In addition to having an interesting historic downtown, Santiago also has a wide variety of neighbourhoods, each offering a unique experience. From its monument-laden hills and colourful neighbourhoods to its memory museum, there is a lot to explore in the Chilean capital.
In fact, we found so many things to see and do that we are presenting Santiago in two posts. In this one, we will show you the diverse aspects of its communities. In the previous post we showed you its traditional historic sites. If you missed it, you can read it here.
Cerro Santa Lucia
Not far from the city centre are two hills that are very popular tourist sites. The shortest is Cerro Santa Lucia, famous for its hilltop Castillo Hidalgo (Hidalgo Castle). As one of the only remainders of a 15-million-year-old volcano, the Mapuche people called the hill Huelén and used it as a lookout for portential threats. During the Reconquista (late 19th century), the new Chilean government transformed it from a rocky crag to a landscaped garden.
A series of uneven stone steps takes you up through its many gardens and terraces to reach the summit, 65 m above. As you climb, you can stop to enjoy some of the 1,000 varieties of plants on the hill. Between the different levels, there are small gardens and terraces where you can take a break and appreciate the views from this elevated level.
At the top of the hill is Hidalgo Castle (Castillo Hidalgo). Built in 1816 by order of the Spanish Governor, the fortress was intended to defend the city against potential invasions during the Chilean War of Independence.
We thought we’d be able to see the castle on the walk, but it is mostly hidden from view. Although we did have glimpses of it on the way up, the best view of Hildalgo Castle is from Plaza Pedro de Valdivia.
Our favourite part of Cerro Santa Lucia was a small terrace at the top of the hill that gives a 360° panorama. We were lucky to have clear skies on the day we visited, so we could enjoy the views of the mountains as well as the city.
Tip – The mountains are east of the hill, so for pictures, it is better to go in the afternoon.
Navigating your way around the hill isn’t easy. Its many stairs and trails go all over the hill with no sense of direction, but it’s not a large hill, so you should be able to find most viewpoints. There are signs, but they don’t give clear directions.
As you wander, you’ll see a few more historical monuments in addition to the castle. One is the Monument to Caupolicán. He was a Mapuche leader who led the resistance against the Spanish invasion in the 1600s. Others are the tomb for the city’s former Mayor, Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna and a statue of the city’s founder, Pedro de Valdivia.
Tip – To reach the top involves a 65 m climb on rough stone steps. Even the climb up to the lowest few terraces climbs on uneven steps. A canon was supposed to go off at noon, but either it was very quiet, or it didn’t go off when we visited.
Entry – free; Opening Hours – 9am – 6:30 every day. You need to sign in with your passport number.
Getting to Cerro Santa Lucia
The nearest metro station is Santa Lucia on the red line. Only one entrance is open; Google Maps takes you to it.
Barrio Lastarria
If you need a break after climbing up and down Cerro Santa Lucia, Barrio Lastarria, at its base, is a nice neighbourhood with coffee shops and a small art market. Making it even more pleasant, the Jacaranda trees were in bloom when we visited in November.
Cerro San Cristobal
Standing above the Mapocho River is the second hill, Cerro San Cristóbal. You can travel to the top by funicular, cable car, bus or on foot. No matter how you get there, the amazing views unfold as soon as you reach the top. Between the funicular and cable car top stations, an open terrace gives you views of Santiago, the arid hills behind and the Andes in the distance. You can even see Cerro Santa Lucia, far below.
From the funicular top station, take the stairs up another level. Here you’ll find a lovely tiered garden below the tall Virgin Mary statue. There is a small chapel inside the base of the statue. Beside the tiered gardens, you’ll find Iglesia Maternidad Divina de Maria. It is a simple stone church built in 1931. Inside, it is fairly subdued with a few earth-toned frescoes, which is much different than the colourful chapel inside the statue.
The best part of climbing up to the statue is the stunning views from this hilltop position.
If you don’t have time to visit both hills, we recommend Cerro Santa Lucia over this one, because the views are better.
Getting to Cerro San Cristobal
You can reach the top of Cerro San Cristobal by funicular (Pio Nono), cable car (Tupahue) or a combination, by taking one up and the other down. Another option is to walk. There are several walking trails, but the two we saw were closed, so you should research them before going. From both the funicular and the cable car top stations, you still have to walk uphill a little, and to reach the Virgin Mary statue, you have to climb stairs.
Entry is free, but there is a fee for the funicular, cable car or bus. During the busy season, you should buy your ticket in advance. In November, there was a very small line. You can find pricing and book tickets here.
Barrio Bellavista
Below Cerro San Cristobal is the Bellavista community (barrio). The main street, Calle Pino Nono, is decorated with street art and is a lively place with many bars and cafes. The neighbouring streets also have a few cafes and painted walls, but are still a little rough around the edges.
Museum of Memory and Human Rights
In 1960, Salvador Allende won the democratic election and became Chile’s President. The country had been economically stable at that point, but his social programs and policies led to economic instability and caused a lot of unrest. In addition, Allende preferred to have relationships with the Soviet Union and other like-minded rulers. His policies and alliances were frowned upon by the US, and under Nixon, the US financially supported a coup. In 1973, a military junta took place, and La Moneda Palace was bombed, killing President Allende. He was replaced by a military regime led by the ruthless dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Pinochet’s goal was to rid Chile of any leftist thinking. Once he came to power, he sought to exterminate any dissenters and quickly jailed thousands. In fact, so many were detained that they ran out of space and had to use soccer stadiums. Over time, his methods became more repressive, and he ordered many of his own citizes to be tortured or exterminated. His reach extended beyond Chile’s borders, so his opponents weren’t safe anywhere.
Citizen uprisings were common, and eventually, Pinochet lost control, but not until they had endured 17 long years of torment. During that time, more than 40,000 Chilean were murdered, missing or tortured. Some say the numbers are closer to 100,000.
The museum provides powerful information about the lives lost through displays of newspaper articles and personal stories, including items and pictures belonging to those tortured or killed.
Most of the information is in Spanish, so you may want to rent an audio guide. But even without reading everything, you can still understand the atrocities committed over Pinochet’s 17 years in office.
There is a small section that recongnizes the victims of similar atrocities that have occured around the globe.
Parque Quinta Normal
If you’re like us and need to unwind and process the details learned in the museum, take a walk through the Parque Quinta Normal right next door. With a duck pond, walking trails, tall trees and flower gardens, it is a beautiful, relaxing park.
National Museum of Natural History
Located inside Parque Quinta Normal, the National Museum of Natural History has a few displays from various cultures, animals and plants from Chile and around the world. The museum was busy with school tours when we visited, but most of them were in the dinosaur exhibit, as expected.
Entry is free; Opening Hours – 10am-5:30pm, closed Mondays.
City Parks
In addition to Quinte Normal Park, Santiago has many green spaces. Balmaceda Park and Forestel Park are two connected parks that form a long strip that follows the Mapocho River. In addition to these, we walked through several others in our few days in the large city. Entrance to all parks is free
Getting to Chile and Santiago
Most will reach Chile by flying into Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. It is quite far from downtown, but there are a few options to get to and from the airport. Taxis cost around $30 USD, but there are cheaper alternatives. One option is to take Centro Puerto Bus or TurBus from the airport and get off at either Bus Terminal de Sud or Pajaritos Metro Station. An even cheaper option is to take the free shuttle to a transport centre outside the airport, where you can catch a pubic bus to the Pajaritos Metro Station.
Tip – When you fly in or out of Santiago, keep your eyes out the window for a perfect view of Mt. Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America.
Buses are a common way to travel betwee nearby Chilean cities, as well as to/from Mendoza in Argentina. The city has four large bus terminals, so make note of which one your bus will be using.
You can find Santiago in the middle of the country. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker for a link to our post from that region.
Getting around Santiago
The city has an excellent metro system that makes it very easy to explore this large city on your own. Purchase a reloadable BIP card at any metro station. If you prefer, Uber is widely available.
Where to stay in Santiago
The city is very large, so finding the best accommodation also means knowing which neighbourhoods are the best. Our top recommended neighbourhoods are Lastarria, Providencia and Bellavista. All three are safe, have easy access to the metro and offer a wide selection of hotels and restaurants.
Where to eat in Santiago
Where you dine will depend more on what part of the city you are in at any time of day. As with hotels, there are great options in the Barrios Providencia, Lastarria, and Bellavista.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Chile.
To read more of our adventures in Chile, click here.
Coming Next – A Guide to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca.
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
If you like what you read, please comment or share (with credit) using the links below.
We'd love to hear from you, please leave a comment.