What to See / Do / Feel in SANTIAGO, CHILE !!!!..
Please keep in mind Santiago is a 6 million people Latin urban conglomeration, housing 50% of Chile population, and above 90% of he country's economic transactions and wealth. It is a city to enjoy, walk and explore specially Downtown and Mid-town areas which will be more appealing and more authentically Chilean/Latin. Crowded, busy, noisy, friendly and unique? Like buses? Santiago has thousands, all yellow color and a wide variety of street art. Street dogs...all over. ......well that's all about Latin America...come and see it all !!!!!! HOLA, GRACIAS, COMO ESTAS? make yourself familiar with these expressions.
TOURS BY:
ACCOMODATION OPTIONS:
Pedestrian streets (Paseo) Streets Paseo Ahumada and Huerfanos are the heart of Downtown area. A full hand of money exchange houses, street vendors, street actors, and all the possible people watching of urban tribes. Ripley and Falabella department stores are a great show of good offers.
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Congreso Nacional, Corte Suprema old buildings
·Plaza de Armas and surrounding Cathedral, Post Office, Historical Museum and Town Hall. Nearby is Casa Colorada, start up of walking tours guided by Tourist Office
·Nearby Merced and Agustinos churches
·Mercado Central has 2 main and costly restaurants but there are several good choices of small eateries. Great and tasty seafood and shell fish. Watch belongings and cameras. Nearby interesting Mapocho old railway station
·La Moneda government building and Change of Guard (ask schedule)
·San Cristobal hill with funicular, cable car, zoo, 2 swimming pools, Japanese garden and great views from the top Virgin Mary statue. Great views at 5pm in winter and 9pm in summer.. Funicular closed on Mondays but can get to the top by taxi with maximum rate 3,000 pesos.
·Do not miss Precolumbian museum and nearby old Congress building and gardens, and Justice palace
·Famous Chilean Literature Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda’s La Chascona house
·Palacio Cousino house/museum belonging to Chile’s richest family in last century. Owners of coal and nitrate mines
·Paris and Londres streets & San Francisco church and Colonial museum
·Santa Lucia hill, indigeneous market and Handcraft shops in front at Feria Artesanal
·Barrio Lastarria area surrounding Diego Portales building. Great cafes, eateries, antiques, old books, art galleries
·Nearby Bellas Artes, fine arts museum and Parque Forestal are wonderfull sites next to river Mapocho
·Murals inside Universidad de Chile station (also the ticket offices for TurBus, and Train company EFE)
·Barrio Concha y Toro area , and Barrio Brasil quarter…..between Republica & Los Heroes metro station, north side
·Sunday antique fair in Estado pedestrian street
·Fantasilandia amusement park on line 2 of metro system
·Cinemas are cheaper on wednesdays
Providencia area:
vSernatur tourist office and nearby Red Phone Box restaurant and old and English used books plaza
vShopping arcades surrounding Los Leones metro station
Las Condes:
vParque Arauco and trendy Alto Las Condes. Both accesible from Escuela Militar metro station
vHyatt hotel design
vLos Dominicos antiques village
vAlonso de Cordova avenue will surprise you with its trendy and modern style stores in classic houses and mansions
SANTIAGO GASTRONOMY AND NIGHTLIFE. SEE THE MUSTS IN SEPARATE SHEET
DAY TRIPS. SEE MY RECCOMENDATIONS IN SEPARATE SHEET (ask Jose for transportation fees in his car on saturdays)
1.Valparaiso and Vina del Mar cities. Valparaiso port, hilly and collorful houses, cable cars, world heritage area, bohemian life and art displays. Vina del Mar is the summer resort, beaches, casino, picturesque coastline
2.Ski resorts nearby Santiago (cheap transportation, tickets and equipment rental)
3.Cajon del Maipo canyon.Banos Morales-Colina hot springs, El Morado glacier- park, Cascada de las Animas park, Casa Bosque restaurant, great views, water rafting and trekking)
4.Isla Negra and Pablo Neruda 2nd house
5.Pomaire pottery center
6.Rancagua, San Fernando, Santa Cruz central valley and wineries
7.La Ligua textile town
Enjoy SANTIAGO’S Nightlife .…and Cuisine..
Jose Estay recommends: (look for bold letter and dark frame) You may want to add places by telling Jose 09-8406140
·You can drink tap water safely. Drink plenty as you dehidrate easily
·UNIMARC supermarket , across the park, o Portugal street, is open until 10pm.
·Empanadas (types: meat "empanada de horno", cheese “empanada de queso” are a great deal..very filling) . In some places they offer shrimp or seafood “empanada”
·Typical Drinks: "Pisco Sour", Wine (specially cheap and great variety in supermarkets like Jumbo, Lider, Unimarc, Santa Isabel), Beer (Cristal, Escudo, Kuntsmann, Austral), “mote con huesillos” (dried peach boiled, plus corn, sweet and cold great drink)
·Specialties in food: "Pastel de Choclo" (corn cake with meat or chicken, in clay pot), "Cazuela" (stew..meat or chicken, gren beans, potato, pumpkin, rice) any type of Seafood and Shell Fish, "Biste a lo Pobre" (steak, french fries, onion, fried eggs), "Hot Dogs" (in Chile served with avocado, tomato and mayonaise make up the “italiano”), typical Chile cakes "Alfajores", "Chilenitos" & "Cuchuflis" (cakes filled with cramel), sandwiches like "Churrasco" (steak and cheese) and "Chacarero" (steak,green beans, tomato and mayonaise). Marmelade made of local fruits: Alcayota, Membrillo
·Desserts: Ice creams are great, and fresh fruits ("Chirimoya", "Papaya", "Lucuma", great apples, bananas, pears, peaches, berries)
·Wines reccomended. Carmenere is currently the most famous type of wine. Unique in Chile. Also any type of Late Harvest sweet wine. For all types of wines the most famous brands are Concha y Toro, Santa Ema, Misiones, Ventisquero, Undurraga. Any wine costing between 2,000 and 4,000 is very good. Above 4,000 pesos is a more refined taste Reserva
·As for pisco the best is Alto del Carmen 45 degrees, or Pisco Sour Capel Sour Pica.
·Plaza Italia area: Fuente Alemana, next to KFC, is a must for sandwiches (open mon-sat up to 11pm). Valle de Oro, at the corner of Portugal and Alameda, is a must for pizzas. (open mon-sun) or “La Hacienda” at the corner of Carbineros de Chile and Vicuna Mackenna
·Barrio Lastarria's "R punto", "Gatopardo, "Les Assasins", "Cafe Escondido", "Berry". Outdoors cafes specially on Jose Miguel de la Barra and Rosal streets: "Brain Works", "Cafe Santiago"
·Downtown’s “Adobes de Argomedo” has a great folk show and great food. Easteries around Plaza de Armas have a wide variety of cheap and simple food. The outdoor cafe in the plaza is great for people watching. Watch your valuables. Famous “Cafe con Piernas” is part of Chile kitsch culture (indoors coffee shops were waitresses wear tiny lingerie or topless) Find them in covered alleys bear Ahumada or Huerfanos pedestrian streets. Indian food, the one and only!! Majestic, in downtown
·Mercado Central has 2 main and costly restaurants but there are several good choices of small eateries. Great and tasty seafood and shell fish. Donde Augusto is a must but high prices. Budget great places are Rincon Marino and Pailas Blancas.
·Bellavista bohemian quarter with popular restaurants like "Eladio" (great steak), "Havana Salsa" Cuba Tropicana type of show), "Galindo" (great Chile food, pisco sour, cafe) and trendy "Etniko" (great suchi with electronic music ambiance), "Como Agua para Chocolate" (the best international cuisine). Bars like "Tapas y Copas, "La Boheme", "Off the Record". Clubs like "La Feria" (trendy electronic music) & "Punta Brown" (for latin, pop, etc). LA SALITA Merced 142 . Many pubs offering "Schop" (draft beer). PECADO CAPITAL--Ernesto Pinto Lagarrigue 192
·Barrio Brasil's "Los Buenos Muchachos" (great show) and “Ocean Pacific”. Near by, next to Metro Station Union Latinoamericana you will find gothic/techno/80’s pop underground great club “Blondie”
·Bellavista Gay scene includes: trendy club "Bunker" (great on saturdays), "Bokhara" (specially crowded on thu and fri), "Fausto" tue to sun and dark room on wed), and restaurant "Capricho Espanol". Saunas in the same area include famous Bellavista 282. Ask for shows and venues, "Sarita Colonia" is a trendy bar,
·Avenida Italia's MUCCA--Av. Italia 830 , "De Cangrejo a Conejo" are a great deal . YAGAN. El Sofa club. AHUAHIERBA--Marín 0285. CLUB MIEL Av. Bilbao
·Plaza Nunoa's various students pubs and great deal restaurants surrounding areas of the plaza
·Manuel Montt st, metro same name, gather sevarl pubs and live music bars, also great Peruvian restaurant Barandarian, suchi bar Wasabi
·Providencia street's "Liguria" and trendy “Pinch of Pancho", "Red Phone Box" pub. Near Manuel Montt street gathers a great variety of pubs and restaurants. “El Huerto” is a great vegetarian restaurant, Orrego Luco st. SANTO REMEDIO--Ricardo Lyon 45 local 3. BALSAMICO--Ricardo Lyon 45 local 3
·Avenida Suecia's crowded dozens of "happy hour" bars, some live music at "Mr.Ed", "Green Bull")
·Avenida El Bosque and Isidora Goyenechea gather most of business type and up scale restaurants. Also pubs like "TG Fridays", bars like “Hooters", coffe shops "Starbucks", great happy hours at “Publicity”
·Irish Flanerys/Dublín pub in Tobalaba metro, and Red Phone Box restaurant (metro Manuel Montt) gather UK visitors, and Sephia bar. Vitacura avenue's "Las Urracas". Las Condes has several Go-Go girls bars like Platinum, Champagne, Lucas Bar, Shampoo (be ready to pay a cover US$ 30 and drinks at US$ 20 each just for the company of a girl). Lucas Bar in Av.Suecia and Passapoga located in Providencia. MITTO--Av. Vitacura 8653. SALA MURANO--Plaza San Enrique, Lo Barnechea
·Wineries: Concha y Toro (and nearby great restaurant "La Vaquita Echa), Cousino Macul, Undurraga, Santa Rita (fine cuisine at a great hacienda) make a great trip to Chile's Central Valleys.(make a booking first)
Jose Estay recommends :
HALF DAY in SANTIAGO
Arrangements with Jose for Saturday tours can be made in advance for US$ 10 per person for Winery or San Cristobal
Wineries: Concha y Toro.
Take Metro line 5 from Baquedano station and reach last station Bellavista. Connect with light blue MetroBus #74 or # 80 (must have a sign PIRQUE). It drops you in the front gate of the winery. Call at 9am , 1 day in advance. Must leave home at least 1 hour 1/2 before tour starts. at 9am. For Saturday tours call far in advance. US$ 6 per person. 1 hour tour and 3 wine tasting
San Cristobal hill: zoo, swimming pools, Japanese garden, restaurants, cable car and funicular. Nearby is "La Chascona" Pablo Neruda amazing museum-house. FUNICULAR CLOSED MONDAYSfunicular opens daily at 10am and close at sunset. Mondays funicular is closed.In the viewpoint enjoy the 2 eateries.
Ski resorts: Farellones, La Parva, El Colorado, Valle Nevado.great deal in prizes...tickets,rental equipment and transfers
SKI Total vans (www.skitotal.cl) leave from Omnium shopping center, 2 blocks from metro station Escuela Militar, heading to the mountains along Av.Las Condes. You can go for the day and the round trip ticket is 8,000 pesos. You can buy tickets for lifts for 14,000 esosand rent equipment for 22,000 pesos. Instructor per hour at 24,000 pesos. Vans leave 730am and return 5pm.
FULL DAY TRIPS FROM SANTIAGO
Arrangements with Jose for Saturday tours can be made in advance for US$ 20 per person per trip chosen
Valparaiso and Vina del Mar
Take Metro line 1, reach Pajaritos station. Connect with buses leaving every 15 min. to Valparaiso (locally commute to Vina del Mar) starting at 6am. Cost is 5,000 round trip. Ride takes 2 hours. Watch out for peak Friday nights going to the coast or returning Sunday night. Return is same way. Last metro rund 10pm
Cajon del Maipo. Also enjoy El Morado glacier and Banos Morales rustic hot springs. Proect from strong sun and dehidration
Turismo Antaña vans leave next to Telefonica building in Bustamante street, next to Baquedano metro station at 730am. Ask Jose to make the booking for Friday,Saturday or Sunday. You can also reach the town of San Jose after Vina Concha y Toro but for short hours. Buses do not run often. Better the full day organized trip.
Isla Negra, in the coast southwest of Santiago houses the 2nd famous Pable Neruda museum-house.
take Metro line 1, reach Universidad Santiago station. Connect with buses leaving every 15 min. starting at 6am. Every 1 hour. Pullmann Bus company. Cost is 5,000 round trip. Ride takes 2 hours. Watch out for peak Friday nights going to the coast or returning Sunday night. Return is same way. Last metro rund 10pm
Pomaire pottery center & countryside (stopover at Undurraga winery)
Take Metro line 1, reach Estacion Central station. Walk to Terminal San Borja bus terminal. Connect with buses leaving every 30 min. to Pomaire direct or stoping/connecting in Melipilla city. Start at 8am. Cost is 5,000 round trip. Ride takes 2 hours.
..also the cities of La Ligua (textiles), Rancagua (historical),San Fernando (hot springs), Santa Cruz and Curico (wineries)
Watch out for peak Friday nights going to the coast or returning Sunday night. Return is same way. Last metro rund 10pmAll accesible by frequent buses and trains. Less than 3 hours away
IMPORTANT:Plan your trips in advance, specially fri-sat-sun. Buses are frequent and comfortable (regular, semi-recline or bed seat choices). # airlines offer discounts with advance booking via websites.
LONGER TRIPS FROM SANTIAGO (beyond 400 km or 1 hour flight/8hours bus minimum)
Long distance bus, nigh bed'seats bus or flying with LAN, Sky and Aerolineas del Sur, depending the city
La Serena and Elqui Valley. Pisco distillers, great beaches, seafood, astronomical observatories. 8hours day or night bus, or 1 hour flight
Temuco, Pucon and Lake District. National Parks, volcano climbing, extreme sports, deer meat, black sand lake beaches, summer great nightlife. 12 hours day or night bus, 9 hours train or 1.5 hr flight
Patagonia, Torres del Paine & Ushuaia. World class attractions, unforgetable views, trekking, glaciers, unspoiled lands, Antarctica trips. 4 hr flight to Punta Arenas or 5 hr flight to Ushuaia (summer only, not daily)
Puerto Montt and Chiloe island. Lake district, great seafood, Chiloe unique culture and architecture, island hopping, Carretera Austral thru unspolied landscapes. 1.40 hr flight or 14 hr bus day or night. Chiloe is accesible by bus
Bariloche & Nahuel Huapi national parks. Argentina's showcase. 2 hr flight (summer and not daily) or by bus from Osorno, Pucon or Puerto Montt
Mendoza & Andes mountains. Unforgetable border crossing, great wines and shopping, quiet city but lot of nightlife. 1 hr flight or 8 hours exciting Andes crossing
Easter Island. One of the world's most famous islands. Enjoy diving, archeological sites, the unique Moais, volcano trekking. Almost 6 hours flight (not daily)
Arica, Iquique & Lauca park. Oasis, unique fauna, desert geogliphs, Lauca park, camping, Altiplano high plateau. 30 hr bus ride or 4 hours flight
San Pedro and Uyuni salt mines on the way to Bolivia. Tatio geysers, old hispanic and inca towns, archaeologial sites, geolical interest, fauna. 2 hr flight or 23 hr bus
(*)In all cases let Jose know in advance in order to plan ahead, make reservations and also buy tickets
