Santiago de Chile

Welcome to Santiago — Chile´s capital and business center.  

View from Cerro San Cristóbal (870m)

This is a bustling city of about 7 million.  Almost half of Chile´s population of 16 million live here.  Santiago is surrounded by wineries.  A couple hours east are ski resorts, open from June to October.  This time of year, there´s no skiing, but the 4-5000 meter peaks make an impressive backdrop to this city´s skyline.

Santiago´s Metro

Santiago is the most modern of Latin America´s cities.  Its subway system is clean, fast and efficient.  Half the residents of the city live in tall, gleaming apartment buildings with Toyotas and BMWs parked in the garages below.  Everyone has a mobile phone.  There are health food stores, microbreweries and cafés with wifi on every block.  This is a good place to buy more memory cards for your camera, and to get your vaccination for yellow fever (which will be required for entry into Bolivia).

Although the earthquake of February 27th was frightening — especially to Santiaguinos living in 20 story apartment buildings — there was little structural damage here.   This is due to the fact that Santiago has major earthquakes every 25 years, so building codes are strict and well-enforced.  Speaking of earthquakes, my work here in Chile has received some recognition.   Terremoto Prepárate made the front page of the newspaper in Concepción, and page 13, too.

Catedral Metropolitana y Plaza de Armas

Mixed in among all the glass towers and modern conveniences, Santiago has beautiful neoclassical architecture, parks, plazas, museums and other surprises.  The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolumbino is a must see.  So is La Chascona, the secret house Pablo Neruda built for his third wife.

Cerro Santa Lucía

A stunning hilltop garden called Santa Lucía sits right in the middle of the city.

El Mercado Central

As is true throughout Latin America, dining out is a lively adventure.  El Mercado Central is a live fish market with a dozen restaurants in the middle, complete with singing waiters, costumed dancers, parrots, dogs and cats.

Astronomers in the Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is where you´ll find bars, restaurants, political demonstrations, ethnic music and dancing every evening.  You may also find amature astronomers here with their telescopes ready to show you the craters of the moon or the rings of Saturn … for about 60 cents.  This city has something for everyone.