What must-sees to enjoy in the city

“Cheap” dollar and sky-high local prices made shopping trips to Santiago de Chile were once again in the travel plans of Argentines.

They are wide range of malls With brands, models and above all prices that cannot be found in Argentina, it is a magnet that is once again very attractive, as it was until 2017.

The last long weekend of Holy Week was a good example: more than 40 thousand Argentines crossed into Chile essentially to shop, and at the Los Liberadores pass, which connects Mendoza with the trans-Andean capital, they had to endure queues of several hours to be able to cross.

But Santiago is much more than malls and shopping, and it would be a shame to travel without knowing at least some of its tourist and historical attractions.

Furthermore, because the trans-Andean capital has experienced a great transformation in the last 15 or 20 years, which has turned it into one of the cities most modern in Latin Americawith a growing state-of-the-art Metro network and glass towers that impact the mountainous landscape.

In addition to “gentrification” phenomena that have given new life and become a trend towards traditional neighborhoodswhile the network of urban highways and cycle paths grows year after year.

Today, Santiago offers a large number of experiences that go beyond shopping and the malls with brands from all over the world; from first-class gastronomy to a great cultural proposal, from adventure tourism to urban parks and neighborhoods with a lot of movement and an attractive nightlife.

Without forgetting another important point in favor, which is connectivity: there is a large number of flights from Ezeiza, Aeroparque, Córdoba and Mendozaboth from Aerolíneas Argentinas and Sky Airlines, Latam, JetSmart and KLM, which allows obtaining tickets at very good prices on certain dates.

Here, some must-see sites in the trans-Andean capital to combine with a shopping trip and enjoy a thriving city in constant transformation, which from every corner offers the impressive backdrop of the Andes Mountains.

With more than 700 hectares, the Metropolitan Park is the largest green space in Santiago, where you can spend several hours. In addition to the Japanese Garden, it houses the Adventure Park and public swimming pools, although the greatest attraction is the Mirador de la Virgen, at 1,000 meters above sea level, where there is a giant sculpture of the Virgin Mary and steps that form a stage where masses are celebrated.

From the top you can get excellent panoramic views of a large part of the city, and you can go up in several ways: on foot, by bike, along a vehicular path, by cable car or funicular.

Very close to the base of the cable car there is a must-see: La Chascona, which is the name of the house that the poet Pablo Neruda had in Santiago – he had another in Isla Negra and a third in Valparaíso – where his remains were laid to rest in 1973. .

Built on the slope of the San Cristóbal hill, La Chascona is a succession of environments joined by stairs in which, among the extravagant original decoration, different collections that the poet kept there are displayed, from books to figureheads, conch shells or bottles of all parts of the world. The place was declared a Historical Monument and houses the headquarters of the Pablo Neruda Foundation.

At the foot of the San Cristóbal hill, the colorful Beautiful view es the most bohemian neighborhood of Santiago, with a mix of bars, nightclubs, art galleries and restaurants of all kinds, from fast food to specializing in Italian or Asian dishes. If you are looking for nocturnal agitation, the spinal column is the Pío Nono streetfull of pubs with live music.

Very close to Bellavista, just crossing the Mapocho River, Lastarria Street gave its name to an entire neighborhood widely visited for its elegant restaurants, cafes and high-end bars, on semi-pedestrian cobblestone streets flanked by old buildings and populated by craft stalls.

A sophisticated night experience in a neuralgic point of the city, near the historic center, Bellavista and San Cristóbal hill. A must-see is the Santa Lucia hilla high green walk in the middle of the city, where two forts or castles and other military installations were built at the beginning of the 19th century.

In the 1870s it became a green promenade with ponds, water fountains, terraces with vegetation, gardens, a hermitage, viewpoints, the transformation of Castillo Hidalgo into a museum and other constructions inspired by French landscaping.

To the north of Lastarria, next to the Forest Park, they await the National museum of fine arts and, next to it, the Contemporary Art Museumwith views of the Mapocho River.

Other neighborhoods that have been transformed are Brazilaround the square of the same name, which became another nightlife hub Santiago, where live music is never lacking and bars and clubs abound.

Italiabetween the communes of Providencia and Ñuñoa, is a neighborhood of old houses and quiet streets that became multicultural gastronomy center: There are restaurants serving Chinese, Ecuadorian, Thai, Turkish, Peruvian or Vietnamese food, among many other nationalities.

There, a visit to the Condell market, which protects small shops and stands of entrepreneurs, as well as restaurants and cafes. In Guillermo Franke Square there are games for children and, depending on the day, a crafts fair.

He La Moneda Palace, facing the famous Alameda Avenue, is the political and historical center of Chile, where the government house operates and which became famous when, in the 1973 coup d’état, it was bombed. There, in the chair of the presidential office, then-president Salvador Allende committed suicide. There are guided tours.

On the esplanade in front of the historic building there is a modern cultural center semi-underground and glazed, with temporary and permanent exhibitions, activities and workshops and headquarters of the National Cinematheque From Chile. Behind the building, the Constitution Plaza exhibits statues of former presidents of Chile.

It’s worth the walk along the pedestrian walk. Smoky Walkfull of historic shops and cafes like Haiti, to the Main Squarefounding point of the city flanked by the Cathedral, the Archbishopric and old buildings.

Three blocks ahead is the unmissable Central Marketl, where you can buy all kinds of fresh food, especially fish and seafood, or taste them right there, since it is considered one of the most characteristic gastronomic centers of Santiago, with restaurants where you can taste typical Chilean food, based mainly on seafood. In 2012, National Geographic chose him as the fifth best food market in the world.

An excursion to Las Condes, one of the top residential neighborhoods in Santiago, will inevitably include visits to famous malls like Parque Arauco, Open Kennedy -one in front of the other- and The Countsmore towards the Cordillera.

Parque Arauco and Open Kennedy are in front of the enormous Araucano Parka large green space with many games for boysspace KidZaniawhere the little ones can play different professions and be firefighters, police officers, doctors, painters, postmen and more (admission paid).

The modern Entre Parques bridge connects it with the John Paul II parkforming a green space of 1,500 meters long by 200 meters widewith views of the mountain range.

At the eastern head of Metro Line 1, the Los Dominicos Craft Center It’s like a small town with little streets and dozens of craft shops, mainly semi-precious stones, saddlery and basketry, but much more. There are also places to eat.