« CHILE • Discover Chile • Santiago
Discover magical Santiago
Compared to other cities in Latin America, Santiago feels distinctly European. Its stately, dignified boulevards and neoclassical architecture, swanky high-rise suburbs, efficient metro system and, above all, general state of orderliness reflect a culture that is hard-working, prosperous and business-minded.
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» La Chascona
Beloved Chilean poet and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto - otherwise known as Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) - helped design this quirky, nautical-themed home for himself and his third wife, Matilde Urrutia, for whom La Chascona ('tangle-haired woman') is named. Bursting with Neruda's odd collections and romantic personality, the house serves as unique insight into one of the most important figures in the country's recent history. Music boxes, exotic artifacts, original chinaware, toys, antiques, and an overwhelming library with thousands of books are only part of the appeal …
» La Iglesia San Vicente Ferrer
Santiago's La Iglesia San Vicente Ferrer is a beautiful whitewashed church and national monument that appeared on Chile's 2,000 peso banknote from 1997-2010. Just to the side of San Vicente Ferrer church, you'll find Los Dominicos Village - the popular arts, crafts, and antiques market that first opened in a section of the old convent in 1983. While the official name of the church is La Iglesia San Vicente Ferrer, if you're asking for directions to get here, you might just want to call it 'Iglesia de los Dominicos' (Church of the Dominicans) like the locals do …
» La Moneda
La Moneda is easy to spot - its white, neoclassical walls make up the presidential palace that takes up an entire city block in downtown Santiago. Construction began in 1781 and was completed in 1805, when it was used as a mint, which is what the term moneda translates to in English. The gigantic Chilean flag that waves in front of La Moneda, from a grassy traffic circle in the middle of the Alameda (Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins), can be seen from blocks away. There are two nearby plazas that serve as popular meeting and lunchtime spots, each with lawns, fountains and benches …
» La Parva Ski Resort
The convenient location of some of the world's best skiing to Chile's capital city of Santiago might make you consider spending a winter here. Or at least skipping a week or two of your own summer when European and North American pros come down to the Andes to practice in the off-season. If you want to try to spy some US national ski team members, try July and August on the advanced slopes at La Parva, when they just might be training. La Parva has about 1,000 acres of terrain, and runs 14 different lifts, of quads, triples and doubles …
» La Sebastiana
La Sebastiana, up on Cerro Bellavista in Valparaíso, one of famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's houses-turned-museums is well worth the trip for a number of reasons. One, it will get you off the main tourist hills of Cerro Concepción and Cerro Alegre, into a quieter part of Valaparaíso where grandmas come out and sweep the front stoop every morning. The second of course, is the museum itself. It's set inside a grassy yard, with a café at the entrance. There are descriptive texts available at the front door, and museum docents in every room, as well as an audio guide available in several languages …
» Lastarria
Lastarria is one of a few small, mostly cobblestoned neighborhoods in Santiago, and it is definitely one known for its indie fashion, antiques and popular restaurants. Lastarria heads north from the Alameda (Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins), near the Universidad Católica metro station and over a few blocks to the street Merced, an area with esoteric boutiques and stores such as Plop and Tienda Nacional that sell locally published books. There is always something going on in between the Alameda and Merced …
» La Vega Central
While the salmon-colored Mercado Central building is a self-contained, orderly area with impressive wrought-iron architecture and orderly seating areas, La Vega is anything but. This is Santiago's main market for the purchase of fruit, vegetables, and meat, and also disposable containers and bags, items made of wicker, and even some terra cotta dishes from the nearby town of Pomaire. But most visitors come here for the controlled chaos, the bustle, and of course, to spy some foods you might not find at home …
» Los Dominicos Handicraft Village
A charming old cloister has been turned into a crafts center that is popular with tourists and locals alike. The whitewashed walls and dirt paths bring a bit of charming country living into Santiago, helped along by cages with birds as fantastical as peacocks (who often put on a show), and the occasional cat that wanders in and out of shops. In independently-owned shops, the main items on offer here are lapis lazuli (a blue stone only found in Afghanistan and Chile) jewelry, thick woven sweaters and shawls, painted tiles …
» Maipo Valley
Often called the Bordeaux of South America, Maipo Valley is home to a number of Chile's most beloved wine producers. In the 1800s, wealthy travelers headed off to France and returned with international vines that they planted in Chile's mineral rich soil. Today, these Maipo estates are among the nation's top vineyards and an ideal place for travelers looking to sample the nation's favorite reds and whites. Wines with acidic sweetness and true balance can be found in Alto Maipo, near the eastern edge of the Andes …
» Mapocho Station
Originally constructed between 1905 and 1912, the Mapocho Station was once the heart of Chile's massive, efficient railway system. The beautiful building was all but abandoned after the Valparaiso train shuddered to a stop in 1987, but was restored to its former elegance, complete with a copper roof, in the 1990s. Today the Mapocho Station is the country's most important cultural center, its spacious interior hosting all sorts of art exhibits, performances, and other cultural activities throughout the year …
» Matetic Vineyard
Matetic Vineyard is located in the San Antonio Valley, a Chilean wine region about 120 kilometers west of the capital Santiago. With its abundant sunshine, cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean and irrigation by fresh water from the Andes, the region offers the perfect climate for growing wine. Additionally, high temperature fluctuations between day and night force the roots of the vines to penetrate deeply into the soil to provide themselves with nutrients, a fact that gives the grapes grown in the valley a strong and distinctive flavor …
» Mercado Central (Central Market)
The interior, wrought-iron construction of the Mercado Central looks like it could contain a greenhouse, but with the masonry outside, this building houses local eateries, a few fruit and vegetable stands, the occasional roaming musician, and just a sampling of souvenir stands, though in total there are more than 200 locales. The building dates back to 1872, and is consistently named as a must-see in Santiago. In fact, in 2012, National Geographic named it as the 5th best market in the world. Due to its central location, and the fact that it is often visited by tourists …
» Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana)
Santiago's Cathedral - or Catedral Metropolitana - is considered one of the finest pieces of religious architecture in South America. This is the Catedral Metropolitana's fourth incarnation (as well as numerous touchups) since a church was first dedicated on this spot in 1561, and must be one of its loveliest. It was most recently rebuilt in the 1750s, with the help of Italian architect Joaquín Toesca, who designed the baroque-fringed neoclassical facade that set the standard for subsequent structures around the Plaza de Armas …
» National History Museum
Between Santiago's Central Post Office and the Municipalidad, the National History Museum (Museum Historico Nacional) is housed in what was once the Palacio de la Real Audiencia, which was designed by Juan Jose de Goycolea y Zanartu and built by the Spanish Empire between 1804 and 1807 to house the Royal Courts of Justice. Today the grand old rooms are dedicated to showcasing the eclectic remnants of Chile's past - the exhibits are divided into the themes including Mapuche silverwork, colonial furniture and art, textiles, weapons, and photography …
« CHILE • Discover Chile • Santiago
