Santiago, the capital of Chile is one of the most modern and sophisticated cities in South America, and home to about 5 million people. It’s also one of the few major cities in the world where, due to its geographical location, you can go skiing and lie on the beach within the same day. And it has a spectacular setting - from almost anywhere in the city you can see the majestic Andes Mountains, which rise above the city to the east.
Santiago is an intriguing blend of the old and the new, where Colonial style buildings are often next to modern skyscrapers. The center of the older part of the city is the Plaza de Armas, a picturesque square usually occupied by vendors, old men playing chess, and old-fashioned street photographers with box cameras. The square dates back to the founding of Santiago in 1541 and is considered the center not only of the city, but of the country as well – distances to other parts of Chile are still measured from here. Surrounding the square are the Natural History Museum, which documents Chile’s colonial history; and the Metropolitan Cathedral. This impressive cathedral occupies an entire city block and has a beautiful marble and bronze alter, intricately carved wooden doors and a small museum of religious art. The smaller streets off the square are closed to traffic and lined with specialist shops, cafes and coffee bars.
A few minutes walk from the Plaza is the Chilean Museum of pre-Columbian Art, one of the best museums in the country. In addition to the ceramics, paintings and figurines on display, you can also buy authentic reproductions of Indian art and jewelry. The oldest building in Santiago is the Church of San Francisco, which dates back to the 1500s and has somehow survived several earthquakes. The small museum within the church offers the largest collection of 17th century paintings in South America, as well as peaceful gardens containing exotic flowers from as far away as Europe.
Santiago is a surprisingly green city, with several large parks close to downtown. The largest of these is the Parque Metropolitano, which offers miles of wooded hiking trails, a zoo and a rock-lined outdoor swimming pool. There is a cable car and a funicular railway up to a lookout point which, at almost 3000 feet, offers one of the best views over the suburbs and the Andes. At the foot of the park is the bohemian neighborhood of Bellavista, with its antique houses, artist’s studios and small bars and restaurants. At night Bellavista is a good place to eat, drink and dance until the early hours.
Shopping is excellent in Santiago. The city offers everything from designer fashions and boutiques on Providencia Avenue, to several antique and flea markets in the older neighborhoods. Not to be missed is the Mercado Central, an elaborate metal structure dating from 1868 which houses Santiago’s lively fish market. A good buy in the city is Lapis Lazuli, a blue gemstone that can only be found in a few places in the world, Chile being one of them. Chile has become one of the world’s major wine producing countries, and many vineyards are situated within about 20 miles from Santiago. Most of them offer wine tasting and guided tours. The best known most visited winery is Concha y Toro, which in addition to its wines, also has a splendid 19th century stately manor house and acres of beautiful gardens renowned for their roses.
Skiing has also become increasingly popular, both with Chileans and travelers from the US – many ski resorts are within a couple of hours drive from Santiago. Portillo, near beautiful Lake Inca is the most famous ski resort – its heavy year round snowfall and the limit it places on the numbers of skiers, ensures a great winter sports experience. And what about lazing on the beach that same day? The attractive and fashionable beach resort of Vina del Mar is little more than an hour from downtown Santiago, with its Victorian houses, horse drawn trolley tours, miles of golden sands and casino. Finally, for a chance to really mingle with the locals in Santiago, join the enthusiasts who race downhill on their ‘rodelbahn’ – a sort of land toboggan with wheels – in the hilly suburb of La Reina. Its one of the most unusual experiences you can have in this fascinating city.
