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Santiago Map: The Attractions

Santa Lucia Hill

Metropolitan Cathedral

Mercado Central de Santiago

Former National Congress Building

La Moneda Cultural Center

San Cristóbal Hill

Museum of Memory and Human Rights

Presidential Palace of Chile

San Francisco Church

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Map of Santiago — Best attractions, restaurants, and transportation info

What’s on this map.

We’ve made the ultimate tourist map of Santiago, Chile for travelers! Check out Santiago’s top things to do, attractions, restaurants, and major transportation hubs all in one interactive map.

Visiting Santiago? See our Santiago Trip Planner.

How to use the map

Use this interactive map to plan your trip before and while in Santiago. Learn about each place by clicking it on the map or read more in the article below. Here’s more ways to perfect your trip using our Santiago map:

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Top 20 attractions in Santiago

San cristóbal hill, chilean museum of pre-columbian art.

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Museum of Memory and Human Rights

La chascona, plaza de armas of santiago de chile.

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Metropolitan cathedral of santiago de chile, la moneda palace, gabriela mistral cultural centre, sky costanera, patio bellavista, costanera center, mirador interactive museum, viña aquitania, bicentenario park.

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18 Best Things to Do in Santiago de Chile

Set in a spellbinding spot amidst the Andes, sophisticated Santiago is both Chile’s capital and its largest city. Most people’s first point of entry to the long, narrow South American country, it has a lot of tourist attractions with ski resorts, wineries and even the glittering Pacific nearby.

Since being founded by the Spanish in 1541, Santiago de Chile (as it is sometimes known) has slowly grown into one of the largest metropolises in the Americas. While some districts are home to old colonial and neoclassical buildings, other happening neighborhoods, like Barrio Bellavista and Lastarria, have a lively bohemian vibe and are coated in cool street art.

Punctuating the huge city are several stand-alone hills such as San Cristobal and Santa Lucia; both of which boast epic views over the capital’s skyline and surrounding snow-topped mountains.

While the Andes and artsy Valparaiso lie enticingly near, it is well worth exploring the best things to do in Santiago de Chile for at least a couple of days before heading off to explore far-flung destinations.

Map of Things to Do in Santiago de Chile

18. Bahá’í Temple

Lying on the eastern outskirts of the capital amidst the Andes foothills is one of its most unique and interesting buildings: the beautiful Bahá’í Temple. Thanks to its serene and secluded setting, its holy House of Worship is the perfect place for quiet reflection while taking in the astounding views and architecture.

Open to those of all faiths, beliefs and backgrounds, it was erected in 2016; the last of eight temples commissioned by the Bahá’í community on each continent. Designed by award-winning Canadian architect Siamak Hariri, its lovely light-filled interior is surrounded by nine translucent marble and cast glass ‘sails’ that arch their way gracefully around the outside.

Aside from sitting, reflecting and taking in the temple’s stunning shapes and swirls, visitors can also amble around the site’s gorgeous gardens and reflective pools. From here, you can gaze out over the majestic mountains and twinkling lights of the city far below.

17. Fantasilandia

Loads of fun for all the family, Fantasilandia’s exciting rides and rollercoasters have been delighting young and old alike for well over forty years. The largest amusement park in Santiago, its sprawling grounds are located in the city center, in the northwest corner of O’Higgins Park.

Since first opening to the public in 1978, the family-friendly theme park has grown with more than forty exhilarating attractions now offered. These include firm favourites like the thrilling Raptor and Boomerang rollercoasters and much calmer carousels, swings and circus trains for kids.

Various carnival games and wild and wet water rides are also scattered about as are plenty of stands and stalls where you can buy snacks and souvenirs.

16. Araucano Park

Yet another pretty and peaceful place to spend time is the expansive Araucano Park in the Las Condes part of town. Overlooked by gleaming high-rises, it contains countless playgrounds and playing fields with top-class concerts and cultural events often taking place here.

Set alongside the large and luxurious Parque Arauco Mall, the picturesque park was founded in the sixties as part of an urban renewal project. Amidst its lush green lawns and sweet-smelling rose gardens, you can now find everything from arresting public artworks to extreme sports areas. Little hiking trails and paths also lead you to well-maintained basketball, tennis and volleyball courts.

On top of all the festivals and community events it hosts during the year, there is also the exciting KidZania entertainment center for younger ones to enjoy. Bordering the park are numerous cafes and restaurants should you want a snack or drink before continuing with your sightseeing.

15. Go Skiing at El Colorado

If you’re looking to get out of the city and shoot down soft, powdery slopes, then El Colorado amidst the Andes mountains is one of the best things to do in Santiago de Chile. Situated around an hour and a half’s drive northeast of Santiago, the ski resort has over a hundred runs for all ages and abilities to enjoy.

Perched atop the prominent hill of the same name, its scenic ski center was established in the forties with generations enjoying its spectacular views and slopes since then. At times, its pistes take you up to an altitude of 3,333 meters with the popular resort boasting a total drop of 900 meters.

After skiing and snowboarding to your heart’s content, you can stay overnight in its comfy lodges or condos and try some of its superb restaurants that offer spellbinding views over the Andes.

14. Barrio Lastarria

For even more great dining and drinking, make sure to head to the bohemian Barrio Lastarria at the bottom of Cerro Santa Lucia. A lively yet laidback area, its art-filled streets are lined by unique boutiques, bookshops and bars with cool restaurants and cultural centers also dotted here and there.

Now one of the most popular spots to explore in the city, the historic district and its narrow, winding streets date to the early nineteenth century. Most of life in the trendy neighborhood revolves around Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro with the 1852 Iglesia de la Veracruz counted among its main tourist attractions.

Other than enjoying the ambience and snapping pics of the amazing graffiti and architecture, you can try out some of its hip bars and restaurants. There are also some outstanding museums and performing arts venues to stop by while an excellent little arts and crafts market is held on Sundays.

13. Parque Bicentenario

Just a bit further north of the barrio is the phenomenal Parque Bicentenario which lies alongside the Mapocho River in the affluent and fashionable district of Vitacura. Inaugurated in 2007, it has loads of pristine paths and green spaces to stroll while drinking in divine views of the city’s skyline and the snow-topped mountains in the distance.

Unveiled in time for Chile’s bicentennial, its lovingly landscaped grounds contain a large man-made lagoon and long boardwalks down by the river. Besides wandering about and keeping an eye out for swans, flamingos and other waterfowl, you can lounge on its lawns or bike along its tranquil trails.

In addition to a handful of little kiosks, the famous Mestizo restaurant at its northern end also serves delicious Chilean snacks, dishes and drinks. Fabulous film festivals and cultural events are also regularly held in the expansive park.

12. Visit a Winery

As the country is renowned for its wonderful whites, reds and roses, you simply can’t visit Santiago without stopping by at least one or two of its world-famous wineries. In the fertile plains to the west of the capital, you can take terrific tours and tastings at countless estates and vineyards with striking scenery and nature guaranteed.

Thanks to favorable conditions such as its arid climate and warm, sunny weather, grapes have been grown all around Chile since at least the sixteenth century. From downtown, you can reach the vast Maipo and Casablanca valleys, two of its main wine-growing regions, in less than an hour’s drive.

Here you’ll learn more about the rich history, culture and heritage of cultivating vines in the country before sampling some superb Sauvignons, Chardonnays and Pinot noirs yourself. Among the oldest and most highly-rated wineries are those of Cousino Macul and Concha y Toro; both of which have been operating since the 1800s.

11. Plaza de Armas

The heart and soul of life in town, Plaza de Armas is lined by many of its most important buildings with impressive monuments also dotting the shady square. Popular with both locals and tourists alike, it hums with energy at any time of day as street performers, free walking tour groups and interested onlookers all congregate here.

Remarkably enough, the palm tree-studded plaza has remained the epicenter of Santiago ever since it was founded in 1541. While the magnificent Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral dominates one side, stately buildings such as the Central Post Office and Royal Courthouse also look out over the plaza. Amongst its many landmarks are the fantastic Freedom of Latin America sculpture and indigenous peoples monument.

Aside from taking in its lively atmosphere and snapping some photos of its exquisite architecture, visitors can watch people play heated games of chess or stop by the National History Museum.

10. La Moneda

La Moneda, also known “Coin Palace” because it used to be a mint, is where the president of Chile has his offices. Several other key government officials also have offices in the neoclassical structure that takes up a whole block in downtown Santiago.

The building’s days as a mint ended in 1828 and it became the Chilean seat of government in 1845. It was bombed during the coup that put Pinochet in power in 1973 but has since been restored.

A changing of the guard ceremony takes place every two days, with the days depending on the month.

9. Museum of Memory and Human Rights

Chile’s record of human rights hasn’t always been stellar, hence the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Only open for a few years, the museum is a memorial to Chileans who had their rights violated during the Pinochet regime (1973 – 1990).

In perhaps an ironic twist, Chile’s then-President Michelle Bachelet, a victim of Pinochet’s torture, laid the museum’s first stone in 2008. The museum houses torture devices used by Pinochet forces, prisoner letters to family members and survivors’ statements.

At the entrance you’ll find the last poem of Victor Jara inscribed at the entrance. The poet was an early victim of Pinochet’s regime.

8. Sky Costanera

The Sky Costanera towers over Santiago and is so high it can be seen from just about anywhere in the city. At 64 stories high, it is the largest skyscraper in Latin America and the highest occupied floor in the Southern Hemisphere.

It’s 300 meters (984 feet) high and has six basements. Officially known as Costanera Center Torre 2, it’s part of the center’s complex that includes the largest shopping mall in South America. About a quarter-million people a day come here. You’ll find an observation deck on the upper floors that provides 360-degree views of Santiago.

7. Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

One of the top attractions in Santiago, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is packed with incredible artefacts and artworks from all around Central and South America. One of the city’s most important cultural institutes, its extensive collection occupies an elegant old palace, just off Plaza de Armas.

Established in 1981, its 3,000 or so masks, carvings, sculptures and ceramic pieces represent almost a hundred different groups from every corner of Latin America. Delightfully presented, they cover roughly 10,000 years of art history with marvelous Mayan bas-reliefs on display next to intricately-knotted Incan quipu and painted cloths from the pre-Columbian Chavin culture.

Accompanied by informative texts, its musty old mummies and elaborate little copper figures make for amazing viewing with many regarding it as one of the best museums on the continent.

6. Cerro Santa Lucia

Just a short stroll to the southeast of the square is another of the capital’s must-see sights: the scenic Cerro Santa Lucia. From atop the lovely little hill and its leafy park, you’ll enjoy sweeping views over the city and snowy mountains far off on the horizon.

Actually all that now remains of an ancient volcano, the 629-meter-high hill is thought to have been formed around fifteen million years ago. Initially used by missionaries as a place of worship, it later housed two forts and was where Pedro de Valdivia declared the founding of Santiago in 1541.

Nowadays, ornate stone stairways lined by fine fountains and terraces snake their way up the side of the steep hill to the breathtaking viewpoint at the top. As well as a statue of the famous conquistador and first royal governor of Chile, there is also an attractive old hermitage to check out alongside the refined Neptune Fountain.

5. Mercado Central

While the Mercado Central sells other food, the seafood is the main reason you go there. Here, you’ll find a variety of seafood fresh from Chile’s long coastline: fish, oysters, mussels, scallops, clams and a whole lot more.

If you’d rather eat seafood than shop for it, the market has plenty of restaurants. Mercado Central is Santiago landmark that’s been in business since 1872.

It’s housed in a sprawling building accented by wrought iron – even the roof is made from wrought iron. Mercado Central can be found close to Plaza de Armas in central Santiago.

4. La Chascona

Noted Chilean poet and Nobel literature prize winner Pablo Neruda had three houses, of which La Chascona is one – the others are in Valparaiso and Isla Negra.

Neruda had a quirky personality that is reflected in this house. Even the name, La Chascona, comes from his mistress’s messy curly red hair.

The ship-shaped house is a magnet for tourists who come to see the kitchen, which resembles a ship’s cabin, and the living room, which takes after a lighthouse. (Neruda loved the sea.) There’s also a fairy tale garden in the back.

3. Barrio Bellavista

Barrio Bellavista is where it’s all happenin’, baby. This Santiago neighborhood is the city’s bohemian quarter, a place where artists and intellectuals live, work and play.

It’s most famous resident was, and still is, Pablo Neruda whose house, La Chascona, is one of the top attractions in Santiago. It’s the hippest place in town, with restaurants, funky boutiques and avant-garde galleries.

You can dance the night away after dark in one of its many discos. Colorful old houses abound on the barrio’s tree-lined streets. Weekend evenings feature a crafts market, with art made from the semi-precious lapis lazuli a popular buy.

2. Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral

Where earlier cathedrals in Santiago have been destroyed by earthquakes, the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral has stood on the Plaza de Armas for more than 260 years.

Construction first began in 1748 and the cathedral has dominated the square ever since. The stone neoclassical cathedral is considered one of the best examples of religious architecture in South America.

One of the towers holds the remains of Chile’s first cardinal. The cathedral’s wooden inside doors were carved around 1765. Inside you’ll find a richly decorated altar and the Museum of Sacred Art. The massive, decorated naves add to the aura of inspiration.

1. Cerro San Cristobal

For the best views imaginable of Santiago, make sure to head to the very top of Cerro San Cristobal on the north side of the city. While it is rightfully renowned for its phenomenal panoramas, the huge hill is also home to the Chilean National Zoo, a Japanese friendship garden and much, much more.

Towering above the hugely popular Barrio Bellavista far below, the lofty landmark rises 880 meters in height with both scenic funiculars and cable cars whisking you up to its summit. Besides basking in awe-inspiring vistas of the Andes, you can take photos of its striking Statue of the Virgin Mary and visit its adjoining little sanctuary.

The iconic mount also encompasses the massive Metropolitan Park which has loads of lovely nature trails to hike and mountain bike. With flower-filled botanical gardens on offer alongside exciting animal exhibits, it is no wonder the Cerro is one of the capital’s main spots to head amongst locals and tourists alike.

Best Time to Visit Santiago

Lying in the Maipo River valley surrounded by scenic snow-capped mountains, Santiago has a lovely Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. While these seasons are popular times to visit, spring and autumn are cheaper, quieter and have either bright blooming flowers or glittering golden foliage to enjoy.

During the summer months – so December to February – temperatures average 25 to 26°C (77 to 79°F); perfect for exploring its colonial center. In addition to all the Chileans on holiday, Europeans also head here so the hotels and restaurants are very busy. Besides Christmas, the International Book Fair, Santiago a Mil Theatre Festival and jazz festival take place then.

While Lollapalooza in March attracts loads of people, the crowds and temperatures decrease as autumn sets in. This is a fantastic time to tour its vineyards as it is the harvest season.

July and August see a huge spike in visitors despite the temperature dropping to 13 or 14°C (55 to 57°F). While it is a bit wetter and prices are higher, snow in the surrounding mountains means you can ski and snowboard. Its prestigious film festival also goes on then.

Spring, so September to November, is another picturesque time in Santiago when its Fiesta Patrias and Fauna Primavera festivals are held.

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Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery

Surprising, cosmopolitan, energetic, sophisticated and worldly, Santiago is a city of syncopated cultural currents, madhouse parties, expansive museums and top-flight restaurants. No wonder 40% of Chileans call the leafy capital city home.

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Experience the real Santiago. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Centro Gabriela Mistral

This striking cultural and performing-arts center – named for Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in…

Cerro San Cristóbal

The best views over Santiago are from the peaks and viewpoints of the Parque Metropolitano, better known as Cerro San Cristóbal. At 722 hectares, the park…

La Chascona

When poet Pablo Neruda needed a secret hideaway to spend time with his mistress Matilde Urrutia, he built La Chascona (loosely translated as 'Messy Hair')…

Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos

Opened in 2010, this striking museum isn't for the faint of heart: the exhibits expose the terrifying human rights violations and large-scale …

Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

Exquisite pottery from most major pre-Columbian cultures is the backbone of Santiago's best museum, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. As well as…

Museo Ralli

This little-visited museum on a quiet residential street in Vitacura boasts a stunning collection of contemporary Latin American art mixed in with…

Palacio de la Moneda

Chile's presidential offices are in the Palacio de la Moneda. The ornate neoclassical building was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca in the…

Templo Baha'i

This striking shell-shaped temple in the Andean foothills is a tranquil spot to relax – even for those who don't ascribe to the Baha'í faith – with an…

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Santiago Tourist Map

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Santiago   Travel Guide

Santiago Neighborhoods

Santiago is best thought of as a collection of distinctive barrios , each with its own personality. While there are 32 of them vying for your attention, the city's most popular attractions pepper the districts skirting the Mapocho River. The capital’s main corridor, Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins (or "La Alameda"), winds through Santiago's central district and forms an east-west channel through downtown, making a great reference point for first-time visitors. Beneath it lies the city’s main metro line, No. 1, which leads to many notable landmarks, like San Francisco Church and the striking Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center (GAM). More affluent areas lie to the northeast of the city center – including Las Condes and Vitacura – which are worth exploring for their upscale shopping, dining and art scenes.

Yungay and Brasil

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 5 line at the Quinta Normal or Cumming stations or No. 1 line at the Unión Latino Americana and República stations.

Buzzing with activity at all hours, these two neighborhoods on the north side of La Alameda – to the west of Santiago's historic center – attract visitors with their well-priced cafes, well-conserved neoclassical and baroque architecture, vibrant street art and affordable accommodations. Students tend to congregate here, especially on the weekends. During your visit to Yungay, check out the many moving museums, including Museum of Memory and Human Rights. And while you're in Brasil, explore the tiny Concha y Toro district, a heritage-rich area known for its cobbled streets.

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 3 and 5 lines at Plaza de Armas station.

Santiago's historic center is brimming with political sights and notable landmarks, making it an excellent jumping-off point for first-time visitors. This neighborhood is anchored by the lively Plaza de Armas, around which you'll find museums (like the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art), government buildings, religious institutions (such as the Metropolitan Cathedral) and shopping areas. Once you've taken in the Plaza de Armas, head southwest to La Moneda Palace. Then, continue south past La Alameda to the quaint París-Londres neighborhood – located at the intersection of París and Londres streets – which charms visitors with its cobbled alleys and tranquil gardens. You'll also want to venture north of the Plaza de Armas to check out the bustling Central Market.

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 1 line at Universidad Católica station.

Head east of the Plaza de Armas to reach Lastarria, a popular stop for those seeking optimal photo-ops. The main attractions here are GAM (which hosts theater, dance and art exhibitions), and Santa Lucía Hill, a hilltop park with panoramic views of downtown. Another selling point: the galleries, bookstores, bars and restaurants, which give the compact neighborhood its lively, artsy vibe.

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 1 and 5 lines at Baquedano and Bellas Artes stations.

Bellavista is a youthful, bohemian district situated just north of Lastarria. It boasts several theaters and cultural institutions (including La Chascona Museum House) but is best known for its nightclubs and vibrant gay scene (centered around Bombero Nuñez street). Pío Nono is the barrio’s main drag, though the parallel street Constitución has better bars and restaurants. In between, Patio Bellavista offers a cluster of vibrant eateries and boutiques. Visiting by day? Be sure to ride the funicular to the top of San Cristóbal Hill for incredible vistas.

Providencia

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 1, 4, 5 and 6 lines at Santa Isabel, Parque Bustamante, Salvador, Manuel Montt, Pedro de Valdivia, Los Leones and Tobalaba stations.

A lively middle-class neighborhood located east of Santiago's city center and southwest of Las Condes and Vitacura, Providencia draws foodies looking for a memorable meal at a trendy restaurant or drinks from a local bar. Known for its European ambiance, especially in the Italia district, this barrio beckons visitors who want a safe upscale place to stay and easy access to top city attractions, including the Costanera Center, which is home to a variety of shops and Sky Costanera.

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 lines at Ñuble, Irarrázaval, Monseñor Eyzaguirre, Ñuñoa, Chile-España, Villa Frei, Plaza Egaña, Simón Bolivar, Principe de Gales and Estadio Nacional stations.

South of Providencia, this laid-back and mostly residential neighborhood features several live music venues and dining establishments, most of which can be found around Plaza Ñuñoa in the heart of the district. Ñuñoa is also where you'll find Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Chile's national stadium. The venue hosts both soccer matches and concerts.

Las Condes and Vitacura

Accessible via Santiago Metro's No. 1 and 4 lines at Francisco Bilbao, Cristóbal Colón, Tobalaba, El Golf, Alcántara, Escuela Militar, Manquehue and Los Dominicos stations.

Venture northeast of Providencia to visit Las Condes, an upmarket residential area known for its sleek high-rises, swanky five-star hotels and relaxing Araucano Park. For the best eats in Las Condes, stick to the El Golf district (near Plaza Perú) or the nearby urban market MUT. Head north of Las Condes and you'll find Vitacura, a venerable commercial and culinary destination with gardens and tree-lined avenues. Within Vitacura, you'll discover an array of luxury hotels, boutiques and galleries, plus sprawling Bicentenario Park. For a refined meal in Vitacura, consider one of the dining establishments at BordeRío, which houses a number of restaurants that dish up everything from Italian to Peruvian cuisine.

Santiago is a relatively safe city with few instances of violent crime. However, petty crimes like muggings and carjackings are becoming more common. You should be especially wary of pickpockets, who often target public transportation and well-trafficked tourist spots like the Central Market, Santa Lucía Hill, the Plaza de Armas and San Cristóbal Hill. Also be sure to stay alert if you plan on exploring Bellavista or the Yungay and Brasil neighborhoods after dark, since petty thieves tend to frequent these areas.

Political protests are common in large Chilean cities like Santiago. These demonstrations typically occur with little advance notice and may become unsafe at times. They also tend to cause metro service disruptions, road blocks and even early closures at shops, restaurants and banks. To minimize the impact this may have on your vacation, sign up for the U.S. Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program , monitor local media before and during your trip, avoid demonstrations and contact your airline for updates about potential flight delays, especially if you're also traveling to remote Chilean destinations like Easter Island and Chilean Patagonia. Learn more about how to stay safe in Chile by visiting the State Department's website .

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• Best Time to Visit Santiago
• How To Reach Santiago
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• Santiago Map
• Things To Do in Santiago
• Santiago Itineraries
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City Map of Santiago, Chile

• South America
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Santiago Tourist Map

Visiting Santiago and clueless where to start. Here's something that can help you out. This is an extensive map of attractions in Santiago.

To begin with, this is a detailed interactive tourist map of the Santiago which can be zoomed in for you convenience.

Easing the task of planning a trip to Santiago, this map highlights everything that you need to cover while exploring the city.

This map gives a detailed information of the streets, lanes and neighborhoods of Santiago. You can get information about various public transit systems available in Santiago using special icons.

The binocular icon that you see in the Santiago map are the various attractions and must-visit places to visit Santiago.

You can click on the icon to obtain a detailed address of the tourist attraction you want to visit.

Use Santiago map of attractions as you plan your journey to Santiago and rest assured, you'll have a great trip!

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Know santiago.

Santiago  is the main city in the Metropolitan Region. Over 6 million people live there, making it one of the most modern cities in America.

Its architecture combines historical and modern times. Santiago is also the country´s capital and it has the best urban infrastructure in the Chile.

Besides, it has beautiful landscapes surrounding it and many attractions for tourists.

Founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago is the oldest city in Chile.

Its first inhabitants were the Picunches, and the city has been reconstructed because of several earthquakes that have struck in 1647, 1657, 1688, 1730 and 1985.

It´s the Chilean Capital since 1810 and was the scenary of the 1973 Military Coup, where the former president Salvador Allende died.

Información del Destino:

• Balneario Algarrobo - 95 km Balneario Rocas de Santo Domingo - 91 km Barrio Cívico de Santiago - 4 km Cajón del Maipo - 31 km Casa de Neruda - 96 km Casa de Pablo Neruda 'La Chascona' - 7 km Centro de Esqui Chapa Verde - 65 km Centro de Esquí EL Colorado - 38 km Centro de Esqui La Parva - 39 km Centro de Esqui Lagunillas - 50 km Centro de Esqui Portillo - 87 km Centro de Esqui Valle Nevado - 41 km Cerro Santa Lucia - 5 km El Ingenio - 46 km Embalse el Yeso - 56 km Farellones - 34 km Isla Negra y San Antonio - 89 km Laguna de Aculeo - 46 km Laguna El Peral - 88 km Laguna Sausalito - 98 km Los Andes y Portillo - 78 km Palacio Cousiño - 4 km Palacio de La Moneda - 5 km Parque Forestal - 6 km Parque Laguna Caren - 19 km Parque Nacional La Campana - 73 km Parque Nacional La Campana y Olmué - 72 km
• Playa Larga Santo Domingo - 93 km Plaza de Armas - 6 km Pomaire y Valle del Maipo - 37 km Rancagua y Valle de Cachapoal - 74 km Reserva Forestal Lago Peñuelas - 88 km Reserva Nacional Río Clarillo - 34 km Ruta del Vino de Cachapoal - 88 km Ruta del Vino del Valle de Casablanca - 74 km Ruta del Vino Valle del Aconcagua - Viña Errazuriz - 78 km Ruta del Vino Valle del Aconcagua, Viña Mendoza - 82 km Ruta del Vino Valle del Aconcagua, Viña Monasterio - 75 km Ruta del Vino Valle del Aconcagua, Viña San Esteban - 75 km Ruta del Vino Valle del Aconcagua, Viña Sanchez de Loria - 80 km Santiago y Farellones - 16 km Santuario de la Naturaleza Cascada de las Animas - 47 km Termas de Cauquenes - 83 km Termas de Jahuel - 84 km Termas El Corazón - 78 km Valparaíso y Viña del Mar - 99 km Viña Concha y Toro - 16 km Viña Cousiño Macul - 7 km Viña del Mar - 99 km Viña El Sauce - 86 km Viña Portal del Alto - 27 km Viña Santa Rita - 24 km Viña Tarapacá Ex Zavala - 41 km Viña Undurraga - 27 km

Travel Guide

Recommended tour in santiago.

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• Huasco Valley
• San Pedro de Atacama
• Elqui Valley
• Antofagasta
• Limarí – Fray Jorge National Park
• Bahía Inglesa
• Alto El Loa
• La Serena and Coquimbo
• Copiapó Valley
• Tagua Tagua – Almahue Valley
• Alto Colchagua Universidad Glacier 
• Cachapoal Valley
• Portillo Ski Resort
• Pirque and Maipo Valley
• Aconcagua Valley
• Valle Nevado Ski Resort
• El Colorado Ski Resort
• Curicó Valley
• Maule Valley
• San Antonio/Leyda Valley
• Colchagua Valley and Santa Cruz
• Casablanca Valley
• Viña del Mar
• Cajón del Maipo
• Robinson Crusoe Island
• Rancagua and Sewell
• La Parva Ski Resort
• Rano Raraku
• Llanquihue Lake
• Chillan Ski Resort
• Puerto Montt
• Osorno and Puyehue
• Valdivia and Corral
• Pucón and Villarrica
• Panguipulli
• Temuco and Lago Budi
• Arauco Territory
• Puerto Varas
• Chilean Antarctic Destination
• General Carrera Lake
• Tierra del Fuego
• Coyhaique and Puerto Aysén
• Carretera Austral
• Torres del Paine
• Puerto Natales
• Punta Arenas
• Family recreation
• Coastal beaches
• Lakeside Beaches
• Hot Springs
• Spa and relaxation
• Patagonian cruises
• Lake sailing
• International cruises
• Visits to observatories
• Astronomical facilities
• Indigenous Peoples and Ethnotourism
• World Heritage Sites
• Archaeology
• Paleontology
• Poetry and Literature
• Typical gastronomy
• Gastronomy of the world
• Hiking y trekking
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Mountainbike
• Horseback Riding
• Mountain and rock climbing
• Sport fishing
• Kitesurfing and water sports
• Ice walking
• Overland 4×4
• Paragliding and aerial sports
• Wildlife watching
• Landscape photography
• National Parks
• Bird Watching

Santiago captivates with its assorted panoramas and its versatility. The Chilean capital fills with life all those that visit.

Lose yourself in its streets to find original art galleries, innovative design stores and arts & crafts fairs, as well as restaurants, bars and coffee shops. And if you are a night owl, do not miss Barrio Bellavista’s nightlife!

Learn more about Chile in its many museums or visit the Central Market to taste exquisite products of the Chilean cuisine.

If the outdoors is your thing, admire the capital from the surrounding hills to marvel at the views of Santiago.

When shopping, do not miss the elegant Alonso de Córdoba neighborhood and the city’s many modern shopping malls.

Find information on how to get to this destination

Explore the charms Santiago

Discover Cerro San Cristóbal as the locals call it, while walking around the capital city’s largest urban natural area, which is part of the Metropolitan Park. Put on your sneakers and walk, jog or bike up to the top of the San Cristóbal Hill. At the summit you can quench your thirst with a delicious mote con huesillo.

Enjoy a panoramic view of the city, looking out from above and take some snapshots. Visit the Metropolitan Zoo, located up the hill, where you can see many animals from around the world and Chile.

The wide range of food available, theaters, cultural centers, cinemas, bookstores, art galleries, design shops and antique shops, all make this district an oasis for culture.

Walk around this area full of restaurants and enjoy the intense nightlife of its streets and many pubs and bars. Don’t miss the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center (GAM), the Parque Forestal (Forestal Park) and the Fine Arts Museum.

Do you see yourself eating a half-a-kilo empanada? Discover the traditions of Pomaire, a small town close to Santiago. Its “greda” pottery, which is a brown clay, is represented in cups, pots, plates and animal shapes, which are a perfect souvenir to bring back home.

If you want to save for your next trip to Chile, you have to buy one of the typical “greda piggy banks”, that you would then have to break to get the money you’ve saved.

Relax and share a drink with friends in the Bellavista District. Known for its Bohemian history, this is the ideal place to relax and “tirar la talla” ¹. An endless list of restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs await you every night because, Bellavista never sleeps!

During the day you can visit the house-museum, La Chascona, which belonged to the poet laureate Pablo Neruda. You can also visit several local theaters such as San Ginés, Centro Mori and the Bellavista Theater, among many others.

Much of Chile’s history has been written around its Main Square. Lose yourself in its streets to find old buildings, such as the Municipality of Santiago, the Cathedral, the National History Museum, and the Courts of Justice. Or sit and witness the hectic city life on the classic Ahumada Boulevard. The capital’s center offers a wide gastronomic selection.

Elegant restaurants welcome clients passing through the streets, but if you want to recharge your batteries, do not miss the famous “picadas”, full of food.

With its great business offer, enticing and assorted restaurants and entertaining nightlife, Providencia welcomes you to the center of Santiago’s celebrations. Visit the Las Esculturas y Balmaceda parks. Enjoy the bookstores, coffee shops and quaint boutiques in Barrio Italia and Bellavista’s busy nightlife.

Put on your sneakers and challenge your endurance as you climb the San Cristobal Hill and tour Santiago’s Metropolitan Park on foot or by bike. Once at the top take out your camera and capture a beautiful panoramic view of the metropolitan valley!

Enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, check out interesting works of art at a gallery or buy a good book. That is what the Italia District (Barrio Italia) is like; a maze of shops and their windows inviting you to walk along the streets and shop for avant-garde design or special little collectibles.

Lose yourself among the antique shops, restaurants with Chilean food and international gastronomy. Enjoy live music, interior design, lighting and clothing stores, bars and many, many bicycles.

Meet South America’s largest skyscrapers, a sign of the capital’s growth in recent decades, and enjoy the view of Santiago from 300 meters high in the Sky Costanera skyscraper, the highest point in Latin America that offers a 360° panoramic view of the capital!

Have fun with a variety of activities such as art galleries and shopping and taste exquisite dishes in the capital’s most exclusive restaurants. Find boutique shops at Nueva Costanera and Alonso de Córdoba or visit some of the capital’s largest shopping malls.

Bicentenario Park (Parque Bicentenario) is a nature park set on one side of the capital’s financial district, better known as “Sanhattan”. Discover this modern and well-tended park and enjoy walking across its extensive lawns.

Watch the swans and other birds in its two artificial lagoons and have fun in its themed spaces for leisure activities and on walks with family or friends. Bike around the park, jog over the park’s footbridges and setup your picnic for a whole afternoon of relaxation.

Jetsetting Fools

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10 Fantastic Things To Do in Santiago, Chile

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Santiago, the capital of Chile, is a buzzing, densely-packed metropolis sandwiched below the Andes Mountains and not far from the Pacific Ocean. During our week-long stay in the city, we were on a mission to find the best things to do in Santiago, Chile. Not only did we want to see top Santiago, Chile landmarks, but we also wanted to feel the true vibe of the area.

Visiting Santiago, Chile

Is Santiago, Chile worth visiting? Yes! Featuring historic architecture, spacious parks and fascinating neighborhoods, we had no problem filling our days with top Santiago, Chile attractions. We put some miles on our shoes and took a ton of pictures as we navigated our way through Santiago – and beyond. Is Santiago, Chile expensive? Generally, no. We felt it was a good value – most activities are inexpensive and there are also a lot of free things to do in Santiago, Chile.

Best Things To Do in Santiago, Chile

Wondering what to see in Santiago, Chile? Our list of top Santiago, Chile things to do includes our best recommendations for fellow travelers.

For each of the Santiago, Chile tourist attractions, we have included a short snippet of information, as well as some additional advice. At the end of the article, you will find a link to our Santiago tourist map of attractions to help you navigate around the city.

Save, Bookmark or Pin this Santiago Sightseeing Guide to plan your trip to Chile!

#1 Soar To The Top of Cerro San Cristobal

Cerro San Cristobal (or St. Christopher’s Hill) stands on the north side of Centro in the Bellavista neighborhood within the Parque Metropolitano. Promising spectacular views on a sunny, clear day, ascending to the summit ranks as one of the top things to do in Santiago! 

Trekking up Cerro San Cristobal can be done in a few hours, but there is a funicular that transports passengers to the top in just a few minutes. The roundtrip ticket is about $4 USD.

Cristobal Hilltop Views

At the top of Cerro San Cristobal, there are viewing platforms and an enormous statue of the Virgin Mary. The view of the massive, sprawling Santiago city grid is mind-boggling – especially since snow-capped peaks can be seen in nearly every direction. The towering mountains triumph over endless blocks of high-rises and smog. It’s a staggering contrast of nature and concrete jungle.

Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion Statue

Although the view of Santiago is impressive, be sure to climb the stairs to the Virgin Mary statue. Cerro San Cristobal has a long, religious past dating back to 1561 when a 10-meter-high wooden cross was placed at the top. Pilgrimages have taken place from Santiago to the top of Cerro San Cristobal ever since.

The statue of the Virgin Mary (46 feet high and weighing nearly 82,000 pounds) has graced the top of the mountain since 1904. During Pope John Paul II’s 1987 visit, he presided over mass at the base of Mary’s statue, making it a world-known place to worship.

The chapel on the side of the hill, constructed in 1921, celebrates the life and motherhood of Mary and is made to resemble a Roman grotto. It’s a quiet, peaceful place to say a prayer away from the many other visitors.

Parque Metropolitano

The Parque Metropolitano is the largest park in Santiago – and there is plenty to do there! In addition to San Cristobal Hill, the National Zoo and the Santiago Botanical Garden are located within the park. Visitors can easily spend 3-5 hours walking along the paths of the urban oasis. Within the green space, there are numerous fountains, planned gardens and statues.

#2 Shop at Mercado Central Santiago

The historic Central Mercado dates to 1872…and is all about fresh fish. The interior of the classic cast-iron structure plays host to touristy (and relatively expensive) seafood restaurants. Meanwhile, the take-it-home-and-cook-it-yourself whole fish option can be purchased around the perimeter. More casual dining establishments encircle Mercado Central, which is where Santiago locals dine on fried fish and plates of seafood – that are offered at more affordable prices. 

While Mercado Central is one of the top things to see in Santiago, Chile, there are other markets that cater more to locals than tourists – and we highly recommend checking them out as well!

Read about our experiences shopping at other Santiago Markets : Mercado de Abastos Tirso de Molina, La Vega Chica and La Vega Central Markets.

#3 Take a Stroll in Parque Forestal Santiago

With wide paths, mature trees and classic street lamps, Parque Forestal is a Santiago must-see! Running parallel to the Rio Mapocho, the long and narrow park is bookended by Plaza Italia (officially Plaza Baquedano) and the Mercado Central. Offering an alternative to crowded sidewalks and rushing traffic, Parque Forestal is a serene east-west access along the northern border of Centro. Also located in the park is the impressive Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts, and that’s next on our list!

On Sundays, the streets along the river are closed to vehicular traffic, allowing pedestrians, joggers and cyclists the opportunity to enjoy the space without cars. On many Sundays, a Santiago Flea Market is held in Forestal Park, which attracts vendors (selling an incredible array of items) and entertaining street performers!

#4 Visit the Historic Museo de Bellas Artes

Located within Parque Forestal, the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes) is one of the most well-known museums in Santiago, Chile. It also reigns as the oldest art museum in South America. Founded in 1880, the collection has grown to include more than 5,000 Chilean and international artworks. Entrance to the Bellas Artes Museum is one of the Santiago free things to do!

The art collection resides in the grand Palacio de Bellas Artes, which for many is the main reason to visit the museum. The building was constructed in 1910 to celebrate Chile’s independence. Designed in the opulent Beaux-arts style, the building is one of Santiago’s architectural gems.

#5 Explore Cerro Santa Lucia

A favorite of locals and visitors alike, Cerro Santa Lucia is a spectacular retreat in the Santiago city center. The park also holds a fascinating part of the history of Santiago, Chile. Standing 69-meters tall, Santa Lucia Hill is the remains of a 15-million-year-old volcano. In the 1500s, it was used as a logistical lookout point and, in 1541, it is where Pedro de Valdivia officially declared Santiago a city. In the 1800s, the hill was essentially transformed into a monument to celebrate its place in history.

#6 Wander the Cobblestone Lanes in Barrio Brasil

The Santiago metropolis is comprised of numerous neighborhoods – or barrios – and each one has its own distinct ambiance. One of the top things to do in Santiago de Chile is to get lost in the various neighborhoods that fringe the city center – and Barrio Brasil is one of our favorites. 

Located west of the city center, Barrio Brasil is an upper-class neighborhood featuring charming cobblestone streets and well-kept early-1900s mansions (most of which have been converted into apartments and boutique hotels). The neighborhood is also home to trendy restaurants and hip bars – most of which are found along Avenida Brasil and on Plaza Brasil, the historic heart of the district.

A popular spot for Santiago nightlife, we actually loved strolling through Barrio Brasil on quiet weekend mornings when the tree-lined streets were nearly deserted. We were enthralled by the creative street art and hidden plazas.

Top Tip : Seek out the romantic Plaza Libertad de Prensa, which features a picturesque fountain and mansions that were once owned by Santiago’s elite (like the Concha y Toro Wine family).

#7 Santiago Old City Center: Plaza de Armas

Plaza de Armas, is the main square and historic core of Santiago. At the center of the spacious square is a small park of trees and benches. The vast space is filled with cafes and street performers…and Plaza de Armas definitely ranks as a must-see in Santiago, Chile!

The urban plan – with the square at the center – was designed in the mid-1500s. Like many traditional city squares, Plaza de Armas is surrounded by the most important and beautiful buildings. Some of the notable structures that encircle Plaza de Armas are the Central Post Office Building (Correro Central), the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago (which today houses the National History Museum of Chile), the City Hall and the Santiago Cathedral.

Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral

The Catedral Metropolitana was built in the late 1800s, after two previous churches were destroyed in earthquakes. The church has double bell towers and is adorned with neoclassical elements. It is the interior of the cathedral, however, that makes the church one of the top Santiago, Chile tourist attractions. The church features three naves and multiple altars – all of which are ornately decorated. Overhead, the vaulted ceilings are decorated in colorful frescoes, while below, the floor is made of intricately-patterned black and white tiles.

#8 Dine Al Fresco in Hip Barrio Bellavista

The Bellavista neighborhood reigns as Santiago’s bohemian enclave. Situated between the Mapocho River and Cerro San Cristobal, Bellavista developed its artsy reputation in the 1970s. Spending time in the iconic neighborhood is one of the top things to do in Santiago, Chile. 

In addition to the fashionable boutiques and cool art galleries, Barrio Bellavista boasts numerous cafes, bars and clubs. Ideal for people-watching and relaxing on an outdoor patio for a drink or meal, visiting Barrio Bellavista is an essential Santiago activity. Find top reviews for places to eat and drink in Bellavista on TripAdvisor .

Other Bellavista activities include checking out La Chascona, the house of Santiago’s famed Poet Pablo Neruda, visiting the Parroquia de Santa Filomena and shopping at the Pio Nono local market on weekends.

#9 Explore Nature and History at Quinta Normal Park Santiago

On the west side of the barrio is Santiago’s oldest park, Quinta Normal, which was created in the mid-1800s as a botanical garden. The Chilean International Exhibition was held on the park grounds in 1875. Today, the 88-acre park features a small lake with paddleboats, fountains and walking paths. Grills are also available for use, which makes it a great spot for a picnic in Santiago! 

Nearby Attractions and Museums in Santiago Quinta Normal

Located in – and around – the park, visitors will find the following Santiago, Chile sights.

Chilean National Museum of Natural History

The Chilean National Museum of Natural History (Museo de Historia Natural) was established in 1830 – and features a variety of exhibits that detail the country’s diverse animal and plant lifeforms. Packed with impressive displays, we thought the modern museum was well-worth a visit.

Top Tip : Entrance is free on Sundays and English audio guides are available.

Railroad Museum

The Railroad Museum (Museo Ferroviario) is an open-air museum that consists of about 15 steam locomotives. We didn’t visit this museum, but heard it’s popular with kids and a must for train enthusiasts.

Museum of Memory and Human Rights

The Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos) details the Military Coup of 1973 and the human rights violations that occurred under Pinochet until 1990. This is a must-do in Santiago for visitors who are interested in learning about the turbulent recent history of Chile.

Basilica de la Virgen de Lourdes and Gruta

Just outside the northwest corner of the park is the Basilica and Gruta de la Virgen de Lourdes. We found the grotto to be a very peaceful place within the city and witnessed many worshippers come to light candles.

#10 Spend a Day at a Chilean Winery

It’s no secret that we’ve long had a love affair with red wine and there’s few better places to sip and swoon than in Chile. The long, skinny country has nearly 1200 wineries balanced between the shoreline and the mountains. Leaving the city center to visit a nearby winery is one of the fun things to do in Santiago, Chile.

Search for highly-rated Santiago wine tours on Viator ! 

Visitors have a choice when it comes to Santiago winery tours. We tend to like to plan our own day trips, so we opted to visit Undurraga Winery. The award-winning, yet unpretentious winery, is just a 30-minute bus ride from Santiago. Undurraga Winery, which has been in existence since 1885, was family-owned until fairly recently, exudes classic vineyard charm. 

Undurraga Winery Tour and Tasting

We took a tour of the Undurraga Winery, which ended up just being the two of us and our guide! He showed us the grounds, explained the history, soil and process and finished it all off with a fantastic tasting of the wine produced at Undurraga Winery. The underground cellar, constructed to withstand earthquakes, was our favorite part of our private tour. It held hundreds of barrels aging wine to perfection and releasing aromas of oak, fruit and earth.

Santiago Wine Tasting

Visitors who don’t want (or have time) to venture beyond the city limits to a winery have the opportunity to try local wine in the heart of Santiago. Bocanariz is the most famous wine bar featuring a list of more than 350 Chilean wines. Read Reviews . 

Both enthusiasts and novice wine drinkers can also join a wine tasting experience in the center of Santiago de Chile. Participants will learn about the history of each wine as well as where it is produced. Find out more.  

Torremotos at La Piojera

While Chilean fine wines can be sampled at a variety of establishments and at nearby vineyards, drinking Torremotos is an essential local Santiago experience. Torremotos – or Earthquakes – is a potent concoction of pipeno (cheap table wine) and pineapple ice cream.

La Piojera, a gritty and sticky dive bar, is famous for its Torremotos. The downtown Santiago location hosts an odd mix of locals and tourists, all slurping the sticky-sweet, local specialty. While the drink itself won’t go down as one of our favorites, we thought the atmosphere and the people-watching was top-notch! 

Santiago Chile Tourist Map

Use thia link to Google Maps to find your way to the Best Things To Do in Santiago!

More Santiago, Chile Points Of Interest

Looking for more activities in Santiago, Chile? The following are top-recommended places to visit in Santiago by fellow travelers.

Sky Costanera

Completed in 2013, the nearly 1,000-foot-tall Gran Torre Santiago Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Latin America (and the second-tallest in Latin America and the 5th tallest in the Southern Hemisphere). The Sky Costanera observation deck on the 61st and 62nd floors opened in 2015 and offers stunning 360-degree views of Santiago and well beyond. Purchase tickets in advance online ! 

Palacio de la Moneda

The Palacia de la Moneda, which translates to the Palace of the Mint, is the official Chilean presidential residence and houses top government offices. The striking building first opened in 1805 and was used as the country’s mint before becoming the seat of government. Visitors can explore the courtyards (for free) and the Cultural Center (free before noon). Read reviews . 

Cementerio General

Cemeteries may not be typical tourist destinations, but the Cementerio General, which features lush grounds, moving memorials and ornate sculptures, is also one of Santiago’s urban parks. There are more than 2 million people buried at the cemetery, including many famous Chilean citizens, like presidents, politicians, scientists and musicians. Read reviews.  

Day Trips From Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile day trips are an excellent way to experience more of the country!

Full-Day Tour to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar

Join this highly-rated Santiago, Chile tour for a full-day adventure exploring Chile’s colorful coastal cities: Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Visit a winery in Casablanca Valley, feast on a seaside lunch and photograph vibrant Valparaiso buildings. Get the details ! 

Cojon del Maipo Day Trip 

Leave the city behind for a full dose of nature on a day tour from Santiago to Cajon del Maipo. Savor the mountain landscapes while enjoying a picnic lunch (local wine included) and learn about the culture of the region. Find out more!

Small-Group El Morado Trek and Hot Springs Day Trip

Truly immerse yourself in the region’s spectacular nature on a 5-hour, guided hike in the Andes Mountains. End the tour relaxing while sipping a pisco sour as you soak your muscles from the day’s hike in a thermal pool. Book it now!

Hop On Hop Off Santiago, Chile

Our recommended places to visit in Santiago are spread out all over the sprawling city. For an easy way to get to all the top attractions in Santiago, Chile, hop aboard the red, double-decker bus. All-day tickets allow guests to catch a ride and disembark at any stop…and buses run every 30 minutes. Additionally, there is on-board commentary full of facts about Santiago, Chile that provide a narrative as you pass by the sights. Buy Your Ticket Online!

Where To Stay in Santiago, Chile

When deciding where to stay in Santiago, the first thing to determine is which neighborhood. We think the best place to stay in Santiago, Chile is Centro, because of the proximity to landmarks and sights. 

After staying in a hotel at our previous stop in Puerto Varas , we opted to stay in an Airbnb Apartment in Santiago near Plaza de Armas. We have found that staying in apartments is often less expensive than hotel rooms – with the added benefit of a kitchen and, usually, more space. As a bonus, our Santiago Airbnb apartment had stellar views! 

However, for those who prefer staying in traditional accommodations , there are many Santiago Hotels (and posh Santiago, Chile resorts) to choose from in – or close to – the city center. You can search for the best hotels in Santiago, Chile on Booking.com !

Before You Go To Santiago, Chile

• Santiago is a walkable city…but only if you pack the right travel shoes ! Don’t forget to pack a pair of lightweight and comfortable walking shoes for your trip to South America. I (Sarah) have traveled with these shoes by Columbia . Kris prefers wearing these trail shoes by Merrell .
• We’re certain you’ll be snapping tons of photos during your Chilean vacation. Rather than relying on your mobile phone to capture the sights, upgrade to an actual camera for high quality photos. We travel with a Canon Rebel (which takes amazing photos) and a Canon PowerShot ELPH (which takes beautiful pictures and is a slim and lightweight budget camera ).
• It’s easy to get turned around in any foreign place…and especially a big city like Santiago! Make sure to have a good city map and/or guidebook before arriving in Santiago. Whether you travel with a suitcase or a backpack , you also want a great day bag to organize and secure all of your essential, everyday travel items .
• As you plan your trip to Chile, keeping track of the details is essential. Stay organized with our simple Printable Travel Planner . It contains 26 pages of trip organization! 
• If you haven’t already obtained travel insurance for your trip, consider traveling protected with World Nomads .

Start planning your trip to Chile ! Search for the lowest airfares , the best accommodations and fun things to do …then start packing !   Want more travel planning tips? Head over to our Travel Planning page for more information and tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides page !

Also Visiting Iconic Easter Island, Chile? Super! Read our complete guides on Things To Do on Easter Island as well as the Best Easter Island Tours and great Easter Island Hikes !

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The Best Things to Do in Santiago, Chile

Step one: get to a high point.

If there’s one piece of advice a traveler will hear upon arrival in Santiago, Chile, it’s to head up, up, up. Several of the most popular tourist (and local) attractions involve a climb, or at least a big old elevator ride: there’s the Gran Torre Santiago, Latin America’s tallest building; the charming stops around San Cristóbal Hill; and the cable cars floating above it all.

What will you see from these vantage points? The glory of Santiago, a capital city comprised of stunning Spanish colonial architecture buddied up to glass and steel skyscrapers. The metropolis sits in a valley of the Andes, so snow-capped crags hug the city and are visible from any high view. The population of Santiago is 5.6 million, meaning nearly a third of the entire country’s citizens resides in the city, which is situated directly in the middle of the long, skinny nation.

Figure out why the Chilenos love their capital so much. Here are a few ideas of what to do and eat, and where to stay, in Santiago.

Due to its location in the southern hemisphere, Chile has opposite season from the United States. Highs reach the mid 80ºs in summer (November to March) and hover in the 60ºs during the winter (May to August), making shoulder seasons as always a lovely time to visit. For climate perspective, the city sits around 33º S, making its equivalent city in the north Dallas, TX.

Visit the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino.

Walk through the historic center.

You don’t need a guide book or even a map for this one. Start at Plaza de Armas, the central square, which was laid out in the 16th century. You can’t miss the Metropolitan Cathedral with its two towers mirroring the skinny palm trees; the Municipal Building and Central Post Office are also set on the plaza. Nearby is the austere Plaza de la Constitución, the museum mentioned above, and La Moneda Palace, the imposing home of Chile’s president.

Climb San Cristóbal hill.

This spot has a little something for everyone in this park. For those who want to get their blood pumping after a long flight, there’s the 45-minute moderate hike to the top of the hill (a funicular ride is also available). For families, there is the Chilean National Zoo. For nature lovers or those seeking calm, there are nearly 1,800 acres of park, including a Japanese garden. And for those who just want a great view of the city, perhaps while sipping a coffee or smoothie, there is the summit itself, which is studded by a white Virgin Mary statue.

Stroll Bellavista.

It’s a little tired to describe a neighborhood as “the Brooklyn of XYZ city,” but that designation is hard to avoid with Bellavista, Santiago’s bohemian quarter near the river. Plentiful bars and restaurants are painted in bold primary colors, often with murals on the side, and are packed with young people enjoying beers and empanadas. Poke into shops and look for beautiful little objects made of lapis lazuli, the deep blue semi-precious stone that resembles a twilight sky.

Go to La Chascona.

Poet and politician Pablo Neruda is one of the most internationally famous Chilenos of all time, and all three of his homes have been turned into museums for fans and tourists. La Chascona was his Santiago home, built with multiple levels into the base of San Cristobal hill in Bellavista. Neruda constructed the house to sequester his mistress and later wife, Matilde Urrutia, and its name describes her flowing red hair. A superb audio guide shares their story, as well as how the home was vandalized and nearly destroyed in 1973 days after the military coup that overthrew Chile’s president.

WHERE TO EAT

Boragó Named one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, chef Rodolfo Guzmán’s fine-dining establishment is credited with reinventing the Santiago food scene since it opened in 2006. His thing is milking the Chilean landscape for all it has to offer, foraging for odd ingredients from the mountains to the seas of the country; the result is an unforgettable dining experience.

Karai The W Santiago features multiple snazzy restaurants and bars around its higher floors, including the Chilean cuisine at Terraza and the thumping Red2One cocktail bar, but a favorite is Karai. The sleek restaurant, clad in blonde wood with spikes of orange, serves up excellent Japanese-Peruvian fusion food, namely impeccable sushi, ceviche, and softshell crab sliders.

Peumayén Inside a converted 1928 home with adobe walls and wood beams is this restaurant, an elegy for the ancestral food of the region which includes culinary references from the Rapa Nui, Mapuche, and Aimará people. While there are a la carte options, consider one of the four “Origins” tasting menus (sea, land, mixed, or vegetarian) to learn the most about these cultures.

Bocanáriz Santiago is not far from wine country, and those travelers seeking a crash course in the nation’s great Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons will find an education in this wine bar, which showcases over 30 vinos by the glass and offers multiple flights so you can try as many as possible. The food menu is built around the liquids so you can find easy pairings

WHERE TO STAY

Santiago Marriott Hotel Located in the financial district of Las Condes, this upscale hotel is adjacent to the gorgeous, sprawling Parque Araucano. Inside, there are 25 floors of nearly 300 rooms, along with amenities like a full-service spa, fitness center, outdoor pool, chic lobby, and on-site dining including the award-winning Latin Grill. A major bonus? The panoramic sights of the Andes viewed right from the beds.

Hotel Boutique Castillo Rojo This 1920s home turned boutique hotel is unmissable in the hip Bellavista for its kitschy candy apple red exterior, which resembles an old German mansion. It was converted in 2013 and features just 19 guest rooms, but restored fireplaces and woodworking, along with plush velvet furnishings and gold light fixtures, maintain the throwback look.

Read Reviews

Matildas Hotel Boutique Another converted mansion, this charming spot can be found in the Brasil neighborhood, near the contemporary art museum and the theater. The modern designers maintained the classical French feel of the former home, from its lovely molding to the spectacular grand staircase and terrace overlooking the garden; rooms are spare and painted in florals.

Kaitlin Menza is a freelance features writer. She lives in New York. You can see more of her writing at kaitlinmenza.com . 

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12 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Santiago de Compostela

Written by Lisa Alexander Updated Dec 24, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Pilgrims once traveled, by foot, from all over Europe to reach Santiago de Compostela. During the Middle Ages, the city was equal to Jerusalem and Rome as a pilgrimage destination. The aim of this months-long journey, known as the Chemin de Saint-Jacques (or Camino de Santiago ) was to arrive at the Tomb of Saint James, housed in the Catedral de Santiago.

Still one of the most revered shrines in Christendom, Santiago de Compostela continues to draw modern-day pilgrims.

Besides its religious monuments, the city offers many cultural attractions. Interesting museums, a quaint Old Town, and enchanting botanical gardens await if you take time to explore the hidden corners of Santiago de Compostela.

No matter how or why you arrive here, Santiago de Compostela is a rewarding destination at the heart of the beautiful Galicia region. The UNESCO -listed historic center, especially the magnificent Cathedral of Santiago, is not-to-be-missed on a tour of Northern Spain .

Make the most of your time in this fascinating historic city and discover the best places to visit with our list of the top attractions and things to do in Santiago de Compostela.

See also: Where to Stay in Santiago de Compostela

1. Catedral de Santiago

2. hostal de los reyes católicos, 3. plaza del obradoiro, 4. camino de santiago and museo das peregrinacións, 5. explore casco antiguo (old town), 6. parque de la alameda, 7. centro galego de arte contemporánea, 8. casa do cabildo, 9. museo do pobo galego, 10. cidade da cultura de galicia, 11. colegiata de santa maría la real de sar, 12. day trip to the seaside town of vigo, where to stay in santiago de compostela for sightseeing, tips and tours: how to make the most of your visit to santiago de compostela.

The sight of this magnificent cathedral rewarded medieval pilgrims after lengthy and arduous journeys, and still delights modern-day visitors. A masterpiece of Romanesque and Baroque architecture, the Catedral de Santiago is considered Spain's most sacred Christian church.

Welcoming pilgrims and tourists alike is a splendid entrance called the Portico de la Gloria . Created by Master Mateo in 1188, this doorway is a profusion of sculpture featuring 200 figures from the Apocalypse story and the figure of Saint James the Apostle.

The Obradoiro Facade (facing the square) was created by Fernando de Casas y Novoa. This lavish facade is considered to be the finest example of Spanish Baroque style.

The Catedral de Santiago makes a grand first impression, setting the stage for an inspiring spiritual experience. Upon entering the sanctuary, you are awed by the grandiose and serene space of three naves with an astounding surface area of about 8,300 square meters.

Directly beneath the opulent Baroque main altar is the main draw for all pilgrims to Santiago, the Crypt of Saint James the Apostle, patron saint of Spain. The crypt contains the Tomb of Saint James , the object of veneration for pilgrims.

The Capilla de las Reliquias , the first chapel in the south aisle, contains tombs of kings and queens of the 12th to 15th centuries. Beyond the south transept to the right of the Puerta de las Platerías is a gorgeous Renaissance (16th-century) Plateresque cloister, one of the largest in Spain.

Located within the cloister, the Cathedral of Santiago Museum illustrates the history of the cathedral and presents an assortment of artworks. Highlights are the tapestries by Rubens and Goya. The museum also contains the Cathedral Treasury .

The Fiestas del Apóstol Santiago are held every year during the last two weeks of July. Festivities include music concerts, folkloric dance performances, traditional parades, street entertainment, light shows, and fireworks. On July 25th, a High Mass celebration takes place at the Catedral de Santiago.

Address: Plaza Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela

This former pilgrims' hostel is a splendid example of Gothic Plateresque architecture. Noteworthy elements include the decorative facade and four peaceful interior courtyards (cloisters).

In 1499, the Catholic Monarchs created a place of lodging for weary pilgrims. It's easy to imagine the joy travelers must have felt when they reached this beautiful destination.

The Hostal de los Reyes Católicos is Spain's oldest hotel. Continuing the tradition of hospitality, the historic building has been renovated and now houses the five-star Parador de Santiago de Compostela .

At this luxurious accommodation, you will enjoy plush modern guest rooms, top-notch services (room service, butler service, concierge, valet parking), and authentic Galician cuisine. The hotel offers two dining options: a fine-dining restaurant and a casual restaurant.

The Hostal de los Reyes Católicos also has an exquisite chapel, the Capilla de Enrique de Egas , which guests may use for silent prayer.

Address: 1 Plaza Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela forms the east side of the Plaza del Obradoiro. This large pedestrian-only public square represents the heart of the Casco Antiguo (Old Town).

The plaza's name, which translates to "Workshop Square," originates from the time when the cathedral was being built. For years, numerous stone masons worked here, constructing the edifice we see today.

This grand square is boxed in by three other historic landmarks, including the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos to the north; Palacio de Raxoi (City Hall) to the west; and the 17th-century Colegio de San Jerónimo, which is now a part of Santiago University, to the south.

Next door to the cathedral, the Monasterio de San Martiño Pinario is another landmark building with a rich history. The monastery has a church and museum that are open to the public. Guided tours are available.

The Camino de Santiago is the name for the pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela. This medieval pilgrimage began in the 9th century with various routes originating all over Europe. Pilgrims set out on this walk with the goal of venerating the Tomb of Saint James.

During the High Middle Ages, a pilgrimage culture flourished. Splendid Romanesque churches were built at key stopping points along the way.

The pilgrims' symbol is the scallop shell, and historic sites related to the Camino de Santiago are indicated with a shell icon. Modern-day pilgrims tie the scallop shells to their backpacks.

The Museo de las Peregrinaciones y de Santiago (Pilgrimage Museum) presents the fascinating history of the pilgrims of Saint James. The museum explains the importance of the Saint James' relics to the pilgrims, and illustrates the cult of Saint James through ancient artifacts and religious objects.

Historical exhibits explain the origin of Jacobean worship, beginning with the archaeological transfer of the Saint's apostolic body (relics) from Jaffa in the Holy Land to Libredón, the name of the hilltop site that is now part of Santiago de Compostela.

At the museum, you will learn about the influence of pilgrimages on the development of Santiago de Compostela's artistic crafts guilds. The museum has two sites: One is located on Calle de San Miguel and another at Plaza de Las Platerías, the square facing the cathedral.

Address: 4 Calle de San Miguel & Plaza de Las Platerías, Santiago de Compostela

UNESCO has designated the entire Casco Antiguo (Old Town) of Santiago de Compostela as a World Heritage Site. Packed with centuries-old landmarks, the area brims with historic charm.

The Casco Antiguo extends south of the cathedral and the Plaza de Las Platerías , the square that faces the cathedral's Romanesque facade. This fountain-adorned square is enclosed by ornate Baroque monuments.

At the heart of the Casco Antiguo are two parallel streets, the Rúa Nueva and the Rúa del Villar with the 18th-century Casa del Deán at its near end. These two arcaded streets are filled with cafés, restaurants, and boutiques. You will enjoy strolling around these lively pedestrian-only streets.

Much of the Casco Antiguo is closed to automobile traffic, adding to the quaint old-world ambience.

Locals and tourists alike adore this elegant landscaped park. Located adjacent to the Old Town, the park offers wonderful views of the cathedral's west facade.

The lush eight-hectare park includes three separate gardens and noteworthy monuments such as the Iglesia de El Pilar (built in 1717) and the famous Porta dos Leóns (Door of the Lions) dating to 1835. Mediterranean vegetation flourishes here, along with subtropical species and exotic flowers.

For two centuries, La Alameda has been residents' favorite place to take a stroll, a fact memorialized by the As Marías monument, a sculpture of two sisters (well-known local residents) who once took their afternoon walk here each day at 2pm, usually wearing colorful dresses.

A highlight of La Alameda is the Jardínes de Méndez Núñez , a delightful wooded area with a rose garden and an assortment of statues honoring illustrious historical figures of the Galicia region. The Jardínes de Méndez Núñez hosts gastronomy fairs, dance performances, music concerts, and other events throughout the year.

Visit the Galician Center of Contemporary Art to discover the region's modern-day culture. The center is dedicated to contemporary Galician art.

The collection is displayed in the sleek exhibition halls of a building designed in the late '80s and early '90s by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. From the building's rooftop terrace, you can admire views of the historic quarter.

In addition to the permanent collection, the center also hosts temporary exhibits related to trends in art.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11am until 8pm, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free of charge.

Address: 2 Rúa de Ramón del Valle Inclán, Santiago de Compostela

The Casa do Cabildo is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the Galicia region. This opulent aristocratic house was built in 1758 and is renowned for its exquisite facade.

Spanish author Valle-Inclán found inspiration at the Casa del Cabildo, which he describes in his story Mi Hermana Antonia .

The building was renovated in 2011 and converted to an exhibition space. The Casa del Cabildo is open to the public when art exhibitions are hosted here.

Address: 2 Plaza de Platerías, Santiago de Compostela

The Museum of Galician People is housed in the former Convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval. The permanent collection illustrates the cultural heritage of the Galicia region.

Exhibits include archaeological findings and historical objects. The folk culture of the region is well-represented with traditional costumes, crafts, paintings, and sculptures.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am until 6pm, and on Sundays (and holidays) from 11am until 2pm. The museum is closed on Mondays and on December 25th and January 1st.

Address: Calle San Domingos de Bonaval, Santiago de Compostela

The Cidade da Cultura de Galicia stands in stunning contrast to the historic architecture of Santiago de Compostela. This ultra-modern building complex definitely has 21st-century flair.

Within the Cidade da Cultura complex are several places to visit, including a museum, library, research centers, gardens, theater, outdoor performance space, and a cafeteria/restaurant.

The Museo Centro Gaiás is an art museum that hosts temporary exhibitions, many of which are installations too large to be displayed in most venues. The museum is open daily, free of charge, and has a café with an outdoor terrace.

Guided tours are available. You may choose from a guided visit to the Museo Centro Gaiás, which offers commentary about the current exhibition on display, or a guided visit of the Cidade da Cultura to learn about the various landmarks and outdoor spaces in the complex.

The Cidade da Cultura is a short bus ride from the historic town center of Santiago de Compostela.

Address: Monte Gaiás, Santiago de Compostela

Outside of the city center, the Colegiata de Santa María la Real de Sar is a remarkable Romanesque church that has retained much of the original 12th-century architecture.

Typical of a Romanesque church, the floor plan has three naves separated by pillars with ornately carved capitals. The spaciousness and luminous quality of the sanctuary give it a soul-inspiring ambience.

Be sure to visit the cloister, a marvelous example of Romanesque architecture. The arcaded colonnades feature intricately sculpted decorative details, and offer views of a peaceful garden.

The church has a museum, the Museo da Colexiata do Sar , which displays an archaeological collection along with 18th-century religious objects.

The church is open for visits Monday through Saturday (with an admission fee). Hours are 10am until 2pm.

Address: Plaza de la Colegiata de Sar, Santiago de Compostela

Along the Atlantic Ocean shores and the estuary of the Rías Baixas, the seaside town of Vigo is 87 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela. The town's historic quarter has the ambience of a fishing village. As you would expect, Vigo is renowned for its Galician cuisine based on fresh local fish.

The town has an interesting 20th-century church, the shrine of Nosa Señora da Guía , inspired by the Baroque architecture of Santiago de Compostela.

Housed in a 17th-century palace, the Museo da Cidade Quiñones de León (Municipal Museum of Vigo) has a collection of archaeological findings and paintings by Galician artists. The palace is surrounded by a park with fountains, ponds, and gorgeous French formal gardens.

Another interesting cultural attraction is the Museo do Mar de Galicia (Museum of the Sea). At this fascinating museum, you will learn about the history of fishing and the traditional seafaring way of life of the Galicia region.

Luxury Hotels:

• The Parador de Santiago de Compostela is one of the most historically significant hotels in the world, located on the Plaza del Obradorio, next to the Catedral de Santiago, in the heart of the Old Town. Highlights of this five-star luxury hotel are the peaceful gardens, elegant reception halls, and gourmet dining options. The hotel also has a museum on the premises.
• Hotel Spa Relais & Chateaux A Quinta da Auga offers historic charm and exceptional service. Guest rooms and suites feature old-fashioned French country-style decor and views of the garden, farm, or forest. This four-star Relais & Châteaux property has a spa, indoor pool, hammam, sauna, and fitness center. The hotel's restaurant serves traditional Galician cuisine prepared from seasonal ingredients. Accommodations include a gourmet breakfast.

Mid-Range Hotels:

• A four-star hotel with mid-range prices, San Francisco Hotel Monumento is centrally located in the Old Town just steps from the cathedral. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, a central courtyard, and a garden. The on-site restaurant offers room service.
• A Tafona do Peregrino offers spacious modern guest rooms and top-notch services (airport transportation, concierge, and a breakfast buffet). Families traveling with children appreciate the triple rooms and suites. Foodies, take note: The hotel's on-site Restaurat A Tafono has a Michelin star. A breakfast buffet is available.

Budget Hotels:

• Hotel Atalaia B&B may not have the frills and amenities of more expensive accommodations, but the guest rooms feature stylish modern decor and have city views. The friendly service and comfy beds make you feel at home while staying right in the Old Town.
• Within walking distance to the Old Town attractions, the three-star Hotel Altair offers excellent value, with stylish rooms. In addition to an amazing breakfast with homemade jams, amenities include a 24-hour front desk and concierge service.
• Exploring the Costa da Morte : A full-day sightseeing Finisterre & Costa da Morte day tour from Santiago de Compostela is an excellent way to see the picturesque stretch of coastline known as the "Costa da Morte" (so-named because many shipwrecks have occurred here) . This tour along the Atlantic coastline includes visits to Cape Finisterre, the fishing village of Camelle, and the Dolmen de Dombate megalithic monument.
• Visiting Santiago de Compostela from Portugal : Tourists staying in northern Portugal can take a full-day tour from Porto to Santiago de Compostela , led by an expert guide. The tour includes a visit to the Catedral de Santiago and plenty of time to have lunch and explore the Casco Antiguo. The tour stops in Valença do Minho on the way back, a quaint town on the border of Spain and Portugal that is known for its towered fortress.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Pilgrimage Churches : As pilgrims made the long journey along the Camino de Santiago, they would visit churches in other Spanish cities on the route. Pamplona , although more famous for its annual Running of the Bulls, is home to a Romanesque church that was on the Way of Saint James. The medieval town of Burgos also welcomed many pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela.

Exploring Northern Spain: Santiago de Compostela is a good base for exploring the attractions of northern Spain , such as the pre-Romanesque churches of Oviedo and the historic city of León. Another important stop along the Way of Saint James pilgrimage trail, León boasts an amazing Romanesque church and a remarkable Gothic cathedral.

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Barrios covered in the Santiago walking tour

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8:30am — Cerro Santa Lucia

10:00am — Step into a time capsule at the Plaza de Armas

10:30am — Taste the best empanadas in Santiago

11:00am — mercado central.

12:00pm — Have lunch like a local at mercado La Vega

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2:30pm — sweeping city views at cerro san cristóbal.

4:00pm — The highest skyscraper in South America

6:00pm — Shopping, aperitif and dinner

10:00pm — Hit the bars!

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Tourist Map of Santiago de Chile

Santiago de Chile is a metropolis that has many reforested parks that were once abandoned spaces, which has generated exceptional growth in the last 80 years in this southern country. The main administrative, cultural, commercial, financial and governmental bodies of the country are located in this city, which makes it a centralized country. The tourist map of Santiago de Chile will help you discover the main places that you cannot miss when you travel to these wonderful lands.

• 1 Tourist Map of Santiago de Chile
• 2 Tourist Guide of Santiago de Chile
• 3 What to visit in Santiago de Chile
• 4 Map of Hotels in Santiago de Chile

In the extreme southwest of the American continent we find a beautiful country, cradle of friendly people and that together with Argentina forms the Andes mountain range, which extends from Venezuelan lands to Argentinean lands. We are talking about Chile, a tropical country with a variable and extreme climate, since the country is very narrow has very varied and diverse climates that vary according to the location of different parts of the country. In general the north is characterized by a dry climate with high temperatures, but further south there is a cooler and wetter climate. The Chilean capital is the city of Santiago de Chile and has a very particular climate, which during the summer presents temperatures of up to 36° C and in winter the temperatures can drop to -2° C, which makes it a city with a quite varied climate.

There is no doubt that Santiago de Chile constitutes one of the most interesting cities when it comes to tourism in Latin America. Not in vain is this city the sixth most populated metropolitan area in the continent and it is estimated that it is one of the 50 most populated urban agglomerations in the world. The traditional story goes that when Pedro de Valdivia climbed to the highest area of the city, he observed the valley and realized two fundamental things: that it was a very fertile and safe place given its location, so he decided to build the city of Santiago there, in such an orderly way that it gives the illusion of a chess board, and that is that if you draw a line from the Entel Tower and the O’Higgins Park and project a square you have the square that it occupied at that time, however the city has grown so much in the last 80 years that today it is 2 times bigger than Paris.

Throughout this article we will offer you a complete tourist guide with a street map to print out, where the main places to visit in Santiago will be highlighted and of course a hotel map so that you don’t miss anything when visiting this magnificent place. Don’t wait any longer, come with us and live the adventure of knowing this beautiful city.

Tourist Guide of Santiago de Chile

The Chilean capital is the second most competitive city in Latin America, only surpassed by Sao Paulo, is the third city with the best quality of life on the continent and the safest in South America, in addition to being considered a beta city, which is why Santiago de Chile is a luxury city that you can not fail to visit, this tour route will guide you during your trip through a city that will make you feel you’ve arrived in the best country in the world, surrounded by beautiful mountains that offer attractive views such as visiting the ski centers in the winter, horseback riding, climbing and many more activities.

What to visit in Santiago de Chile

Bellavista neighborhood.

It is one of the bohemian neighborhoods of the Chilean capital and offers its travelers a varied range of restaurants, theaters, bars, discos and shops to visit during the weekends. With beautiful architecture from the beginning of the century, this place is home to one of the houses of the famous poet Pablo Neruda, La Chascona, which currently functions as a museum and has an audio guide system. Its main attraction is felt at sunset when you start to observe the lights on the stage of the great variety of theaters, not to mention that the restaurants and cafes are filled with a pleasant musical atmosphere. Bellavista has one of the entrances to the Metropolitan Park.

Metropolitan Park

Known as the green lung of the city, it is a tourist site you should not miss if you are in Chilean lands. It is located in the capital of Chile, Santiago. It is an urban park, formed by the Santiago forest, the sectors of Lo Saldés, Tupahue and the hills of Los Gemelos, Chacarillas and San Cristóbal, its approximate size is 1785 hectares, making it the largest of its kind in Latin America and fourth worldwide.

You will be delighted when you visit it because it has 16 urban parks distributed in 13 municipalities of Santiago, within this you will find at the top of the San Cristobal hill a giant statue in homage to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, where in its terrace you will have an excellent panoramic view of the city. In addition, on the slopes of the same hill you can also visit the National Zoo, where you can see more than 158 species of animals. But this does not end here, as it is possible to continue touring the park by cable car. The cable car has a length of 2,030mts and has stations where visitors can get off without any problem to enjoy the rest of the attractions in the park, among them the botanical garden, the Victoria tower, the wine museum and the Tupahue swimming pool, not to mention its walks with beautiful landscapes and views of the city. And if heights are not your thing don’t worry, there is also a funicular train with access to the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception and the Zoo.

Santa Lucía Hill

It is one of the main historical and tourist sites in the center of Santiago. Its main entrance is in front of Alameda Avenue. It was built by the architect Victor Villenueve between 1897 and 1903. It has paved roads so that visitors can have the pleasure of riding in their carriages, admiring the fountains, sculptures, porticos, commemorative arches, squares and terraces, as well as steep stairs that lead to high viewpoints. Through two staircases it is possible to reach the monumental Neptune Terrace, where there is a fountain framed by balusters and gardens with a triumphal arch that rises above it and is crowned by an ornamented dome.

Museum of Memory and Human Rights

This museum makes up one of the most interesting spaces in Chile, dedicated to the violation of human rights during the Pinochet dictatorship, with exhibitions that aim to promote respect and tolerance in the city. It is located at Avenida Matucana 501, opposite the Quinta Normal metro station, and was inaugurated in 2010 by President Bachelet. Throughout this tour we find audiovisual panels with fragments of documentaries and recordings of the time that allow to set the place in the events that took place during the dictatorship. One of the most incredible rooms is the Human Rights room, Desafío Universal, which shows a map of the world built with photographs that show how the Chilean events are correlated with the rest of the world. We can also see a large number of photographs of the victims of the dictatorship. This wonderful place seeks to make known the violations of human rights by the state between 1973 and 1990 and thus promote an ethical reflection on the importance of human rights.

Araucano Park

It represents the lung of the city and is one of the favorite places for tourists and locals. With 22 hectares of extension, it has become an important cultural center, where many festivals and events are presented throughout the year, such as the Festival Internacional de Cine de las Condes or the various opera shows at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago. The KidZania children’s entertainment center is an obligatory stop for those who visit the park in the company of the youngest members of the family. Here children can enjoy a replica of the city made to measure, with buildings, shops, movie theaters, vehicles and pedestrians, all so that children between the ages of 2 and 16 can learn how to live and move in the adult world, thus learning about money and work, with the possibility of experiencing 70 different professions, a place where the imagination sets the limit.

Costanera Sky

This building constitutes the highest viewpoint in South America, 300 meters above the ground, with an incredible 360° view that will allow you to have an incredible view of the city that can only be obtained from the air. This place has pleasant guided tours that tell in a humorous way a great amount of anecdotes about the capital city of these Chilean lands. The large tower contains a shopping mall, 2 hotels and 2 office towers. It was developed by the Chilean company Rene Lagos and Associates. It is the first Chilean construction that has express elevators capable of going up to the top floor in only 35 seconds. On the 61st floor it has a glass observation platform and on the 62nd floor there is an open-air space that allows visitors to have a 360° view of the city. This place is equipped with binoculars that allow the observer to enjoy the city in greater detail.

Historical Center

Combining modernity with history, this place has characteristic buildings of great importance such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Plaza de Armas, the San Francisco Church, the Casa Colorada and the Museum of Fine Arts. Without a doubt, this is a must-see tour for those who wish to know Santiago de Chile from its roots. It is the neighborhood where the Chilean capital was founded in 1541 and it is the oldest area in the city, with a great number of colonial constructions that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago

Located in the Plaza de Armas, on the corner of Calle Catedral, it was declared a national monument in 1951. This beautiful architectural work is characterized by its eclectic style, this is because when it was built it lasted 151 years in which different architects participated, each one leaving different trends and stamps. To the being located in the historical center of the city it is constituted like a place of meeting and fundamental public space in the colonial urban order, in this one masses, offices, religious festivities and different activities from the religious and cultural nature are made.

National Museum of Fine Arts

This majestic museum is located in the Santiago Forest Park. It was declared a Historical Monument in 1976. It has an artistic heritage made up of more than 3,000 pieces, which were obtained through donations, purchases and prizes from official halls. In this place you will find the main selection of Chilean sculpture in the country and the second most complete compilation of national painting in the nation, after the Pinacoteca or Art House of the University of Concepción. In addition, you can admire the country’s artistic production from the colonial era preserved by the museum, which includes collections of Italian, Spanish and Flemish paintings, its repertoire of engravings and kakemonos, a large number of drawings and photographs, and a collection of exuberant African sculptures.

Valle Nevado

It is the largest ski center in South America, located 46 km east of Santiago de Chile, this valley has an excellent quality of snow for its height and orientation, with a privileged climate has clear days 80% of the time during the season, at an altitude of 3300 meters above sea level Snow Valley has an excellent infrastructure and modern tracks for the enjoyment of travelers who wish to live the experience of sliding through the snow.

Map of Hotels in Santiago de Chile

For sure you have already fallen in love with Santiago de Chile, and it is not for less, since this is an ideal city for demanding travelers who are looking for attractive destinations, that is why we offer you a hotel map where you will find the best options when deciding where to stay in Santiago de Chile, near the metropolitan park is the hotel Solace Santiago a first class place that offers all the comforts you deserve to make your trip a luxury and is that this hotel is not in vain a five-star hotel, with a spectacular pool, gym and bar at the hotel.

Video of Santiago de Chile, the most impressive tourist destinations

https://youtu.be/wuotLQ2FvIc

Where to go in 2024: The best places to visit

Editor’s note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter . Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.

So many places to see in the world. So many people eager to see them.

International tourism reached about 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and the United States issued a record number of  passports . And if you visited any popular destination over the summer, you’d probably argue it was more crowded than ever.

So maybe it’s time to look at places that are still largely undiscovered, or alluring in the offseason, or frequently overlooked for their larger first cities or neighbors. Maybe it’s time to head to places that are making it easier for tourists to visit and those that pay close attention to encouraging tourism that’s sustainable.

With those things in mind, CNN Travel chose 24 places to consider as you make your 2024 plans:

Sumba, Indonesia

For those looking for a beach destination that prioritizes community consciousness and sustainability, the Indonesian island of Sumba delivers.

With its remote villages, untouched forests, ancient rituals and world-class surf breaks, Sumba is the perfect antidote to the crowds of Bali, which is just an hour’s flight away. It might not be internationally famous yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s small. Sumba is more than 4,000 square miles in size (more than 10,000 square kilometers) – twice the size of Bali.

It was the  Nihi Sumba  resort that brought this island into luxury seekers’ sights when it first opened in 2012. More than a decade on, Sumba has welcomed several new luxury eco-resorts. These include  The Sanubari,  a series of beachfront villas that opened in 2022, and  Cap Karoso , located on the island’s southwest.  —Karla Cripps

Turkey’s Black Sea coast

Far less known than the Mediterranean yacht-magnet resorts of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, the  Black Sea region, also known as Karadeniz,  offers a very different side of the country. Less touristed and with a cooler, damper climate that produces verdant scenery and  delicious black tea , the region has historic towns and villages as well as beaches and adrenaline-producing activities.

In summer, it’s a refreshing escape from Turkey’s more sweltering regions. Visitors can explore ancient streets that still echo to the clang of blacksmith hammers in Safranbolu, soak up beach life in Amasra and climb to where one of the world’s oldest monasteries clings to a cliff at Sumela.

For thrill-seekers, there’s white water rafting, and when winter brings heavy snowfalls, the region’s eastern Kaçkar Mountains transform into a  heli-skiing paradise .  —Barry Neild

Tartu, Estonia

Pucker up. Tartu, in southern Estonia, has been named a European Capital of Culture for 2024 — with  special attention paid to kissing . One of this university city’s most celebrated sights is its statue of two students locked in a passionate embrace, but here in the “City of Good Thoughts,” the love-in is more high-minded than carnal.

Tartu is renowned as Estonia’s intellectual center, home to its oldest university as well as the must-visit Estonian National Museum and the impressive Science Centre AHHAA, the largest science museum in the Baltics.

The Old Town is the perfect place to base yourself, but just north of the city center on the banks of the Emajõgi River, Supilinn (“Soup Town”) is also worth a visit. This historic neighborhood filled with pretty, wooden houses was formerly a slum but is now becoming one of the city’s most desirable addresses.  —Maureen O’Hare

Tainan, Taiwan

Celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2024, Tainan has become a Taiwan hotspot on the international stage. This southern city has surpassed the capital, Taipei, to boast the highest overall hotel occupancy rate in Taiwan in the past two years.

What makes it so special? Tainan is considered the street food capital of Taiwan and is loved for its beef soups and oyster omelets, otherworldly natural landscapes (check out Tsao Shan Moon World), scenic sunsets over salt farms, colorful old temples and cool new museums.

It was also listed among Booking.com’s top 10 sustainable tourism destinations in 2023.  —Maggie Hiufu Wong

Northwest Michigan

Refreshing, unsalty Lake Michigan lures boatloads of tourists in summer, but the shoreline, quaint towns and rolling countryside of Northwest Michigan have plenty to offer year-round.

On Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City makes a great home base for exploring wineries on the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas or picking cherries or apples in season. Then fall’s foliage is ripe for peeping, followed by winter’s inviting blankets of snow.

From Traverse City, the scenic M-22 highway winds up the Leelanau Peninsula and hooks back down through Leland, home to a  historic fishing village  and a collection of interesting  shops and galleries .

Glen Arbor is another town worth perusing on the way to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore , where off M-109 an all-sand, 3.5-mile hike over massive dunes to the Great Lake and back preps hardy hikers for a delicious dinner.

Farm Club , a farm-restaurant hybrid seven miles from downtown Traverse City, serves beautifully prepared dishes showcasing the region’s ingredients — many grown on site — in a minimalist, barnlike space that spills outdoors.  —Marnie Hunter

Trans Dinarica Cycle Route, Balkans

Launching in 2024, the Trans Dinarica Cycle Route will be the first and only bike route to link all eight countries of the Western Balkans. The 100-stage trail is designed for cyclists of all abilities and its 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) is made up of quiet asphalt roads, forest trails and bike paths.

Riders can enjoy Albania and Croatia’s spectacular coastlines, Kosovo’s national parks, Montenegro’s rugged mountains and lush woodland and sparkling rivers throughout Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Riders can get more information and sign up for news of route updates, maps, accommodation and services at  transdinarica.com .   —MO

Culebra, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is large and makes for a great island escape. But what if you want an escape from your great island escape? That’s where little Culebra comes in. It’s about 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico and world away from  San Juan’s noisy, rum-soaked nightlife .

The emphasis here is on outdoor activities and unwinding. Be sure to check out  Flamenco Beach , curving for about a mile around a sheltered bay. It has little in the way of waves, making it a superb spot for snorkeling and swimming. And a graffitied tank — a US military relic — offers a striking photo op.

Much of the island is  a natural refuge , and you can also go hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and fishing. Take  a day trip  or  stay over  and make it your main destination.  —Forrest Brown

This southern African nation is trying hard to make a break on the tourism scene, having recently introduced a  quick-approval tourism e-visa . While major tourism infrastructure might not be up to speed yet, it’s a chance to explore a country still off the travel radar.

The capital of Luanda has a reputation as a pricey party city, but out in the wide-open spaces beyond, Angola has some jaw-droppingly spectacular scenery and cultural treats. Second city  Lubango  offers Portuguese colonial architecture, an impressive Rio-style Christ the King hilltop statue and access to the Tundavala Gap, a giddying plunge from cool tablelands into shimmering dusty plains.

Also worth a look: the dramatic 1,300-foot-wide (396 meters) Calendula Falls and Atlantic coastline surfing paradises such as Barra do Kwanza and Cabo Ledo.  —BN

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Not to be confused with St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland, Saint John is located in New Brunswick — also on Canada’s east coast. This charming little city is an excellent base from which to enjoy the nearby  Bay of Fundy , famed for having the world’s highest tides.

The city itself is filled with historic architecture, including the  Saint John City Market , a National Historic Site of Canada. Built from 1874 to 1876, it’s filled with shops and food venues. A five-minute walk away is the  Saint John Arts Centre . Set in the city’s historic Carnegie Building, it’s the only former Carnegie Library in eastern Canada.

In terms of accommodation, there are seaside cottages, hotels, motels, campgrounds, historic inns and B&Bs. Food here is as excellent as you’d expect from a maritime city in Canada, with a broad range from cheap eats to fine dining.  —KC

South Korea

With word that “Squid Game” — still the most-watched show on Netflix — is set to return with a new season in 2024, it’s time once again to embrace the K-wave.

Thankfully, travel to the country is easier than ever before. The government is waiving its K-ETA requirement — the electronic travel visa for South Korea — for travelers from  22 countries  till the end of 2024 as part of its Visit Korea Year campaign.

This is a country that truly has it all. After exploring futuristic cities such as Seoul and Busan, the cultural and historic side of old Korea awaits at Andong, dubbed the “Spirit of South Korea,” or the seven cemeteries of the ancient  Gaya Tumuli , newly inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023.  —MHW

Sandwiched on the Adriatic coast between Greece and Montenegro, it’s astonishing that Albania wasn’t more popular as a beach destination before. But its wallet-friendly prices have seen tourism boom here over the past few years — so much so that in 2023, record numbers of Italians flocked across the Adriatic for their bargain summer breaks.

2024 sees the opening of a new airport at Vlorë, on the coast, which will make those beach trips easier. But there’s far more to Albania than its coast. The country has a rich culture, including Christian and Muslim history, with historical centers in towns such as Berat and Gjirokastër, as well as jaw-dropping mountain landscapes (Theth is the most popular).

In 2023, Albania got Europe’s first wild river national park, around the 168-mile (270-kilometer)  Vjosa River  — or to go really off the beaten track book a self-drive tour with  Drive Albania .  —Julia Buckley

Stretching about 2,700 miles from top to toe, long and slim Chile offers a little something for everyone.  In the north, spectacular landscapes simulate  Mars on Earth  in the Atacama Desert, where the 51-room  Our Habitas Atacama  emphasizes sustainability.  The new hotel is a good fit for the “world’s leading green destination,” a title Chile just picked up at the World Travel Awards for the second year in a row.

The natural world puts its best foot forward all over the country: Thousands of miles of Pacific coastline to the west, the towering Andes in the east and lakes, volcanoes and wild Patagonia in the south.

World-class skiing in July and August — a welcome break from the sweltering Northern Hemisphere — is two hours or less from the capital, Santiago. And the new high-altitude Parque Nacional Glaciares near the city protects land in the country’s most populous and  historically little-protected  area.  —MH

Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia

Every year there’s another installment in the soap opera surrounding the Great Barrier Reef — will it be de-listed by UNESCO? Has the coral regrowth gone well this season?

For tourists who’d rather not wade into the situation, there’s another way to experience some of Australia’s gorgeous underwater bounty. About 37 miles (60 kilometers) off the coast of Western Australia, the lesser-known  Abrolhos Islands  are home to some of the most beautiful scenery of the country’s Coral Coast, above and below the water.

Humpback whales pass through in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, and lucky travelers may catch a glimpse of Australian Sea Lions. There are no hotels on the islands, so intrepid visitors can either overnight in the town of Geraldton or splash out for a liveaboard boat, which provides opportunities to watch brilliant sunsets over the Indian Ocean and scuba dive in the early hours when the fish are at their most active.  —Lilit Marcus

Macedonia, Greece

Athens and the islands get more crowded every year, but in northern Greece, the region of Macedonia is relatively free from overtourism. Yet it has everything visitors flock elsewhere in Greece to see: archaeological sites, history-rich towns and beaches galore.

This was the land of Alexander the Great. His father, Philip II of Macedon, is buried at Vergina, where his tomb has been turned into a world-class  subterranean museum  displaying the finds. Nearby, there are Byzantine remains in the hilltop city Veria, and superb wineries such as  Kir-Yianni  in the rolling hills around Naousa.

Thessaloniki — the region’s capital and Greece’s second city — is a gastro hub as well as a mishmash of architectural and archaeological eras. Near the city are the sandy beaches of Halkidiki; toward the border with Thrace are archaeological spots like ancient Philippi, and the city of Kavala, whose Ottoman past shows in every building . —JB

It may be most famous for the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal, but this Central American country is so much more than a transit destination.

Not only does Panama have a vibrant capital city with a historic old quarter that’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the country also holds over a dozen national parks, including Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, the highest point in Panama.

Panama City is also the only world capital with a tropical rainforest within its city limits. Visitors keen to delve further into Panama’s cultural landscape in a sustainable way can book community-based tourist adventures through a digital portal called  SOSTUR Network , which connects travelers with rural communities and tourism businesses.  —Tamara Hardingham-Gill

Galicia, Spain

Empty beaches bordered by the wild Atlantic Ocean and framed by the rugged landscape of the  Islas Atlánticas National Park . Mouth-watering seafood. And a historic city forever entwined with the famed  Camino de Santiago.  Welcome to Galicia, an autonomous region in the northwest tip of Spain.

Galicia’s regional capital city,  Santiago de Compostela , has long been on the tourist map thanks to its striking 12 th -century cathedral, which is the endpoint for the hundreds of thousands of walkers who  embark on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage  each year. But even if you weren’t planning on packing your walking boots, bustling Santiago should be on your radar.

And for spectacular views, head to  Cabo Fisterra , a rocky peninsula home to the picturesque Finisterre lighthouse. The former lighthouse residence is the  Hotel O Semáforo de Fisterra . Lighthouses are a bit of a theme in Galicia — there are 19 in total, including the UNESCO-protected 1st-century  Tower of Hercules , believed to be the world’s oldest surviving Roman lighthouse.  —Francesca Street

Singapore’s offshore islands

The city-state of Singapore shows urbanism at its finest: biophilic skyscrapers, neon-lit supertrees and six-star hotels all outdoing each other to redefine “luxury.” But venturing off the peninsula is quickly becoming a more interesting option.

Singapore is developing some of its smaller, uninhabited islands by, well, not developing them. Just a ferry ride away from the mainland, Lazarus Island is now home to a few rentable tiny houses made with reconstituted wood and powered by solar energy. Nearby, Sisters’ Island will open the country’s first marine park — including a sea turtle hatchery and coral protection area — in 2024.

Already open for exploring is St. John’s Island, where a 1.7-mile trail highlights native plants and flowers while shining a light on the island’s colorful history, which included a period as a quarantine center during a cholera outbreak. It’s a fitting place to think about life after a pandemic.  —LM

Mérida, Mexico

The Yucatán Peninsula is best known for its tropical beaches, but venture inland, and you’re in for an unexpected urban treat.

“Mérida’s uniqueness comes from a blend of Mayan and colonial heritage,” said David Casanova, who has a  real estate YouTube channel  on Yucatán state’s capital city with his wife, Megan Sequeira Casanova. “The city’s excitement starts with its diverse cuisine and friendly locals and expands to its year-long favorable weather.”

In town, Paseo de Montejo is lined with historic mansions, museums, art galleries and local vendors. The Casanovas tout the city’s boutique hotels, including  Kuka y Naranjo . For nearby getaways, there’s Progreso Beach (less than an hour away), fascinating Mayan ruins and underground water caves called cenotes.

If you’re concerned about personal safety in Mexico, the  US State Department  rates Yucatán and Campache states as the two safest as of December.  —FB

A longtime travel favorite thanks to its diverse landscape and spectacular architecture, Morocco has bounced back determinedly after a devastating earthquake this past September.

While visitors tend to congregate in popular cities such as Marrakech, Rabat and Fes, the country certainly isn’t short of less crowded spots that are arguably just as alluring. Standouts include Tétouan, the city near the first  Regis Hotels and Resorts Morocco property , and the historic Meknes, which is among the country’s nine UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Morocco is proving to be a world leader when it comes to sustainable tourism, with the launch of various initiatives to boost its renewable energy generation. The country is also home to a number of significant eco-friendly hotels, including the Berber-run  Kasbah du Toubkal , located at the base of the spectacular High Atlas Mountains.  —THG

Florida’s freshwater springs

How would you like to immerse in water clear as gin any day of the year? You can do that in some of the 1,000 or more recognized  fresh-water springs  scattered around northern and central Florida.

These  pristine natural pools  provide stable temps and visibility for swimming, tubing, snorkeling, diving, wildlife viewing and more. Here are a few of the best:

Wakulla Springs  has a swimming area in 70 F (21 C) degree water, and the state park offers a boat ride tour. The  depth at the vent  is about 185 feet (56 meters).  Rainbow Springs  is considered one of the most beautiful in the state.  Ginnie Springs , a privately owned site, is renowned for its diving and cavern.  —FB

Texas Hill Country

In the heart of Texas, Hill Country boasts its own natural springs. One prime spot,  Krause Springs  in Spicewood, lures visitors with more than its spring-fed pool and natural swimming hole — there’s also a butterfly garden full of magical wind chimes. And the  Blue Bonnet Cafe  — home to some of the world’s most divine cream pies — is just a short drive away in Marble Falls .

Meanderers will also find rolling hills and hiking trails, winding rivers,  wineries , barbecue, music and dance halls, plus an explosion of wildflowers in March and April. And in 2024, April also brings a celestial spectacle to Hill Country — the total solar eclipse on April 8.

Gruene Hall  in New Braunfels is legendary among Texas’  historic dance halls , and Luckenbach, a tiny hamlet outside the larger German-influenced town of Fredericksburg, has a dance hall and regular pickers’ circles under the oak trees.  —MH

One of the smaller and lesser-known emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Fujairah is as mellow as it is beautiful. Filled with spectacular mountain ranges and pristine beaches, it’s significantly less developed than the likes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, offering an authentic and tranquil vibe that’s hard to beat.

Fujairah has a cooler climate compared with the other emirates because of its mountainous setting, but the winter months are definitely the most pleasant time to visit.

Snoopy Island, a snorkeling spot that looks like the famous cartoon dog lying on his back, is a top draw thanks to its crystal-clear waters and coral reefs, while the cascading waterfalls of the Wadi Wurayah National Park are another must-see.  —THG

The jaw-dropping landscapes of Greenland — an autonomous territory of Denmark situated northeast of Canada — are set to get a little more accessible for international travelers this year.

New international airports are opening in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and the coastal city of Ilulissat. These aviation hubs promise longer runways that will be able to handle larger commercial aircraft. The climate crisis is a visible, real threat in Greenland, and investment in the tourism sphere is increasing as changing climates  pose roadblocks to traditional industries.

Learn more about how Greeenland is adapting, and the stories of the Inuit people who’ve lived in the region for thousands of years at the  Icefjord Centre  in Ilulissat on the West Coast. Colorful Ilulissat is also home to the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord, which offers the staggering sight of a bay filled with floating icebergs. In general, nature is the main event in Greenland, with other highlights including whale watching, dog sledding and Aurora Borealis sightings.   —FS

Before the pandemic, Uzbekistan was poised to be the  next big thing  in travel thanks to a series of ambitious reforms to transform the country into a world-class destination.

Now, its time has finally come.

Offering visa-free access to citizens of 86 countries, Uzbekistan’s untouched landscapes and well-preserved architecture are ready and waiting to awe visitors.

For greater insights into Uzbekistan’s position at the heart of the fabled Silk Road, a historic trade route that ran from China and India to the Mediterranean, the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva await. Meanwhile, the mountainous Uzbek village of Sentob — about 3.5 hours from Samarkand — was added to UNESCO’s list of “ Best Tourism Villages ” in 2023. It’s been cited for its commitment to sustainable development, with a focus on nature, organic food and eco and mountain tourism.

Getting around the country is easy thanks to the high-speed Afrosiyob Express train, connecting capital Tashkent with Samarkand and Bukhara.  —KC

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Opinion: Writing San Diego’s sunshine and noir, City Works Press celebrates 20 years

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Miller is a local author, professor at San Diego City College, and vice president for the American Federation of Teachers, Local 1931. He lives in Golden Hill.

Nearly 20 years ago, a group of local writers and artists started the San Diego Writers Collective and San Diego City Works Press in an effort to highlight the work of writers from our region. Over the years we have published fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that addresses the issues faced by those living in the borderlands, the struggles and triumphs of working-class San Diegans, and a wide range of other themes from the challenges of parenting and the politics of food, to the anticipatory grief of our era of catastrophic climate change and more.

City Works Press has featured the writing of prominent figures like Jimmy Santiago Baca, Sandra Alcosser, Marilyn Chin, Steve Kowit, and Mike Davis as well the work of established local and first-time scribes of all sorts. We have published novels, poetry collections, and works of creative non-fiction by single authors as well as a good number of innovative anthologies.

Our “Reclaiming Our Stories” anthologies have featured the often-neglected voices from Southeast San Diego. “Wounded Border/Frontera Herida” featured cutting edge research and analysis of the border region while “Sunshine/Noir I” and “Sunshine/Noir II” covered a wide range of creative and critical takes on life in the San Diego/Tijuana region.

What makes us stand out from other publishers is that San Diego City Works Press is an entirely nonprofit collective. As our mission statement elaborates: “We are a ‘collective’ in that we all contribute part of the funds and labor that go into each publication and the money made from our sales goes toward the publication of subsequent books. Hence the press is based on an ethic of reciprocity. Each manuscript that we receive is reviewed by a group of people other than the author and is chosen for publication based on its quality and whether or not it fits our mission of promoting innovative, progressive, ethnically diverse local writing.”

Thus, San Diego City Works Press has always been entirely a labor of love. Our mission continues to be to help create a space for writing that is not bound by commercial considerations or the pretenses of academic publishing. We are interested in being a vehicle for many who might never think of themselves as welcome in the world of the literary arts and a place where the worlds of professional and beginning writers, the arts world, and the community intersect in a city where no press dedicated to the publication of local literary writing exists other than our own.

This two-decades journey of San Diego City Works Press has not always been an easy one. While we are housed at City College where we are proud to frequently provide students with free books, we receive no institutional funding from the college or the San Diego Community College District and have survived only by raising funds from the collective, in the community and, of course, by selling books. Over the years, we have lost a number of beloved friends and founding members of this project, navigated a pandemic that eliminated many outfits like our own, and done our best to hustle our way to the next day.

In that spirit, we invite you to join us if you have a story to tell about life in San Diego and/or Tijuana for our 20-year anniversary. San Diego City Works Press is currently accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, photography and art for our 20-year anniversary anthology of San Diego writing, “Sunshine/Noir III: Writing from San Diego and Tijuana,” due out in 2025 .

If you have a poem, story, creative and/or documentary non-fiction, or a piece of art or photography that captures the realities of San Diego County or the Tijuana border region that lurk beneath the booster and tourist stereotypes of “America’s Finest City,” please submit. We are open to work from both professional and beginning writers as long as it is excellent and has a story to tell.

We want work that maps the endangered natural landscape and sniffs out grit, ecstasy and irony in the midst of the theme-park city. We seek writing that reveals buried histories, deals with the border, work, race, class, gender, sexuality, urban and natural environments, decadence, tragedy, sex, death, beauty, ugly beauty, and, yes, alienation under the sun. Everything from traditional realism to formal innovation is welcome in fiction and our tastes in poetry and non-fiction are equally eclectic.

Submit your best poems, fictions or non-fictions of ten pages or less via email in a Word document or PDF file before June 7, to [email protected] .

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Double taps, tourist traps: How to find hiking spots in the era of gatekeeping

Brenden Lundberg had seen pictures of Horseshoe Bend on social media a few times. The geological loop in the Colorado River is beautiful — and Instagram algorithm-friendly. 

So when Lundberg realized his family’s April 2023 road trip from Utah to Arizona would skirt the edge of the landmark, it looked like a perfect opportunity to pull over and snap a few photos.

When they got there, they were met with a packed parking lot, crowds of people and a parking fee. 

It seemed everyone else had seen those social media posts of Horseshoe Bend, too.

“There didn’t even used to be a trailhead … but then one dude posted (about Horseshoe Bend) on Instagram,” Lundberg said. “So they added the parking lot and the trailhead and now it’s always crazy busy.”

Just 10 years ago, the landmark seven miles from the Grand Canyon only pulled in thousands of visitors a year. Now, annual attendance is in the millions . 

Horseshoe Bend’s parent park, Glen Canyon Recreational Area, which straddles Utah and Arizona, beat out powerhouses like Zion National Park and Arches National Park for the Utah park with the most visitors in 2023, bringing in a record 5.2 million people.

The official Visit Arizona website has a page dedicated to Horseshoe Bend. The number one thing they recommend to bring? A camera.

Lundberg said even with a pack of amateur photographers clustered at the trailhead, the bend was “still really cool.” 

“I feel like people definitely are more likely to get outside and go somewhere, even if it is just to take a picture,” he said.

In the digital age, hiking has morphed from a sport to a piece of social currency — and more and more people are cashing in.

In a Reddit thread titled, “Why does everyone on Tinder say they’re into hiking?” user Dezdemona_ said she listed hiking as one of her interests on a resume, even though she never hiked.

“It was just something that made me seem more active and outgoing, since all of my hobbies are watching movies, crocheting or other sitting still stuff. It’s also something that’s easy to justify: I like walks, I like nature… why not hiking?”

People might create an outdoorsy online persona because it makes them seem “active” and “fun,” Lundberg said.

In an informal survey of Instagram users, 97% said they had posted online about nature or a hike at some point. 77% had visited a national park or hiking trail because of an Instagram post and 62% had gone on a hike for the photo op.

Social media documentation of outdoor experiences isn’t just a faddish concern among hiking dilettantes — some experienced hikers, mountain bikers and photographers also feel a pull to post.

“Quite often I take the pictures (of nature) with Instagram in mind,” study participant Anne said in research article “The Instagrammable Outdoors – Investigating the sharing of nature experiences through visual social media.”

The study explores the aestheticization of the outdoors. In other words, some scenic locales are just a little more Instagram-worthy than others.

Study participants often posted “stunning views or recognizable places, which were shaped by participants’ norms of what an Instagrammable landscape looked like,” the study said.

No matter what the participants’ intentions, they all gave in — consciously or not — to the Instagram ideal, according to the study. The photos they chose to post of outdoor scenes “were rather similar.”

This homogenization of online nature content is at the heart of the overcrowding problem Lundberg and others experience at places like Horseshoe Bend.

Turns out when people’s Instagram feeds become seas of double tap-able, generic nature photos, people tend to seek out those same photo-ops — en masse.

According to hiking guidebook writer and outdoor enthusiast Craig Romano, there’s a lot of crowdsourced “garbage” online that keeps people going to the same popular spots over and over.

In recent years, he’s added a crowd rating to trails he writes about so people will know what they’re getting into.

“Some of these places are so popular because they’re easier to get to,” he said. “I don’t want it to feel like a city park in the wilderness.”

However, he said, the vast majority of trails he explores don’t have a crowding problem at all — if anything, they’re underused.

“If trails don’t get used, they’ll just get abandoned,” he said. “We’ve got to get people out to other areas.”

Romano, who has hiked more than 2,000 trails in Washington State alone, knows from experience there are plenty of alternatives to the big name, big parking lot spots.

When he starts compiling a new guidebook, Romano said he tries to be “really comprehensive.” He includes hikes with name recognition, but he also packs in the smaller trails that many long-time locals don’t even know about.

Some people have criticized Romano for “exposing” hiking locations. To this, he said “It’s public land. You don’t own this.”

Studies suggest that most of the folks getting riled up about extra bodies on the trails seem to be white people with disposable income, who aren’t used to sharing the outdoors. 

This isn’t new: the first advocates for gatekeeping were well-to-do Americans at the turn of the twentieth century who wanted “a more intimate experience with wilderness,” away from the masses, according to the Forest History Society .

Lower-income groups and racial minorities have historically been excluded from outdoor leisure activities, mostly because of distance, cost and lack of awareness, according to an article published in “Annals of Leisure Research,” vol. 25.

Though not a cure-all, social media boosts awareness about hikes among this out-group.

And sure, while it might make some trails more crowded, social media popularity is not a death sentence for the outdoors. 

If you ask Romano, he’ll tell you that half the fun of hiking is researching new trails — and scanning top 10 lists on AllTrails doesn’t count.

“You’ve got to really dig out good sources … There are writers out there who have websites and social media,” he said. “I love the discovery, getting the maps out, exploring the sites.”

Romano said he talks to locals, scans maps for unmarked green spots and chats with land management agencies. When he finds a cool spot, he posts on his website and on his personal social media.

“It’s not like this information is hidden,” Romano said.

For avid hikers in Provo, Romano recommended heading west instead of following the crowds to the big parks in Southern Utah. Great Basin National Park off of Highway 50 is a good place to start, he said.

Lundberg is on board with the social media hiking scene. “I appreciate when people post their hikes on social media,” he said. “Everybody should be able to see the different places in the world.”

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