Why Santiago?
- I had a great experience during my first visit in 2015.
- There was a reasonable fare (around $800) to fly from California to Santiago for a weekend.
- I wanted to explore other neighborhoods and perhaps get a glimpse to daily life.
My main base for the weekend was in Providencia, which is a nice part of town just in between the super-rich districts of Las Condes and Vitacura, and then upper-middle class Ñuñoa. It’s central enough to go virtually anywhere, including the airport, which is just a quick ride on the expressway.
Day 1: Barrio Italia and Bellavista
Arriving at Santiago’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez Airport was a bit insane. The lines for passport control were literally out of control. The good thing was that the immigration staff were moving people to the Chilean citizen lines whenever there was room, so it took (just) an hour. I had already booked a shared van online with TransVip, which cost 7,600 CLP online (vs. 8,200 CLP in person, which is about US$1), so I paid at the counter at the airport, and headed to the boarding area to board my van. In about 25 minutes or so, I was at my hotel.
After checking in, I quickly headed for Barrio Italia, which is the artsy part of Santiago, well-known for its antique and furniture stores, as well as cafes. What was bizarre was there was virtually no traffic on the streets. Then I quickly realized it must be a public holiday – Reformation Day. That said, there were still some stores open, so I walked around and checked out some of the design stores, as well as the antique shops nearby.
From there I walked over to Bellavista, a popular hangout with bars and restaurants, with Patio Bellavista being the major destination, but looks like any other restaurant or bar you’d find elsewhere. The surrounding area (with exception to Pio Nono, which is the main street in Bellavista) is filled with places – except most of them are closed.
In the evening, I ended up at Boragó for dinner. It’s one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. I had a 16-course dinner with non-alcoholic pairing. The drink was actually an infusion of Patagonian blackberry with black tea, which was yum. Dinner was good, but I remember the presentation as opposed to the taste. The final bill was 93.300 CLP ($146), inclusive of tip.
Day 2: From City Center to Vitacura
Started the day with some Taiwanese chicken at ULA (Union Latina Americana). It was definitely where the locals shop, with clothing and all kinds of knickknacks for sale. It’s quite nice to watch local life in action. Nearby a new Chinese-owned plaza opened with lion dancers and such to celebrate the occasion. I did notice some of these stores were Chinese-owned.
From ULA, it was a short walk to the Barrio Paris-Londres, which is an area built in the 1920s reminiscent of the Latin Quarter of Paris. This area also has a bit of sad history, in which one of the buildings here was used as a jail and people were tortured here during the Pinochet regime.
I backtracked a bit and walked by the La Moneda Palace (Presidential Palace), so I could take the metro to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. The exhibits were very moving, especially the wall of photos of the victims in the center of the building.
After the museum, I needed to take things light for a bit, so after taking a bit of a rest at Quinta Normal Park just across from the museum, along with the National Museum of Natural History, I headed for Confiteria Torres in city center for some sweets. This is one of the oldest cafes in Santiago, opened in 1879.
I then walked some more in city center, I somehow ended up in Vitacura, which is in itself a very different world.
It was time for dinner again. I booked Ambrosia Bistro, which is just around the corner from my hotel in Providencia. I was lucky enough to be seated at the counter, and watched Chilean star chef Carolina Bazán put the finishing touches on my meal. She told me she was learning Asian ingredients, so the meal was basically Chilean with Asian influences.
I am just going to say the meal was simply amazing. It was much better than the meal from the night before. Cost was 39.930 CLP ($62) with tip.
After dinner I had to take a walk, and then ended up at Sky Costanera, at the 60th floor of Costanera Center, which is the tallest building in Latin America. What a wonderful evening.
Day 3: La Moneda Palace, more Bellavista, and the Parque Bicentenario
Didn’t sleep well because of the noise from the air conditioning…
It’s Sunday and most places are closed, so I figured I would go for a walk, and “ran” into the end of a marathon event.
I walked towards the front of La Moneda Palace, and then saw the changing of the guard.
Further walking took me to Plaza de Armas, where the Procession of Señor de los Milagros was taking place.
I walked through Bellavista, with colorful buildings. It was very quiet, and not many folks on the street. I found a place and had some lunch.
I took the metro over to El Golf in Las Condes, and then walked through Parque Arauco Mall before heading over to Parque Bicentenario (Bicentennial Park). The park is huge and has a wonderful view of the buildings in Providencia, including Costanera Center.
After all that walking, it was time to take my Uber back to the airport. The way home wasn’t all that easy, as my plane was delayed for three hours before takeoff due to a mechanical issue. Well, we finally took off as you can see.
Time for bed.
Practical Information
Airport Transportation: Booking in advance will just save you a little bit of money, but it’s always good to know you have a reservation. I booked with TransVip.
City Transportation: Once you’re in town, you can choose to walk in Providencia to Bellavista, or take the Metro, which is very convenient. Buy a Bip! Card to save the hassle of buying tickets each time.