Santiago: a first-timer's guide to the capital

The neighbourhoods to know

Santiago makes most sense as a set of barrios, each with its own feel.

• **Centro** holds the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, the La Moneda presidential palace and the Mercado Central. Visit by day; it empties and feels less comfortable after dark.
• **Lastarria** and **Bellas Artes** are compact, walkable and full of cafés, bookshops, small theatres and the GAM cultural centre, beside the leafy Parque Forestal.
• **Bellavista**, across the Mapocho river, is the bohemian quarter: colourful murals, Pablo Neruda's house La Chascona, bars and late night restaurants, with the entrance to Cerro San Cristóbal.
• **Providencia** is a safe, central, residential area with good Metro links and plenty of restaurants. It is the easiest base for most first-timers.
• **Barrio Italia** is known for design shops, galleries and cafés in old one storey houses.
• **Las Condes** and **Vitacura** are the modern business and upmarket districts, with the Costanera Center tower and many of the city's finest restaurants.
• **Barrio Yungay** and **Barrio Brasil**, west of the centre, have faded mansions, street art and the Museo de la Memoria.

What to do

Take the funicular or cable car up **Cerro San Cristóbal** for the classic view over the city to the mountains, and walk up **Cerro Santa Lucía**, the small fortified hill where Santiago was founded. Spend a morning at the **Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino**, one of the finest collections of pre Columbian art in the Americas, and an afternoon at the **Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos**, which tells the story of the dictatorship from 1973 to 1990 with great care.

Eat your way through the **Mercado Central** for seafood and **La Vega Central** for fruit, vegetables and cheap local lunches. Watch the changing of the guard at La Moneda, check what is on at the Teatro Municipal, and ride to the top of **Sky Costanera** for the highest viewpoint in South America.

Day trips

• **Wineries.** The Maipo Valley starts at the edge of the city. Concha y Toro in Pirque and Cousiño Macul in Peñalolén are reachable by Metro and taxi; Casablanca, on the way to the coast, specialises in cool climate whites.
• **Cajón del Maipo.** A canyon in the Andes about two hours away, with hiking, rafting in season, hot springs and the turquoise El Yeso reservoir.
• **The coast.** Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are about ninety minutes by bus. See our Valparaíso guide.
• **Ski resorts.** In winter, Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado are within a couple of hours.

Food and drink

Santiago is the place to try Chilean classics: empanadas de pino, pastel de choclo, cazuela, a completo hot dog loaded with avocado, and seafood from the long Pacific coast. Lunch is the main meal and many restaurants offer a good value set menu at midday. Try a pisco sour, a glass of Carménère, and at La Piojera the famous terremoto, a sweet wine and pineapple ice cream punch.

Getting around and staying safe

The Metro is clean, fast and the easiest way around; buy a Bip! card at any station. Ride apps work well and are the best choice at night. Pickpocketing and phone snatching are common in the Centro, around the Plaza de Armas, on the Metro and in Bellavista at night, so keep your phone in a front pocket and your bag zipped. Large demonstrations sometimes gather near Plaza Baquedano, so avoid them.

Find specific restaurants, bars and stays in our places to visit list, and build your days with the free trip planner.