauco centre, Avenida Presidente Kennedy 5413, in the eastern Las Condes district. This vast mall allows well-heeled Santiaguinos to indulge their increasingly extravagant tastes in imported luxuries.

The most popular purchases among foreign visitors are Chilean handicrafts, such as traditional textiles and decorative copperware, which are available all over the city. There is a large handicraft market, the Centro Artesanal Santa Lucia, Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins (Alameda), opposite Cerro Santa Lucia. The Feria Artesanal Pio Nono, on Calle Pio Nono, in Bellavista, is another flea market selling traditional art. Some great bargains are also to be had in the handicraft emporiums on Santo Domingo, inexplicably ignored by most foreign visitors. Haggling at these markets is possible but hard work for negligible reductions.

Conventional shopping hours in Chile are 0800-2000, with a break for lunch between 1400 and 1600. Sales tax is set at 19%. Foreign visitors are not charged sales tax in some boutiques if they pay in US dollars. However, there is no established method for reclaiming tax after the purchase.

Culture

Santiago cannot boast the cultural riches of its regional rival Buenos Aires. The city was always an outpost on the fringes of the civilised world and what artistic activity it had was repressed under the military dictatorship. However, in recent years, the city has carved a new identity for itself and is emerging from the cultural wilderness. The consignment of totalitarian government to the history books has paved the way for a cultural renaissance, which originates largely from Santiago's huge and politically aware student population. There is a growing collection of quality art galleries, theatres and cultural centres, while a number of annual events have become major attractions in their own right. There are plans to develop Valparaíso, together with neighbouring Viña del Mar, as the cultural capital of Chile, but there is always plenty going in Santiago itself.

A good source of information for what's on in the city are the entertainment listings found in the Tiempo Libre supplement of the El Mecurio newspaper (website: www.emol.com) and the Cultura section of La Tercera (website: www.tercera.cl). Information on shows and performances can be picked up at some of the larger cultural centres, such as the Centro Cultural Montecarmelo, Avenida Bellavista 0594 (tel: (2) 735 6251; website: www.proviarte.cl), or the Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho, Plaza de la Cultura (tel: (2) 787 0000; website: www.estacionmapocho.cl). There is no central ticket booth as such but most central travel agents can arrange tickets or tickets can be purchased at the individual box offices. Or visitors can use ticket agency Ticketmaster (tel: 690 2000; website: www.ticketmaster.cl).

Music and Dance: The 1990s witnessed a popularisation of Chile's indigenous culture, which, since colonial times, was either suppressed or ignored. As a result, traditional music and dance (until recently little more than a homogenised tourist stunt) has begun to draw the crowds. An established venue for such performances is Los Buenos Muchachos, Avenida Ricardo Cumming 1031 (tel: (2) 698 0112; website: www.losbuenosmuchachos.cl) in the Barrio Brasil area. The best opera, classical music and ballet is on offer is at the Teatro Municipal, Calle Agustinas 794 (tel: (2) 463 8888; website: www.municipal.cl), an ornate 19th-century theatre built in the European style by Frenchman Charles Garnier, architect of the casino in Monte Carlo. The Santiago Ballet and the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra both perform here, often together.

Theatre: Chile is proud of its theatrical tradition and performances catering to most tastes can be found across Santiago. The city's artistic life was stifled after the coup and contemporary and experimental works are only just starting to compete for audiences with conservative theatrical and operatic productions. The grandest performances are held at the Teatro Municipal (see Music and Dance above), but the Teatro Nacional, Calle Morande 25 (tel: (2) 696 1200), is also highly reputable and puts on more contemporary productions.

Film: Since the return of democracy, Chilean cinema has undergone a resurgence as exiled film-makers return home. Directors to look out for include Silvio Caiozzi, Miguel Littin, Pablo Perelman, Ficardo Larraín and Gonzalo Justiniano, whose films have achieved success beyond Chile's frontiers. The most famous films about Chile, dealing with the Pinochet years but (for obvious reasons) not filmed there, include Costa Gavras' 1982 work Missing, starring Jack Lemmon. This documents an American's search for his 'disappeared' son, against a backdrop of US complicity in the violence. Exiled Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman's play Death and the Maiden was adapted for film in 1994 by director Roman Polanski. Starring Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley, it tells the story of a victim of the coup forced to confront her former torturer after a chance meeting.

Chileans do not dub foreign films, so Hollywood blockbusters are shown in English with Spanish subtitles. Santiago's largest, multiplex-style cinemas are Cinemark, various venues (tel: 600 600 2463 (in Chile only); www.cinemark.cl), Showcase, Avenida Kennedy 5413 (tel: (2) 224 7707), Cines Hoyts, Paseo Huérfanos 735 (tel: 600 500 0400 (in Chile only); website: www.cinehoyts.cl), and Cine San Damián, Avenida Las Condes 11271 (tel: (2) 243 1047). Santiago's best arthouse cinemas are Espaciocal, Avenida Candelaria Goyenechea 3820 (tel: (2) 246 1582) and Cine Arte Tobalaba, Avenida Providencia 2563 (tel: (2) 231 6630).

Literary Notes: What Chile lacks in a current arts scene, it makes up for with a literary heritage that is the envy of the world. Few countries so small can boast two winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Poet and diplomat Gabriela Mistral was the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize in 1945. She was an obsessive loner, heartbroken by the suicide of a lover. Her personal tragedy is reflected in her poetry, which first came to prominence in 1914, when she won a Chilean prize for Sonetos de la Muerte (Sonnets of Death). Chile's other Nobel Laureate, the poet Pablo Neruda, was also employed as a diplomat. He was a well-known Communist influenced by the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War, who regarded his work as a message of solidarity directed at ordinary people. He achieved international fame in 1923 with Crepusculario (a collection of his poems) and died in exile in 1973, soon after the military coup.

Chile's most internationally renowned contemporary writer is Isabel Allende, niece of former Socialist president Salvador. After the military coup and death of her uncle, she fled to the United States where she worked as a journalist. Much of her work has a Chilean theme, with many references to Santiago. Her most famous books include The House of the Spirits (1985), also made into a film, Of Love and Shadows (1987) and City of the Beasts (2002). Her book My Invented Country (2003) is a memoir of her upbringing in Chile and her exile after the military coup that claimed her uncle.

Nightlife

Most of Santiago's popular after-hour venues are located outside the downtown area. The Bellavista district is regarded as the city's artistic quarter and is home to many of its more popular bars, restaurants and discos. Its main drag is the Calle Pio Nono, a lively but tacky strip through the heart of the area, and the street of choice for large gangs of local youths out on the town. Less hectic and more comfortable bars can be found on Calle Constitución - the next street across. Bellavista is widely regarded as having gone downhill in recent years and it is fair to say the district no longer deserves its reputation as the epicentre of Santiago bohemia, having succumbed to the commercialisation of its image. It is still worth a visit, however, at least for the experience of watching young Santiago at play. A redeeming feature of the area is its eccentric street theatre, which often continues until dawn.

Another lively area of theme pubs, clubs, restaurants and live music venues is the area around Avenida Suecia in Providencia, popular with city workers, tourists and ex-pats alike. Meanwhile, the tidy middle-class district of Nuñoa is gaining in popularity as a place for a night out among young sophisticates and students disaffected by the kitsch of Bellavista. The best bars offering a much quieter scene are to be found around the Plaza Nuñoa. More upmarket venues can be found in the El Bosque Norte and Las Condes areas of the city. Santiago's jetset and people in the know head to Paseo San Damián, off Avenida Las Condes.

Chile's legal drinking age is 18 years - a rule strictly adhered to in most establishments. There are no licensing hours in operation and most establishments stay open until around 0700. A reasonable-sized beer costs at least Ch$1000 but is more likely to cost double this figure. Admission to nightclubs runs from free to very expensive but the norm tends to be between Ch$3,000 and Ch$15,000. Dress code is generally casual, although there are smarter places.

Bars: Boomerang Pub, Calle General Holley 2285, is a loud and lively Oz-style bar in Providencia that offers live music and dancing on most nights. Just down the road is a trendy new bar called Lakshmi, Avenida Suecia 0132. A long-established institution among homesick Brits is the Phonebox Pub, Avenida Providencia 1652 (website: www.phoneboxpub.com), where Chilean lager is served in pint glasses. The exclusive area of Las Condes has many fashionable places, including Barabú, Avenida Las Condes 8962, and Zitrik Pub, Avenida Las Condes 7701. Kapot Bar, Avenida Irarrázaval 689, is one the latest hotspots in Nuñoa with cocktails and dancing ‘til dawn. In the city centre try La Chiminea, Pasaje Principe de Gales 90, a Bohemian favourite since the 1950s.

Casinos: The only serious gambling facilities are to be found in the millionaires' playground of Viña del Mar. The best-known such establishment is the Casino Viña del Mar, Avenida San Martin 199 (tel: (32) 500 600; website: www.casino.cl). This establishment operates a formal dress code and a minimum age of 18 years. Foreign visitors are required to show their passports to be admitted.

Clubs: One of city's current favourites is Organiko (website: www.organiko.cl), Avenida Manuel Montt 442, which plays a mix of electronica, house and trance in a modern minimalist setting. Subterraneo (website: www.subterraneo.cl), Paseo Orrego Luco 46, is another trendy club in Providencia featuring some of the city’s finest DJs. Blondie, Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins (Alameda) 2879 (website: www.blondie.cl), has become something of a Santiago institution, offering various themed nights covering ‘old wave’ favourites and modern indie. Those looking for more of a Latin experience should head to one of the salsotecas, such as Arriba de la Bola (website: www.arribadelabola.cl) on Calle General Holley 171, for live music and dancing to salsa, merengue and other Latin American rhythms, like cumbia.

Live Music: Most bars or pubs offer music of some description, including the Boomerang Pub, Calle General Holley 2285, which has live acts most nights. Ilé Habana, Calle Bucarest 85, has a nightly live salsa show with a Cuban band and after-dinner dancing. Jazz fans should make the pilgrimage to the Santiago Jazz Club (website: www.clubdejazz.cl), Avenida José Pedro Alessandri 85, in Nuñoa, for international artists and local jam sessions. In Bellavista, try the Spanish-influenced Tablao, Calle Constitución 110, where tableside shows sometimes feature flamenco guitar and dancing. Visiting superstars usually play their gigs at the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), Avenida Grecia 2001, or the Teatro Municipal, Calle Agustinas 749.

City Statistics

Location: Metropolitan Region, otherwise known as Region V, Chile.
Country dialling code: 56.
Population: 5,860,018 (city); 6,038,974 (metropolitan area).
Time zone: GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from second Sunday in October to second Sunday in March).
Electricity: 220 volts, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temp: 21°C (70°F).
Average July temp: 9°C (48°F).
Annual rainfall: 313mm (12 inches).

Special Events

Festival Internacional de la Canción (International Festival of Song), mid-Feb, Viña del Mar
Semana Santa (Holy Week), religious ceremonies during the week up to and including Easter Sunday, Apr, throughout the city
Nuñoa Jazz Festival, early Apr, in and around the Casa de la Cultura de Nuñoa, Avenida Irarrazaval 4055, and Plaza Nuñoa
ExpoGourmand, exhibition of fine Chilean foods and wines, mid-May, Espacio Riesco, Avenida del Parque 4928 in Huechuraba
Gran Premio de Criadores, classic horse race, 20 Jul, Hipódromo Chile
Polla de Potrillos y Potrancas, classic horse race, 30 Aug, Club Hipico
Semana de la Chilenidad (National Week), a week of nationalist celebrations and military parades, starting on 11 Sep with the anniversary of the 1973 military coup, encompassing Independence Day on 18 Sep, ending on Armed Forces Day on 19 Sep, throughout city
Semana de la Chilenidad (National Week), rustic stalls, typical food, traditional games and dances, Sep, Parque O’Higgins
Semana de la Chilenidad (National Week), week-long series of rodeos and folklore shows, Sep, Parque Intercommunal
Festival de Primavera, Spring festival of classical concerts, Oct, Teatro Municipal
Viña del Mar Film Festival, Oct, Teatro Municipal, Plaza San Francisco Vergara, Viña del Mar
Santiago Theatre Festival, series of fringe and mainstream performances, last week in Oct, various venues around the city
Ethnicity Day, festival celebrating Hispanic identity to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in 1492, 12 Oct, throughout the city
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead or All Saints Day), national holiday, 1 Nov, throughout the city
Semana de Barrio Brasil, week-long series of community events and street parties, Nov, around Plaza Brasil
Feria Internacional de Libro (International Book Fair), Oct/Nov, venue to be confirmed
Chilean Football Association Cup Final, culmination of the season’s football tournament, Dec, Estadio Nacional

Cost of Living

1,000 Chilean Pesos (Ch$1,000) = £1.08; US$1.89; C$2.20; A$2.48; ¬1.58
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005