Choose from 56 Fun Things to Do in Santiago
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Estancia el Cuadro
Estancia el Cuadro is maybe most well known for being the convention center for wine tourism in the Casablanca region and hosting a wide variety of cultural as well as wine-related activities. Apart from the sizable restaurant and meeting rooms, which are often used to accommodate weddings and big corporate events, there is also a rodeo field, a chapel, a wine garden and Casablanca’s first wine museum. The latter offers a glimpse into the wine making process with original wine-making machinery and displays showing the different stages of distillation. Surrounding the property is a 4.7-acre park that includes numerous walking trails, perfectly pruned trees and a fish pond with a water fountain.
There are several tours visitors can sign up for, ranging from the usual wine tastings teaching flavors, textures and aromas to tours about history, traditions and enology. One of the highlights at Estancia el Cuadro is a ride in a horse-drawn carriage though, which takes visitors on a special tour through the surrounding vineyard and has the coachman explaining more about wine growing techniques and why Casablanca Valley manages to produce some of the finest wine in the world.
Practical Info
To get to Estancia el Cuadro from Santiago, take route 68 and follow the road signs after the Zapata toll booth. The drive should take about 50 minutes. Tours take place at dedicated times throughout the day and require no reservation ahead of time by individual visitors. Bigger groups, however, should call ahead.
Address: Casablanca, Chile
Hours: Open Tues - Sat 10 am - 5 pm
From $ 90
Barrio Italia
Italian immigrant artists began settling the neighborhood surrounding Avenida Italia during the nineteenth century. During the first half of the 1900s, the neighborhood became a hub of commercial and industrial activity, and today, it’s quickly becoming one of Santiago’s trendiest neighborhoods.
Early twentieth century buildings — once private homes and workshops — now house boutiques, galleries, antiques stores and cafes. Aside from antiques and vintage home furniture, Barrio Italia is also known for its interior design shops. A smattering of restaurants with open air tables serve Italian, but you’ll also find Chilean, Portuguese and Spanish among Barrio Italia’s culinary offerings.
Practical Info
Barrio Italia is located near Santa Isabel metro station. Exit the station and walk east on Santa Isabel until you reach Avenida Italia.
Address: Santiago, Chile
From $ 41
Farellones and El Colorado
These two connected villages, only an hour away from Santiago, comprise one of the most popular ski centers in the country, both because of their proximity to the capital and their high number of ski runs.
Ranging up to almost 11,000 feet (3,352 meters) above sea level, and with numerous ski classes available for those who need a refresher course, El Colorado is an ideal place to bring the family for a quick jump-start to the season. Nearly 70 runs graze the mountain in total, which receives an average snowfall of 15 feet (4.5 meters). Full equipment is available to rent.
With a BBQ grill, local supermarket, cozy pub, and coffee shop on the terrace (which boasts 'Swiss-Alpine' cuisine), the resort offers plenty of munchies post-piste—with scenic views to boot.
Photo courtesy of Dario Alpern via Wikimedia Commons.
Ranging up to almost 11,000 feet (3,352 meters) above sea level, and with numerous ski classes available for those who need a refresher course, El Colorado is an ideal place to bring the family for a quick jump-start to the season. Nearly 70 runs graze the mountain in total, which receives an average snowfall of 15 feet (4.5 meters). Full equipment is available to rent.
With a BBQ grill, local supermarket, cozy pub, and coffee shop on the terrace (which boasts 'Swiss-Alpine' cuisine), the resort offers plenty of munchies post-piste—with scenic views to boot.
Photo courtesy of Dario Alpern via Wikimedia Commons.
Address: Chile
From $ 32
Cousino Macul
You might not expect a winery so close to the city of Santiago, but then, Santiago has been growing up towards the mountains in recent decades, so it’s not so much that Cousiño Macul was built in the city as that the city has grown all around it. Cousiño Macul is a peaceful oasis in the district of Peñalolén, at the foot of the mountains, which are seen in the background over the planted fields. The winery was founded in 1856 by Matías Cousiño, and is still owned and run by the same family.
From the tasteful treed entryway to the quiet store, it feels like there is a reverence for the product and process here. In late summer and early fall, you can try grapes straight off the vines, which depending on the exact week may be Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah. The tour of this winery includes a small exhibition area of winemaking tools used in the 19th century, including the apparatus used to hand place the cork in each individual bottle, which took great physical effort, as did moving the barrels around the winery, which was done with the use of a small train-like system.
The Cousiño Macul tour includes a walk through the cellars, and a view of the family’s private wine collection with sample wines from most years since they started. There are tastings throughout the course of the tour, which gives you a chance to savor each one in a different location, rather than tasting them all one after another, and of course, there is a souvenir glass.
Practical Info
The winery is best known internationally for its reds, but also produces a refreshing Sauvignon Gris, a rosé, made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, a variety of wine mainly known in California. This wine is served chilled, and, like the other wines on offer in the store, comes with a 10-20% discount over supermarket prices, and they are happy to box up the wine so it will make it home safely.
Address: Calle Quilin 7100, Santiago, Chile
From $ 78
Baburizza Palace
The art nouveau Baburizza Palace was built in 1916 and got its name after Pascual Baburizza, a Croatian businessman living in Chile, took it as his private home in 1925. Baburizza collected paintings from his travels through Europe, and upon his death, his collection and estate were given to the city of Valparaiso.
Today the Baburizza Palace houses the Museo de Bellas Artes, Valparaiso’s fine arts museum. Besides Baburizza’s collection of nineteenth and twentieth century European paintings, the museum also showcases a collection of fine art by prominent Chilean artists. The building itself is worth seeing, even for those otherwise not interested in fine art. A nice little onsite cafe is a great place to relax over a cup of coffee and enjoy the view.
Practical Info
Puerto is the nearest metro stop to Baburizza Palace.
Address: Paseo Yugoslavo 176, Valparaiso, Chile
Hours: Tues-Sun 10:30am-5:30pm
Admission: 2,000 pesos
From $ 18
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. What’s in the name? The church used to belong to the Dominican Order, and it was a group of Dominican monks who first began construction of the church and adjacent convent back in 1809.
Practical Info
At Calle Santo Domingo 2 in the Las Condes area, the nearest metro station to La Iglesia San Vicente Ferrer is Los Dominicos.
Address: Apoquindo 8600-9096, Las Condes, Región Metropolitana, Chile, Chile
Hours: Tue-Fri 6pm-8pm, Sat 10am-1pm, Open for Mass Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 7pm, Sun 9am, 11am, 12:30pm & 7pm
From $ 255
Cerro Santa Lucia
Cerro Santa Lucia is one of two hills that overlook Santiago, where in 1541 Pedro de Valdivia founded the city long before Chile existed as an independent country. At the time, the hill was called Huelén by the indigenous people; a nearby street (by metro Salvador) still bears that name.
The hill rises about 230 feet over the surrounding part of the city, and there are excellent views of downtown from several terraces up there. Cerro Santa Lucia has three main constructions: the main entrance on the Alameda, with its wide, curving staircase, fronted by a fountain and backed by a yellow mansion; the fort at the top from which the best views of downtown can be seen; and the Castillo Hidalgo, which often hosts large international events.
There are also gardens and the Pedro de Valdivia Plaza, which has its own fountains and colorful tiled benches with Moorish influence. The top of the hill can be reached via the main entrance, as well as by way of the pedestrian access at the corner of José Miguel de la Barra and Victoria Subercaseaux, up a flight of stairs. There is also an elevator on the west side of the hill, where the pedestrian street Huerfanos ends, but this route only takes visitors halfway to the top.
Visitors to the hill would be hard-pressed to miss the cannon-firing, which takes place every day at noon and can be heard throughout many parts of downtown. This activity was suspended for several months after the 2010 earthquake, but it is back, routinely surprising those wandering the area.
Practical Info
The two metro stations closest to Cerro Santa Lucia are Santa Lucia and Bellas Artes. Visitors can easily walk over the hill by going up the main entrance from the Santa Lucia side and exiting down on the Bellas Artes side, or vice versa. Many people opt to tack on a trip up the hill to their time spent in the Lastarria neighborhood, Parque Forestal or both. Good shoes are recommended, as some of the upper staircases are uneven and most of the hill is cobblestoned.
Address: Santiago, Chile
From $ 24
Chilean Museum of Pre-Colombian Art
Perhaps Chile's most important museum is the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino - or Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, displaying 4,500 years of American history on a very human scale.
Housed in the former Royal Customs Palace, one of the city's finest neoclassical buildings, the museum displays thousands of pieces donated by architect and collector Sergio Larraín García-Moreno. Aesthetics were obviously as important to the philanthropist as each piece's historical importance, thus these exhibits really pack a punch.
The cultures of the Andes are represented by some of the finest pieces, but the collection also features artifacts from what is now Mexico, Central America, and the Amazon basin. All are well signed in English and Spanish, offering insight into the hemisphere's human history as a whole.
Practical Info
The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art is located in the heart of downtown Santiago, a bit more than a block southwest of the Plaza de Armas. Several bus lines depart from nearby, or take the L5 metro (green line) to the Plaza de Armas station.
Groups can request free, guided tours in Spanish or English by emailing the museum one month in advance. The museum's audiovisual library, which includes a noted indigenous music archive, is open to th e public. Only museum members can borrow items, however.
Address: Calle Bandera 361, Santiago de Chile, Chile
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
Admission: Ch$3,000
From $ 11
Club Hipico
Santiago's Club Hipico (Club Hípico de Santiago) is the most exclusive of Santiago's race tracks. Dating back to 1870, it's the oldest racetrack in country and home to South America's oldest stakes race — the Clásico El Ensayo, making it the best place to see thoroughbred horse racing while in the Chilean capital.
One of the country's three main tracks (the other two are Hipodromo Chile and Valparaiso Sporting Club), Club Hipico is known for its formal gardens, fountains, ponds, and views out to the Andes.
Located just west of Parque O'Higgins, race days are long by international standards, and there are usually around 18 races per card. With an arena that can hold over 30,000 people, live concerts also take place at Club Hipico.
Practical Info
Club Hipico is located on Av. Blanco Encalada 2540, and the nearest metro is Parque O'Higgins. Races are generally held on Mondays and Fridays, and the occasional Sundays, though do check beforehand to be certain.
Address: Avda Blanco Encalada, Región Metropolitana 2540, Chile
Hours: Tour Hours: Mon-Sun 9:30am-6pm
Admission: Tours: Adults 1000, Children Age 6-12 500, Children Under 6 Free
From $ 22
Concha y Toro Winery
Open since 1883 and ranking among South America’s largest wine producers, Concha y Toro Winery is one of Chile’s most famous winemakers. The winery has vineyards all over the country and produces a huge variety of wines, including the world-renowned Don Melchor cabernet sauvignon. Its Pirque winery is a favorite Maipo Valley destination for oenophiles.
The Basics
In addition to its award-winning cabernet sauvignon, Concha y Toro is well known for its other reds—syrah, merlot, malbec, pinot noir—as well as chardonnay and rosé wines. Guided tours of the winery allow wine lovers to stroll through the vineyards and Grape Variety Garden, visit the wine cellars, and enjoy an expert-led wine tasting. Wines are paired with cheeses and tapas at the on-site wine bar, and the well-stocked shop has wines at all price points.
Most visitors arrive from Santiago, and many day trips combine a visit to Concha y Toro with a drive through the Maipo Valley vineyards, a stop at the El Yeso Lagoon, or wine tasting at other regional wineries such as Undurraga, Santa Rita, or Cousiño Macul.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The legal drinking age in Chile is 18. Children can also join the winery tours, without taking part in the wine tasting.
- Concha y Toro winery tours take around an hour, including wine tasting.
- Advance booking is required for winery tours and tastings, and tours are conducted in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
- The winery and parts of the vineyards are wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
The Concha y Toro winery is located in Chile’s Maipo Valley, close to the village of Pirque, about a 45-minute drive south of Santiago. The closest train station is Las Mercedes station, which has direct connections to Santiago. Outside the station’s Concha y Toro Oriente exit, minibuses run the short distance to the winery every 30 minutes.
When to Get There
Winery tours are possible all year, but advance bookings are highly recommended. The annual harvest typically runs from the end of March to May, and it’s a popular time to visit, thanks to the cooler weather and autumn leaves adding a touch of color to the landscape.
Chile’s Maipo Valley
Less than an hour’s drive from Santiago, the Maipo Valley is one of Chile’s most renowned wine-growing regions. Sheltered by the Andes Mountains to the west and with a warm, dry climate, the area has an ideal terroir for wine growing. The Maipo Valley is famous for its French-style wines, most notably its fruity cabernet sauvignons, but there are also some fine syrah, carménère, and merlot wines, as well as a growing selection of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Along with Concha y Toro, other top wineries in the region include Santa Rita, Santa Carolina, and Undurraga.
Address: Ruta G-45 (Avenida Virginia Subercaseaux), Pirque, Chile
Admission: Varies
From $ 25
Emiliana Organic Winery
Founded by the Guilisasti family in 1986, Emiliana Organic Winery was the first winery in Chile (and one of the first in the world) to make a foray into organic wine production. The winery began its organic agricultural practices in an effort to preserve the environment, promote healthy soil and ultimately improve the quality of the grapes.
In place of pesticides, the winery uses mobile chicken coops that can be wheeled around the vineyards to control the insect population. Besides wine, Emiliana also grows organic vegetables for the workers and their families, as well as produces honey and olive oil from trees grown throughout the vineyards.
Tours of the winery take visitors through the vineyards, where they learn about various soil and grape types and the biodiversity of the area. Participants also see the cellars where biodynamic fertilizers are stored and enjoy a tasting of several Emiliana wines. Upgraded tours include signature wines paired with cheese and chocolate or the opportunity for visitors to blend their own wine.
Practical Info
Emiliana Vineyards is located in Casablanca Valley along Rouse 68.
Address: Avda Nva Tajamar 481, P 7 Of 802, Las Condes, Chile
Hours: Open Dec-Mar 10 am - 6 pm; Apr - Nov 10 am - 5 pm
From $ 30
Bellavista
Bellavista, a walkable neighborhood not far from downtown Santiago, is routinely referred to as the city’s bohemian neighborhood. There’s street art and both sedate and raucous nightlife, art galleries, theater performances, dance clubs, loads of restaurants (both formal and informal) and one of Chile’s most-visited museums, La Chascona. Even this museum has a colorful history; it is one of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s homes-turned-museums. And the whole neighborhood is just a few blocks south of Cerro San Cristobal, the large hill that overlooks the city and has both a sanctuary and a large marble statue of the Virgin Mary on top, in addition to the hiking trails, swimming pools and Japanese garden.
On weekends, the hill attracts families, couples, runners, cyclists and participants in group activities, from yoga to zumba. And all week long, the Chileans of all ages and income brackets come to hang out.
Bellavista’s food options cover nearly every budget, with many restaurants in the Patio Bellavista, an walkway that also houses gift shops, theaters and jewelry stores. There is a string of cheaper eateries with a beer garden atmosphere on the street Pio Nono, and tonier options on the parallel street of Constitución.
Practical Info
The closest metro station to Bellavista is Baquedano, where the red and green lines cross. Bellavista is the never-fail option for Sunday night dinners, while many of Santiago’s other res restaurants close after lunch in preparation for the week ahead.
Address: Santiago, Chile
From $ 33
El Yeso Dam (Embalse El Yeso)
Located in San Jose de Maipo outside of the Chilean capital, El Yeso Dam (Embalse El Yeso) dammed the Yeso River to create a lovely turquoise reservoir that can hold more than 253 million cubic meters of water. While only 60 miles (98 kilometers) outside of Santiago, El Yeso Dam feels very remote. The views across the reservoir to the snow-capped mountains in the distance rank among the best in the Chilean Andes.
While the El Yeso reservoir provides drinking water to residents of Santiago, it also serves more recreational purposes. Residents and tourists alike head to the turquoise waters for sport fishing, windsurfing or picnicking on the banks.
Practical Info
El Yeso Dam is located along Rouge G-25 between Santiago and San Gabriel.
Address: El Yeso Dam, San Jose de Maipo, Santiago, Chile
From $ 35
Cajón del Maipo
Cajón del Maipo, a narrow canyon where the Maipo River flows, begins just 16 miles (25 kilometers) southwest of Santiago, but its picturesque scenery, fresh air, and charming mountain towns feel worlds away from Chile’s capital city. Thanks to its close proximity to Santiago, though, Cajón del Maipo is one of the more popular day trip destinations for an easy escape to Chile’s famed wilderness.
The Basics
Hiking, rafting, horseback riding, climbing, cycling, and skiing all rank among Cajón del Maipo’s offerings for outdoor adventure. Most guided tours will include two or three activities, so shop around for which options appeal to you the most. Look for tours that include hiking the rim around the Embalse el Yeso Reservoir, rafting down the Maipo River, taking in views from the San Jose Volcano, or soaking in the Baños Colina hot springs. For a look at local history, visit San José de Maipo, located at the heart of Cajón and the biggest city in the canyon. The colonial town still retains many of its original adobe structures as well as an 18th-century church in the town center’s Plaza de Armas.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Most Cajón del Maipo tours include round-trip transportation from Santiago.
- Weather changes quickly in the Andes Mountains; be sure to wear comfortable layers and check the forecast before your trip.
- Roadside stalls sell fresh-baked bread, empanadas, and other food items to stave off hunger pangs during a day of exploration.
- Due to the canyon’s popularity, a small-group tour or private tour will help you stand apart from the crowds.
How to Get There
The easiest way to reach Cajón del Maipo is on a day tour that includes round-trip transportation from Santiago, which allows you to get there hassle-free. Otherwise, catch one of the frequent buses to San José de Maipo from Santiago’s Plaza de Puente Alto metro station, or between Bellavista de La Florida station and Baños Morales on the weekends (or every day during the summer). You can also get a taxi for a higher price.
When to Get There
Santiago residents often escape to Cajón del Maipo on the weekends, so try to plan your trip for a weekday to avoid the city crowds. Rafting season lasts from November through March, while winter sports take over from June to September.
Wine and Sunshine
In addition to its status as a perfect weekend getaway, Cajón del Maipo is also known for its Chilean wines. Look for tours that include stops at wineries or other chances to sample the region’s signature varietals.
Address: Chile
From $ 35
El Morado Natural Monument
El Morado is the name given to one of the most popular hikes in Cajón de Maipo, an area that follows a narrow river valley south east of the city, heading up towards the Andes, and to Argentina. Along this serpentine road, there are loads of places to stop and eat everything from full meals to a traditional coffee and kuchen (German-style fruit pastry), and in the plaza in San José del Maipo (the main town), there are always handicrafts for sale.
But further up the valley is the entrance to El Morado, a wide open uphill hike on which you can see the many striations of natural coloration in the rock, from red to brown to green and yellow. If you continue up, you arrive at the San Francisco Lagoon and Glacier. For those who have never seen a glacier before, it’s a stunning sight, and though you’ll probably want to dip a hand or foot in the milky glacial lagoon below just to say you did, you’ll probably quickly step away, as the water is at near freezing point. When the ice of the San Franciso Glacier is stable, you may see people climbing it, though it goes without saying that that is only for well-equipped experts.
Possible animal sightings here include many different types of birds including a giant hummingbird and some small mammals such as the small, burrowing herbivorous coruro, that looks a bit like a prairie dog.
Practical Info
The El Morado hike and glacier are in an area that is very exposed to harsh weather such as wind and snow. Be sure to go with a qualified guide and be prepared for a very sunny walk, with SPF clothing and good quality sunglasses. There can be snow up on this hike until late December, and the sunlight reflected off the snow is very bright.
Address: Santiago, Chile
From $ 110
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.
History buffs will remember that this building was bombed in 1973 as part of the coup d’etat that ended Salvador Allende’s presidency and preceded Augusto Pinochet’s rise to power. There are still, a few areas where the damage has been left for visitors to see. There is also a statue of Salvador Allende at the southeast corner of the Plaza de la Constitución, which is occasionally decorated as part of political demonstrations.
Visitors can visit the exterior of La Moneda at any time. Beneath the building is the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda, a large space with several art galleries (entry to all is included in one admission ticket), two movie theaters, an independent bookstore, a restaurant and a high-quality crafts store that sells terra cotta and woven items.
Practical Info
The closest metro to La Moneda is the La Moneda metro, and the traditional “changing of the guard” ceremony takes place every odd-numbered day of the month at 10 a.m. in Plaza La Constitución. The Bolsa, or stock exchange, is located on the nearby street Nueva York.
Address: Moneda S/N, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm
From $ 22
Colchagua Valley
If you’re interested in tasting some of the best wines Chile has to offer, you’ll want to spend some time in the Colchagua Valley. Nearly two dozen area wineries are open to the public in what has become the country’s most prominent wine region, where the dry climate, plentiful sunshine and loamy soil create ideal conditions for producing red—Cabernet Savignon, Carmenere and Merlot for the most part.
The town of Santa Cruz sits at the heart of the region and is the most popular jumping off spot for wine tours in the surrounding valley. Such tours come in a variety of forms, like bike rides through a vineyard or a ride on the Santa Cruz Wine Train.
The valley isn’t just about wine, however. The second symbol of the area is the huaso, or Chilean cowboy, and the culture surrounding them. A great way to enjoy the scenery of the valley is from the saddle of a horse, stopping for lunch in an old-fashioned hacienda.
Practical Info
The Colchagua Valley is located in Chile’s central valley, and the summer months may be the best times to visit. The city of Santa Cruz serves as the area’s hub.
Address: Colchagua Valley, Chile
From $ 276
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; also on display are a replica of his Nobel Prize (presented in 1971 for literature) and a portrait of Urrutia by the famous artist Diego Rivera, which holds a secret of its own.
Though later vandalized by dictator Pinochet´s men, La Chascona has been restored and is now open to the public via tours (English included). La Sebastiana in Valparaiso and Casa de Isla Negra in Isla Negra, Neruda´s other two homes, are also preserved and maintained as museums revealing his life and obsessions. Although Pinochet outlawed the observance of Neruda´s funeral, thousands of loyal Chileans filled the streets in his honor nonetheless. After a walk through La Chascona´s bizarrely enchanting chambers, visitors will easily understand how the passionate writer and dedicated communist could continue to inspire people for generations.
Photo courtesy of Pekka Parhi via Wikimedia Commons.
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; also on display are a replica of his Nobel Prize (presented in 1971 for literature) and a portrait of Urrutia by the famous artist Diego Rivera, which holds a secret of its own.
Though later vandalized by dictator Pinochet´s men, La Chascona has been restored and is now open to the public via tours (English included). La Sebastiana in Valparaiso and Casa de Isla Negra in Isla Negra, Neruda´s other two homes, are also preserved and maintained as museums revealing his life and obsessions. Although Pinochet outlawed the observance of Neruda´s funeral, thousands of loyal Chileans filled the streets in his honor nonetheless. After a walk through La Chascona´s bizarrely enchanting chambers, visitors will easily understand how the passionate writer and dedicated communist could continue to inspire people for generations.
Photo courtesy of Pekka Parhi via Wikimedia Commons.
Address: Chile
From $ 14
Ahumada Boulevard (Paseo Ahumada)
Santiago is a busy, walkable city, with a fairly compact downtown. But there are times when you’ve had enough of having to move along at the speed of the crowd, and wish you could have a more spacious place to be. And you can. There are three major pedestrian thoroughfares in downtown Santiago, Huérfanos, which runs west down from Cerro Santa Lucía, and both Paseo Ahumada and Paseo Estado, which stretch north from the Alameda (Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins) towards the Mapocho River and Mercado Central.
Paseo Ahumada is perhaps the busiest of the three, and you’ll find families and individuals walking, talking on the phone or sitting on benches at most times of day, On the street there are nearly always street performers and vendors, selling hats, scarves, and the occasional television antenna. There are also popular stands selling mote con huesillo, a local drink made of sweet peach punch with reconstituted dried peaches and wheat kernels at the bottom. Shoe stores and fast food, ice cream, cafés and some of the major department stores fill out the rest of the blocks, which quiet down after work or when it gets dark.
Practical Info
Instead of walking into Paseo Ahumada directly from the Alameda, dip down about half a block further and start in on Nueva York, a quieter, cobblestoned street with historic fountains that runs past the stock exchange. And further along on Paseo Ahumada, plan a stop at the Cathedral, which is on Santiago’s Plaza de Armas.
Address: Santiago, Chile
From $ 22
Central Post Office
From the outside, the French-styled Correo Central (Central Post Office) is a frothy white wedding cake of a building, while inside its all tiered galleries topped by a beautiful glass dome. Built in 1882 on the northwest corner of Santiago's Plaza de Armas, the Central Post Office, designed by Chilean architect Ricardo Brown, has been a national monument since 1976.
Next door to the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago, aside from buying your stamps, the Correo Central is also home to the Museo Postal y Telegrafico. Dedicated to Chile's postal history, here you can see a huge collection of stamps from around the world.
Practical Info
On Plaza de Armas 559, Correo Central is open from 8:30am-7pm Monday to Friday, and from 8:30am-1pm on Saturdays. The nearest metro is Plaza de Armas. The post office museum is just off to the right side of the Correo, and you can walk right in — entrance is free.
Address: Puente 503-597, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile, Chile
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-7pm, Sat 8:30am-1pm
From $ 22