SANTIAGO

The cultural and political capital of Chile, Santiago is a city nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Coast.

It was founded on February 12, 1541, by the Spanish Governor Pedro de Valdivia, who has a statue of him in the capital's emblematic Plaza de Armas.

During the colonial era, it was a small town in a remote corner of the continent, with a population of approximately 300,000. It has since grown significantly, becoming one of the most important financial centers in Latin America, reaching approximately 7 million inhabitants, a third of Chile's total population.

Much of the architectural heritage of the Spanish era has been lost due to various earthquakes, fires, and the country's economic success! The city now offers a blend of old and new, which is quite unique in South America.

Santiago is the gateway to Chile and is considered a stopping point between the country's various destinations. However, it offers travelers several tourist attractions worth exploring.

What to see and do in Santiago de Chile

The essentials

Cerro San Cristobal, located in the heart of the Bellavista neighborhood, was named by Pedro de Valdivia in honor of San Cristobal de Lucía, the patron saint of travelers. The Cerro is considered the lungs of Santiago, with its 722 hectares of parkland. It offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city. It is also home to the statue of the Virgin Mary, which dominates the city. It can be accessed by car, funicular, cable car, or, for the more adventurous, on foot or by bicycle!

The Plaza de Armas is the heart of the historic center. This is where the city's construction began. Today, buildings such as the Municipality of Santiago, the Cathedral, the National History Museum, and the Palace of Justice can be seen around this square.

In addition to exploring all these points of interest, the best thing to do in the square is to enjoy the atmosphere that emanates most of the day, thanks to street artists and musicians, locals playing chess, or simply chatting on one of its benches.

A few meters from the square, you can also see the Casa Colorada, one of the few colonial houses still standing, with its facade preserved.

One of the pedestrian streets crossing the square leads directly to the Palacio de la Moneda, the seat of the Chilean presidency. It is a remarkable building, steeped in history.

The Palacio de la Moneda, the seat of the President of the Republic and one of the most important places to visit in Santiago, Chile, is the site of a tragic event that changed Chilean history.

On September 11, 1973, President Salvador Allende barricaded himself in this palace with his supporters to confront Pinochet's military coup.

The Central Market, the city's most famous, offers delicious fresh fish and seafood.

In addition to vendors, there are several restaurants serving traditional Chilean dishes such as paila marina, fried conger eel, crab cake, crab cake, and Emporio Zu empanadas.

If you have more time

The Pre-Columbian Art Museum is one of the most beautiful and comprehensive in Santiago. It offers an immersion into the cultures of the peoples of Chile before the arrival of the Spanish.

One of Pablo Neruda's three houses, the Chascona, is located in the Bellavista neighborhood. Chascona supposedly means "disheveled" and refers to the hair of his beautiful Matilda. The house and its architecture are therefore considered a hymn to Matilda's love, and recall the island of Capri, where they lived happily in exile.

Santa Lucia Hill, located in the center of Santiago, was also named by Pedro de Valdivia when he arrived and captured the hill on Saint Lucia's Day. The hill is now one of the city's most visited public parks, thanks to the improvements made with the creation of paths, squares, and fountains.

Barrio Lastarria, located near Cerro de Santa Lucía, is one of the most picturesque and charming neighborhoods to visit in Santiago.

This former neighborhood of intellectuals and artists is home to much of the city's cultural and leisure offerings, thanks to its numerous cultural centers, museums, cafés, unique boutiques, quality restaurants, and places to enjoy a drink.

The 86-hectare General Cemetery feels like a park. It's lush and flowery, and you can see various tombs, vaults, and mausoleums.

Another market to visit in Santiago de Chile is the Mercado de la Vega, less touristy and more authentic than the Central Market. It specializes in local products such as fruits, meat, vegetables, and spices, as well as international products from neighboring Latin American and Asian countries.

The Pueblo de los Dominicos is like a small village located in the municipality of Las Condes, with several shops selling various souvenirs and handicrafts.

To round off our list of places to visit in Santiago de Chile, we suggest a visit to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights to discover what military rule really meant. In this place, whose mission is to remember the past so that it may never happen again in the future, the tragic story of the victims of the dictatorship is presented through photographs, videos, objects, and testimonies of torture survivors.
After the visit, you can visit the Plaza de la Memoria, where temporary exhibitions are held and articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are inscribed on one of the walls.