February 28, 2017
The capital of Chile, Santiago is a beautiful city nestled in the valley between the Andes Mountains to the east and a the coastal mountain range of Cordillera to the west. My favorite part of the city was wandering through the parks that breakup the urban sprawl.
A great morning hike is to the top of San Cristobal where the Statue of the Virgin overlooks the capital and the distant Andes. However, due to the pollution problem, views of the Andes are hard to come by. The first day I did it, the haze was worsted by fires to the south and then when I did it again 2 months later, the mountains were covered by smog. According to google images, the view is great on a clear day!
My favorite way to get oriented in a new city is to do a walking tour, which are free in most South American cities. Tours 4 Tips have two different tours every morning and afternoon. One is an overview of Santiago and the other focuses more on the markets. Both are great!
The city is easy to explore on foot, particularly neighborhoods like Bellavista which feature lots of outdoor markets. Head to Mercado Central to pick up snacks or dinner ingredients. Then swing buy the fish market and pop into Tio Willy for lunch and order paila and ceviche. And get a pisco sour, but beware they are strong! There are also many fun cafes – my favorite is Original Green Roasters. I went in for the coffee and was blow away by their pasta!
If you need to escape the afternoon heat, pop into Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Or if you want to learn about the darker side of Chilean history, visit the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos which is heavy but well worth the time.
