Why Santiago?
The now famous “STGO” (Santiago) sign in Plaza de Armas
Although this denomination has been completely forgotten, and rather we can see that our capital is growing with different events, festivals, carnivals, it is true that Santiago continues to face many challenges ahead. One of them is positioning itself as a destination of global interest, as it is still considered a city where visitors only come for a couple of days and then embark on their way to other destinations such as Torres del Paine or San Pedro de Atacama.
And rightly so, both destinations are impressive spaces of nature and a culture completely different from that of the average city dweller, but why not dedicate ourselves to creating our own culture in our city? Why do people (myself included) travel to cities like New York, Paris, or Buenos Aires and spend 5, 6, or sometimes 7 or more days in these destinations? Does Santiago not have the merits to be a city that is enjoyed from end to end, living different experiences every day?
Next, we will present you with the main merits that we believe Santiago has to be a world-class destination.
1.- A perfect blend of city and nature:
If there is something that characterizes us in Chile, it is that we are a long and narrow country. Our more than 4,500 kilometers of territory contrast with just 180 kilometers (at its widest point) that separate the mountains from the sea, and in Santiago, we can make great use of this.
Just 45 minutes from downtown, we have ski centers that, especially in these winter months, are the perfect attraction to enjoy the surrounding mountains. Centers like El Colorado, Portillo, or Valle Nevado are just some of the ski areas to take advantage of for a morning of adventure and adrenaline.
If skiing is not your thing but you still love nature, Santiago has an extensive network of parks that provide the perfect dose of outdoor activities just minutes from the city. Places like Cerro Manquehue, La Quebrada de Macul, Parque Natural Aguas de Ramon, and of course, Cerro San Cristobal (along with Cerros La Pirámide and Carbón) are some of the options to enjoy a day of trekking and appreciate the heights of our city in connection with our local flora and fauna.
The stunning Cordillera de los Andes. Place for many ski fields.
2. Culture at every corner
Santiago is growing impressively around spaces to enjoy local culture. In this regard, different museums, art galleries, and theaters are some of the options available that you can definitely add to your visit to our city.
The National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Historical Museum, and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art are the three options you cannot miss for any reason. Entry is free at the first two museums, while for the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the entrance fee is approximately $10,000 Chilean pesos (USD$10). In addition to museums, there are spaces where you can enjoy music and entertainment. The Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center is perhaps one of the most recognized spaces today for showcasing various national works, as well as exhibitions of local art and crafts.
Another space close to the city center is La Moneda Palace Cultural Center, located just below the Presidential Palace of our country. Here you will find a variety of national and international art spaces, as well as places to relax such as cafes and artisan souvenir shops, which will certainly be the best memory of your visit to Santiago. We can also highlight Matucana 100, in the western sector of the city, where various exhibitions of dance, contemporary dance, music, and outdoor activities are celebrated, which are also part of the historic Yungay neighborhood, one of the most important heritage areas of the city.
3. Historic neighborhoods
Continuing with the previous point, Santiago still retains spaces among its streets that evoke the history and beginnings of the growth of our capital. In this sense, we recommend visiting the Yungay and Concha y Toro neighborhoods. Both are witnesses to the majestic past that our country experienced in the early 20th century, where the coal mining industry, and later saltpeter, helped various families create fortunes that were transformed into different spaces that can still be visited today.
In this sense, the Yungay neighborhood stands out for its historic "cités", which although were designed for the working population of our country, in this sector you can find units that stand out for being beautiful passages surrounded by European-style buildings full of unique details in their architecture.
We highlight visiting the Adriana Cousiño Passage, in addition to Yungay Square, where you can see the neighborhood life of this sector. In the Concha y Toro neighborhood, we can see a distribution of historic houses that will transport you to the "Belle Epoque" of Paris. And in this same vein, the Paris-Londres neighborhood, in the city center, is a space full of tradition and history. Visit the imposing San Francisco Church, the oldest in the city, in addition to the history and memory space of Londres 38, enjoy an exquisite croissant at "Pan de Villa", or visit this neighborhood at night to enjoy an exquisite signature cocktail at Londres 45 bistro bar, one of the new spaces to enjoy the "Happy Hour" in Santiago
The tower clock of the San Francisco church, Barrio Paris Londres
The nightlife of Londres 45 Bistro Bar
4. A fascinating nightlife:
This is probably one of the most pivotal points to say that Santiago deserves to be known, and you should take the time to do so. Year after year, spaces, neighborhoods, or sectors begin to have a nightlife full of alternatives for you to enjoy a good time. We start by recommending the Barrio Italia sector. This space has become the new "SoHo" of the capital in the last 10 years. With a wide selection of bars, restaurants, and spaces for design, clothing, and local trends.
In this sense, we recommend that you visit "Galpón Italia", a beautiful space that stands out for its various signature drinks, as well as a menu that features exquisite burgers, sandwiches, and even a menu for dogs, making it a "dog-friendly" space for any visitor.
The vibes at “Galpon Italia”.
Another historic space in this neighborhood is the famous "Bar de René". Although this space does not stand out for an eccentric menu of drinks or food, it is the temple of all rockers in our city and has opened up to showcase the "under" culture of Santiago.
Among the clubs that you must visit in Santiago, we highlight 2 places that are full of history and good music. The first is "El Túnel", an old cabaret from the 1960s that is currently the temple of Funk and Rap in Santiago. It is a discotheque located in the basement of a complex of historical apartments in the Bellas Artes sector and stands out for its eccentric red leather seats, its dance floor with lights, similar to that of the movie "Saturday Night Fever", and its pole dance poles, which undoubtedly make you lose your inhibitions when dancing.
The funk vibes of “El Tunel”.
We leave the best recommendation of all for the end, "Blondie" is the Mecca of Santiago's entertainment scene. Here you will experience the best of our country's and foreign pop scene. This old theater is divided into different spaces where you can enjoy styles like Brit Pop, Techno, Industrial, or, if you're lucky, live artists from the national scene. This space is completely friendly to the LGBTQ+ community and is one of the MUSTS of our city.
“Blondie”, the temple of Santiago’s nightlife.
5. First-class gastronomy:
It is true, Chile is on a path of renewal of its gastronomy and until today it is difficult to define our traditional cuisine, unlike Peru and Argentina which have a completely defined and identified gastronomic identity.
However, in Chile, we are not lagging behind, and Santiago is by far the best exponent of the new national gastronomic scene. We highlight the Boragó restaurant, chosen in 2024 as the best restaurant in Chile and one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. In this restaurant, you will experience a journey through the various regions of our country, in a 7-course menu that highlights sustainable and organic ingredients presented in a detailed and harmonious manner for an unprecedented experience.
Another great restaurant that is making a space in the national gastronomic scene is Pulpería Santa Elvira (of which we are an associated tour operator). This gastronomic gem came to break the mold of national cuisine, starting with its location, Barrio Matta Sur, in downtown Santiago, an unexpected space for a restaurant of this level, since most of these places are in the eastern sector of the city.
This restaurant was last year awarded as the top 70 best restaurant in Latin America and its currently standing out as one of the best restaurants in Chile.
As if this were not enough, its cuisine is even more surprising. The principle of Javier Avilés, owner and head chef of this place, is to promote national ingredients, such as digüeñes mushrooms, local fish, and even local berries like "murta", to offer a 3-course menu where you can choose journeys by land or sea.
All this, within a historic family house in Barrio Matta, where from the outside you will not see that this place is a restaurant, for this reason, the experience is of a dinner "behind closed doors", which is by far the best way to enjoy these delicate and exclusive preparations.
The charming vibe of “Pulpería Santa Elvira”.
Fascinating preparations like this Mushroom ice cream.
While we have presented you with a small part of what you can do in Santiago, the reasons to continue enjoying and staying here are many more. We invite you to experience Santiago with us! Request a quote from our sales team or contact us directly through our sales channels.
