# Santiago Notes I lived in Santiago during the first half of 2016, as an exchange student at [[Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile]]. A lot has likely changed since then — links, prices, and some venues may be outdated. Take everything here as a starting point, not gospel. --- ## Entries ### Getting Around Santiago has a metro and a bus network (Transantiago). Locals tend to distrust the buses, but once you learn to use them they're often more practical than the metro for specific destinations. Get a **Tarjeta BIP** (the unified transport card) as soon as you arrive. The city is remarkably flat, which makes it excellent for cycling. If you have access to a bike, use it. The **Itaú bike-sharing system** covers most neighborhoods (comunas) — the signup process was slow in 2016 (about a month to receive the card), but worth it for longer stays. There's a kiosk behind the Palacio La Moneda on Calle La Moneda. One practical note: Santiago's air quality is genuinely bad due to the surrounding mountain ranges trapping pollution. After rain, the city opens up and visibility becomes extraordinary — worth timing outdoor activities accordingly. Always carry water; the city is very dry and drinking fountains are rare. For currency exchange, the stretch of **Calle Augustinas** near the Banco Central de Chile has historically offered good rates. --- ### Practical Notes Santiago is significantly safer than São Paulo, but petty theft happens — especially pickpocketing on the metro, and especially targeting tourists who look distracted. The usual awareness applies. The micro-geographies are less volatile than in Brazilian cities, but still worth reading. --- ### Neighborhoods Worth Knowing - **Barrio Italia** — Design and furniture district, partially gentrified since around 2015/2016. Good for an afternoon of cafés, independent shops, and street photography. There's an ongoing tension between the upscale influx and the neighborhood's working-class character that was visible even then. [Site](http://www.barrioitalia.com/) · [Events page](https://www.facebook.com/eventosbarrioitalia) - **Plaza Ñuñoa** — One of the most pleasant squares in the city. Good bars, and the Teatro UC is right there (exchange students get a significant discount). Address: Av. Irarrázaval 3550. - **Bairro Lastarria** — Upscale, cultural, walkable. Good starting point for the historic center. - **Bellavista, Plaza Brasil, Sanhattan** — Nightlife and bar areas. - **Comunidad Ecológica de Peñalolén** — A genuinely unusual neighborhood: an ecological, semi-hippie community on the edge of the pre-cordillera. Worth visiting on its own, with craft shops and live music. Also the site of a weekly **Temazcal** ritual (a Central American indigenous sweat lodge ceremony) every Sunday, for a voluntary contribution of 3,000–5,000 pesos. [Organizers page](https://www.facebook.com/Raicesdelsurdelatierra/) --- ### Parks Santiago takes its parks seriously. The main ones: - **Parque Metropolitano (Cerro San Cristóbal)** — The obvious one, but much larger than most people realize. Five different entrances, each with distinct views and attractions. Don't miss the Japanese Garden for a view over Sanhattan. [parquemet.cl](http://www.parquemet.cl/) - **Parque Florestal** — A green corridor along the Río Mapocho between Plaza Italia (Baquedano station) and the Mercado Central (Cal y Canto station). Good for walks. - **Parque Quinta Normal** — Pair this with a visit to the Museo de la Memoria next door. - **Parque O'Higgins** — Large, popular on weekends (percussion groups practice there), and has an amusement park. - **Parque Fluvial Renato Poblete** — Uses water from the Mapocho to create an artificial lake. The adjacent urban park has two repurposed water towers converted into a climbing wall by a civil society organization — a nice find. - **Parque Bicentenário** — Recent and still young in 2016 (small trees), but worth it for the view of Sanhattan. - **Parque Araucano** — In one of the more upscale parts of the city, near CorpArtes. --- ### Museums & Cultural Centers - **[Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos](http://ww3.museodelamemoria.cl/)** — One of the best museums in the city, full stop. Documents the military coup, the dictatorship's crimes, and the redemocratization process. Guided visits available by reservation. Metro: Quinta Normal (green line). - **[Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM)](http://gam.cl/)** — Strong programming in film, theatre, and music. Check the schedule. - **[Centro Cultural La Moneda / Cineteca Nacional](http://www.ccplm.cl/sitio/)** — The cinematheque here was excellent: cheap, strong local programming, good Chilean documentaries and fiction. - **[CorpArtes](http://www.corpartes.cl/)** — Near Parque Araucano, good temporary exhibitions. - **[Museo Ralli](https://www.museoralli.cl/)** — Probably the best collection of Latin American art in the city, plus international rotating exhibitions. - **[Templo Bahá'í de Santiago](http://templo.bahai.cl/)** — The only Bahá'í temple in South America, on the hillside near Peñalolén. Striking architecture and a panoramic view of the city. - **[Palacio La Moneda — guided visits](http://visitasguiadas.presidencia.cl/)** — Free guided tour of the presidential palace. Worth doing. --- ### Things to Do **Trekking** The mountains are immediate and accessible. The group I used and trusted was **Geckos Trekking** — volunteer-run, no cost beyond shared transport, welcoming to beginners. Contact Joaquim directly. Email: [email protected] · [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1545202942454958/) Other volunteer trekking groups: - [Group 2](https://www.facebook.com/groups/211950562499099/) - [Group 3](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674577606143193/) - [Group 4](https://www.facebook.com/groups/209086256156960/) - [Group 5](https://www.facebook.com/groups/810073742370373/) **Heritage Walks** [Rincón Patrimonial Chileno](https://www.facebook.com/RinconPatrimonialChileno/) organizes free guided walking tours across various Santiago neighborhoods, led by volunteers with different thematic focuses. Good way to learn the city. **Nocturnal Cemetery Tour** The [Cementerio General de Santiago](http://www.cementeriogeneral.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104) runs guided nighttime tours. Worth booking. **Cajón del Maipo** About an hour from the city by car or bus. The starting point for several excellent routes: the [Monumento Natural El Morado](http://www.conaf.cl/parques/monumento-natural-el-morado/) glacier hike, and the natural hot springs at [Baños Morales](http://www.banosmorales.cl/) (with therapeutic clay pools). [General info](http://www.cajondelmaipo.com/) **Sky Costanera** The observation deck at the top of the Costanera Center — the tallest building in Latin America. Very much worth it, but time it carefully: aim for late afternoon on a day after rain, so you catch the city in daylight, the sunset, and then the city at night, all in one visit. The post-rain air quality makes an enormous difference. [skycostanera.cl](http://www.skycostanera.cl/) **Centro Cultural Chilote / Asamblea de Chilotes** A left-leaning cultural center where the community from the island of Chiloé (southern Chile) gathers. Live traditional music, navegados (mulled wine), good conversations. An unexpectedly vivid window into a very different side of Chilean culture. Address: Avenida Brasil 658. [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/asambleacoordinadora.dechilotesensantiago) --- ### Markets & Popular Commerce - **La Vega Central** — One of the main wholesale produce markets. Large, sensory, cheap, and a good place to find things you won't find in regular supermarkets (maracuyá, for instance, is rare in Chile). Go in the morning or around midday. Stay aware of your belongings. - **Mercado Tirso de Molina** — Near La Vega, slightly more organized. The real draw is the second floor: a cluster of popular restaurants with enormous portions and very good food — Mexican, Peruvian, Colombian, Thai. Good value. - **El Persa del Bío Bío** — One of the largest popular market areas in Santiago, comparable to the 25 de Março in São Paulo. Chaotic, full of secondhand furniture and random goods. A sociological experience. Crowded and worth watching your pockets. [Wikipedia](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persa_Biob%C3%ADo) - **Mercado Central** — Overpriced and touristy, but the seafood displays alone are worth a look if you're walking by. --- ### Food & Bars - **Fuente Alemana** — Best burger in the city, no contest. On the Alameda, near Baquedano station. - **Restaurantes do 2º andar do Tirso de Molina** — See above under markets. Excellent value. - **República del Pisco** — Bar specializing in pisco-based cocktails, with Peruvian and Chilean food. Good concept, worth a visit. - **Bar Radicales** — Political satire-themed bar. Generous portions; pay attention to every detail of the decoration. - **The Clinic (Plaza Ñuñoa branch)** — Good bar in a good square. - **Conversería do Júlio** — Turkish café on Calle Merced. - **Caracol Peruano** — Near the Plaza de Armas: a market building with Peruvian, Colombian, Dominican, and other Latin American food stalls. Interesting architecture inside. --- ### Day Trips & Beyond - **Valparaíso and Viña del Mar** (~1.5h) — Valparaíso is far more interesting than Viña. Colorful, hilly, full of street art, and home to Neruda's second house. Check whether the _Mil Tambores_ festival (an out-of-season carnival) aligns with your visit. - **Mendoza, Argentina** (~6–7h by bus) — A day trip or short overnight. The crossing of the Andes is the main attraction — book a window seat on the upper deck, first row, with CATA Internacional. The city itself is pleasant but limited. Note: the pass sometimes closes in heavy snow. - **Wineries** — The Santa Rita winery tour was excellent and includes a pre-Columbian museum. Skip the lunch (overpriced); the tour itself is worth it. [santarita.com](http://www.santarita.com/international/) --- ### Campus Note (for PUC students) The **Campus El Contador** of the Universidad Católica is a colonial farmhouse that now hosts architecture and urbanism. Worth visiting just to see the space.