Get to know Santiago de Chile and its surroundings
In Santiago de Chile and its surroundings there are many places to visit, where to go and what can you do? Check it out here.
Here we recommend restaurants that offer typical Chilean food, Santiago neighborhoods and tourist destinations very close to the Chilean capital.
Typical food: What to eat in Santiago?
If you want to eat typical Chilean food, we recommend you:
La Piojera is an iconic cantina of typical food in downtown Santiago.
This place offers the classic dishes of Chilean cuisine: Empanadas, carne mechada with potatoes and Chilean style salads, pernil with boiled potatoes, arrollado entero (pork) with boiled potatoes and pichanga.
If you go to La Piojera you must try «El Terromoto», a mixture of pipeño with pineapple ice cream and grenadine. This drink is very loved by Chileans, it is a must for Fiestas Patrias celebrations. It is worth a visit.
La Piojera is located at 1030 Aillavilú Street, Santiago (very close to Cal y Canto subway station).
For meat and barbecue lovers there is the restaurant El Chilenazo.
Among its specialties it offers different cuts of meat and grills, including special grilled meats and sausages, entrecote, rib-eye steak, sirloin steak, steak, American entraña and more.
If you are looking for grilled meat cooked to perfection, juicy and tasty, we recommend this restaurant. El Chilenazo not only offers meats, but also typical Chilean dishes.
In Santiago there are six locations, one of them is located at Libertad 37, downtown Santiago.
Located in the Central Market of Santiago, Donde Augusto receives daily hundreds of foreign tourists looking for seafood.
Donde Augusto works with seafood products based on signature and gourmet cuisine. Among his specialties you will find machas a la parmesana, albacore, conger eel, salmon, reineta, silverside, squid, crab, spider crab, shrimp, curantos, paila marina, casserole and other typical dishes.
What are the must-see destinations in Santiago?
The places of interest for tourists in the capital are the following:
- La Moneda Palace: Located in the heart of Santiago is the seat of the President of the Republic. If you want to know its courtyards and halls, you can visit it inside.
- Barrio Lastarria: If you are looking for dinner, a coffee or a fun night out, we recommend you to visit this place, where you can find several restaurants and bars.
- Historic Center of Santiago: Meeting point to visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Historical Museum, the Museum of Colonial Art of Santiago, the Plaza de Armas, among other destinations.
If you are in downtown Santiago, we recommend that you try the mote con huesillos, a delicious typical Chilean concoction with mote and huesillo, a must try!
- Museo de Bellas Artes: First art museum in Latin America, which has an artistic heritage of more than 3 thousand pieces.
Admission is free and it is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. The museum is located on José Miguel de la Barra Street, very close to the Magnolia Hotel and Barrio Lastarria.
- Museum of Memory and Human Rights: This museum commemorates the victims of human rights violations during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 hours. If required, you can request a guided tour.
- Museo de Arte Precolombino: It has exhibitions of pre-Hispanic art of the American culture, among them the Chinchorro Mummies, the oldest in the world.
The museum is located on Bandera Street, in the heart of downtown Santiago, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 hours.
- Cerro Santa Lucia (Santa Lucía Hill): Urban park, ideal for walking and enjoying. Reaching the top will allow you to have a wide view of the commune of Santiago and see the Hidalgo Castle, built in 1816.
- Cerro San Cristóbal: Visit the Metropolitan Park, where you can visit the National Zoo and / or walk to the top, where the figure of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception is located.
- Sky Costanera: The highest point in Latin America is located on the top floor of the Costanera Center, the country’s shopping mall. From there you can have a 360° view of all of greater Santiago.
- Barrio Bellavista: Located between downtown Santiago and Recoleta. It is the neighborhood that receives many tourists who come to visit its restaurants, pubs and bars. Not only you can go to have a drink, you can also enjoy some shows in the theaters that are in the neighborhood.
Not to be missed destinations near Santiago
- Viña del Mar and Valparaíso
In the Valparaíso Region, almost two hours by car from Santiago (120 kilometers), you will find the garden city, Viña del Mar and Valparaíso.
In Viña del Mar you can visit the Flower Clock, its waterfront, beaches, downtown, San Martin Avenue, where there is a variety of restaurants for all tastes.
In Valparaíso you can walk through its streets, elevators and hills. This city is characterized by its art, culture and exquisite typical national gastronomy.
You can visit the main port of Valparaíso, the Sotomayor Square, the Pablo Neruda museum, called «La Sebastiana» (which offers guided tours so you can learn more about its history) and much more.
- Pomaire
50 minutes from Santiago, on route 78 is this small town called Pomaire.
This small tourist town is a must for tourists who come to Santiago for the first time. Small potters who work with clay offer pots, pitchers, pigs, kitchenware and other clay figures.
With a country air, Pomaire has several restaurants that offer typical Chilean food. Many of them have generous pine empanadas, for their exquisite flavor and size.
- Isla Negra
Located in the southern part of the commune of El Quisco (Valparaiso Region), this town attracts many tourists. The house of the Chilean writer and poet, Pablo Neruda, is located there.
The house is a real museum. You can enter and access a guided tour to visit it.
Very close to Isla Negra is El Quisco, El Tabo, Algarrobo, which you can visit.
- Cajón del Maipo
Very close to Santiago, in the direction of the Andes Mountains, is the Cajón del Maipo, 900 meters above sea level.
The commune of San José de Maipo is located 48 kilometers from Santiago. The Cajón del Maipo offers various activities: trekking, horseback riding, hiking, biking, canopy, rafting and much more.
You can visit El Yeso Dam, El Morado Natural Monument, El Tinoco Railway Tunnel and much more.
- Vineyard Tour
Regarding beverages, foreign tourists are very interested in tasting Chilean pisco and wines.
Our country is the first exporter of wines in the new world and what better way to get closer to wine and learn more about its history and production in a vineyard tour. Looking to taste Chilean wine? Don’t miss it for anything in the world.
Which wineries are near Santiago?
- Concha y Toro Winery (Pirque)
- Ventisquero Winery (Colchagua Valley)
- Santa Cruz Winery (Colchagua Valley)
- Viña VIK (Cachapoal Valley)
Looking for lodging in Santiago?
In the center of Santiago is the Magnolia Hotel, a mansion built in 1929, which has luxury rooms and other spaces such as the restaurant, bar and terrace, whose space will allow you to live a pleasant time outdoors.
Its exclusive design, allowed it to win the Le Prix Versailles award in the category «Best Hotel Design in Latin America and the Caribbean» delivered by UNESCO in 2017.
The hotel is located at 539 Huérfanos Street, Santiago. A 5-minute walk from the Bellas Artes metro station and approximately 45 minutes by car from Arturo Merino Benitez Airport.
Learn more about Hotel Magnolia and make your reservation by clicking HERE
