Santiago is a spectacular city, especially on a clear day when the skyline of Chile’s capital city is backdropped by soaring snow-capped Andean peaks. Drill down past the views, and Santiago offers diverse and energetic culture, a sobering recent history full of horror and hope, museums of all stripes, one very tall building, and many other ways to experience this cosmopolitan South American city. Here’s what to do in Santiago, Chile.

What to do in Santiago, Chile

Founded in 1541 by Spanish conquistadors, Santiago de Chile (which everyone simply calls Santiago) is the capital of Chile and the largest city in Chile. Here’s what to do in this sprawling metropolis.

Museums in Santiago, Chile

Santiago is a culture-rich city offering ways to enjoy pre-Columbian treasures, European masters, Chilean artistic superstars, or even a house museum in the home of the country’s most famous writer/thinker/disrupter.

Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos

Every bit as heavy and important as the name implies, the tri-level Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory & Human Rights) in the Barrio Yungay neighborhood presents donated pieces of evidence and remembrance from the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) during which thousands of people were tortured, killed, and disappeared. The striking glass cube is a reverent home to these pieces of the country’s recent history. Seeing the photos, letters, torture devices, newspaper clippings, and other documents in the collection is sobering. Particularly moving is the text of “Estadio Chile”, the final poem written by Chilean folk hero Victor Jara before he was killed by the regime. The top level of this museum hosts rotating exhibits. Some displays are in English as well as Spanish. Audio guides are available in many languages. Entry is free. Allow at least an hour.

Casa Museo La Chascona

Chilean writer, poet, diplomat, rogue, and Nobel prize winner Pablo Neruda named his home in Santiago “La Chascona” using the Quechua word for “ruffled” or “messy” as an ode to his mistress Matilde’s unruly hair. Located in the Bellavista neighborhood, the rambling and somewhat handmade home/love nest took five years to build and is now the Casa Museo La Chascona (La Chascona House Museum), operated by the Pablo Neruda Foundation. Spilling down a hillside, the rooms of the house have been left full of Neruda’s quirky personal effects which offer a glimpse of the icon’s deeply held beliefs and tastes about art, life, love, and politics (9,500 CLP / about US$10 per person, including an audio guide available in English, closed Mondays). The stylish onsite gift shop sells tees, books, mugs, postcards, kids’ books, aprons, hats, and more. The standout buy? A set of salt and pepper shakers cheekily marked “Marijuana and Morphine” that are replicas of shakers used by Neruda. Allow at least an hour–more if there’s a wait to enter (reservations are not accepted). See our post about visiting all three of the Pablo Neruda house museums in Chile for more details.

Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

In the Centro Historico, near the Plaza de Armas, you’ll find the non-profit Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art). Inside, well-lit displays with explanations in English as well as Spanish present thousands of pieces of pre-Columbian art from Mexico, Central America, and South America (12,000 CLP / about US$13 per adult, closed Mondays). This remarkably comprehensive collection of pre-Columbian art from around the region includes items crafted by members of dozens of Indigenous cultures, including pottery, textiles, and much more. There’s also an interactive room for kids. Allow at least an hour.

Museo Nacional Bellas Artes

The free Museo Nacional Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) in the Bellavista area of the city presents a quirky collection of statues and paintings (some copies) in a stately historic building that’s as much a draw as the art inside. Closed Mondays. Allow at least 30 minutes.

Museo Ralli

The non-profit Harry Recanati Foundation operates five museums in Chile, Uruguay, and Spain, including the Museo Ralli (Ralli Museum) in Santiago (free, closed Sundays and holidays). Nestled in the tony Vitacura neighborhood, this museum offers 1,500 square feet (140 square meters) on three floors. The museum’s 18 rooms house a mix of Latin and European contemporary art, including the work of masters like Dali, Chagall, and Calder (when we were there, this museum was displaying an exhibit of Calder’s petite paintings). Allow at least 45 minutes.

Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende

The Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende (Salvador Allende Solidarity Museum) was created in 1971 with the support of then-President Salvador Allende who started “art for the people” and asked many major artists to donate work. Thousands of pieces of contemporary art were donated and many are displayed in this museum, which was created in a restored mansion that was used as a secret police station and torture chamber during the Pinochet dictatorship before becoming the museum. Located in the Republica area of the city, which was the wealthy neighborhood until it was abandoned during the dictatorship, the MSSA is a fitting home for contemporary, surreal, and political art (2,000 CLP per adult/ about US$2, closed Mondays). Allow at least 45 minutes.

Centro Cultural Gabriel Mistral

The Centro Cultural Gabriel Mistral (Gabriel Mistral Cultural Center) is named for the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in literature. Much like the life and legacy of this ground-breaking woman who gained notoriety using a pseudonym, Gabriel Mistral’s namesake cultural center (free, open daily) hosts an eclectic and adventurous mix of performance art, dance, music, theater, group events, and gallery exhibits. Allow at least half an hour.

Centro Cultural la Moneda

The Centro Cultural la Moneda, located in the city’s Centro Historico under the Presidential Palace which is also called La Moneda,  turned out to be one of our favorite cultural stops in Santiago. This massive multi-use space has something for everyone, including chic cafes and very stylish shops, plus galleries with rotating shows, and an interactive room for kids. Work on display runs the gamut too. When we visited, we saw a very large exhibit of landscapes by William Turner in one gallery and the awesome primitive and portrait work of Uruguayan/Spanish artist Joaquin Torres Garcia in another (mostly free, shops and restaurants open daily, exhibition spaces closed Mondays). Allow at least an hour.

Museo Violeta Parra

Musician and visual artist Violeta Parra was the first Latin woman to have a show at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Museo Violeta Parra in the Lastarria area of Santiago (timed visits by prior reservation) is a small and immersive space that rings with recordings of her music (played through speakers in tree trunks), including her composition “Gracias a la Vida” which was subsequently recorded by Mercedes Sosa and Joan Baez. The Violeta Parra Museum also exhibits her visual art, including wirework, masks, and the poster she embroidered for her Louvre show in 1964. Allow at least an hour.

Museo Artequin

In 1986, the ornate iron, zinc, and glass building that was constructed as the Chile Pavilion for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris was moved to this site in the Quinta Normal area of Santiago and converted into the Museo Artequin (closed Mondays). The concept was simple: give kids and young people tools to appreciate Western art and explore their own artistic talents. This museum achieves those goals with many interactive programs, classes, and hands-on elements. This museum is located on the edge of the city’s Parque Quintal Normal (Quintal Normal Park) which is another family-friendly destination in Santiago with ponds, paddleboats, dancing fountains, an outdoor train museum, and lots of pathways for strolling. Allow at least an hour.

Outdoor activities in Santiago, Chile

Speaking of parks, Santiago is a very green city with many urban parks (many with playgrounds for kids) and leafy neighborhoods to explore on foot. Walking is also the best way to admire the 19th-century neoclassical, Art Deco, and Gothic Revival architecture of many buildings in the city. The Mapocho River flows (and sometimes rages) through the city, adding to the outdoorsy feeling. Here are some outdoor activities in Santiago.

San Cristobal Hill

To reach the top of San Cristobal Hill (aka El Cerro), take the Funicular de Santiago up 1,591 feet (485 metres) from the Bellavista neighborhood. At the top, enjoy views across the city, pop into a small chapel where Pope John Paul II prayed, and visit the 72-foot (22-meter) tall statue of the Virgin Mary installed up there. Then descend down the other side of the hill via teleferico. You can also walk, run, or bike up and down 985 feet (300 meters) from the city streets below as many locals do, especially on weekends.

Valle Nevado

The Valle Nevado ski area, just 28 miles (46 km) from Santiago, offers 34 runs for skiing and snowboarding, restaurants, shops, and gear rental. During spring and summer months, visitors to this Andean playground at 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) can enjoy hiking and biking trails and visit the Bajo Zero attraction where snow is produced year-round.

Sky Costanera

This isn’t an outdoor activity, per se, however, a visit to the observation decks that were built as part of the tallest building in South America is the best way to look out over the city of Santiago and get your bearings. Completed in 2012, the Sky Costanera building, in the Providencia neighborhood, rises to 984 feet (300 meters). The skyscraper has observation decks on the 61st and 62nd floors (18,000 CLP / about US$20 per adult). Superfast elevators whiz visitors to the observation decks (be ready for your ears to pop) where you’ll find clean floor-to-ceiling windows, a mesmerizing 360 degree view of the city (check for clear weather before visiting), Wi-Fi (to encourage sending real-time social media updates), information about visible landmarks in English as well as Spanish, a cafe, and bathrooms. The last elevator up goes at 9 pm and the observation decks close at 11 pm. Visitors enter the observation decks through airport-style security and everyone exits through the gift shop.

Mercado Central de Santiago

Chile has around 4,000 miles (6,435 km) of coastline and is famous for the fish and seafood pulled from its bountiful waters. The best of the best is on display daily within the sprawling Mercado Central de Santiago (Central Market of Santiago), which was opened in 1872 in the Centro Histórico of the city. Vendors artfully present the catch of the day gathered by fishermen around the country, including whole fish, oysters, urchins, shrimp, crustaceans, and much more. Nearby market restaurants serve up high-quality fish and seafood meals at fair prices. In fact, much of the historic market is now filled with restaurants. Directly across the river, the Mercado Tirso de Molina is a more typical market downstairs and the upstairs level is filled with affordable foodstalls, many focusing on fresh seafood.

Our next post will reveal top activities and day trips around Santiago. So stay tuned!

 

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