Here in the long and narrow strip of land on the west coast of South America lies such natural wonders, that it not only beckons you but also will leave you wanting for more. From the driest desert of San Pedro de Atacama to the modern metropolitan Santiago, from the remote, untrodden and unbelievably beautiful marble caves to the freezing glaciers of Patagonia, and from the adventure seeking treks of Torres del Paine’s peaks to Pucon’s volcanoes, Chile has it all.
We spent over a month travelling from the southern tip of South America to the Atacama desert in the North of Chile going back and forth between Argentina and Chile several times and enjoyed every bit of it. The beauty of this country is immeasurable and although we did miss out on the W-trek to Torres del Paine and Pucon as they were quite strenuous (unfortunately we are not in our twenties!!), we consider ourselves lucky to have been able to visit such breathtakingly beautiful places such as the Capilla de Marmol and San Pedro de Atacama. In all my travels, I consider these 2 places to be among the top 5 best destinations in the world. So without further ado, let me dive into my list of must see places in Chile in the chronological order of our visit.
Capilla de Marmol (the Marble Chapel)
One of the most isolated natural treasures of the world, the Marble Caves (Capillas de Mármol) are a series of sculpted caves in the General Carrera Lake in the heart of Patagonia. The Cathedral, the Chapel and the Cave are the three formations that make up this natural spectacle that will certainly leave you breathless. They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. When I saw pictures of this spectacular sight, it immediately went on my bucket list and I decided to visit this place at any cost.
I’m hoping you feel the same when you look at this picture, and if you do, click on the link here to see how to visit these amazing Marble caves.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital and the largest city in Chile and also one of the largest cities in South America. It is a beautiful city with a rich heritage accompanied with neoclassical architecture. It is located in the country’s central valley surrounded by the beautiful Andes.
We stayed here for 2 weeks (November 14 – 29th, 2017) and loved every bit of it. We took in the sights at a very leisurely pace visiting one sight each day and relaxing. We took a free walking tour the day after we arrived here and this gives you the best taste of the city. Especially for tourists pressed for time, a tour of this kind will show you the highlights and a bit of history so that you can design your visits based on your interests. I highly recommend taking this tour whether you are here for 1 or 2 days or even a week – www.freetoursantiago.cl
Places To See : Highlights of Santiago as I see it.
Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas is the main square, the centerpiece of the city where everyone congregates, be it local folks or tourists. There is always something happening here and has a very lively and upbeat feel to it. It is the old town and the first to come into existence any time a city is being built during the colonial times. Built around this plaza are the catedral, city hall, the post office and also the building that houses the Pre-Colombian art museum and the National History Museum. The square itself is very interesting in the fact that it has a beautiful fountain in the middle, a statue of Pedro Valdivia, a park-like setting all around with trees, and plenty of park benches everywhere. In the area across from the catedral you will find people selling artwork and other wares, along with entertainers performing humorous acts. On the opposite side, they have an area where tables and chairs are laid out and the Chess Club of Santiago meets everyday to play chess. There is also a circular gazebo style stage where you find music performances regularly and on Sundays, people of all ages gather and perform Cueca (the traditional Chilean dance). We also happened to catch a performance of Salsa dancing here on a Saturday afternoon. Anybody can join in, age or experience, no bar.
Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago facing the Plaza de Armas in the city’s historic center is the seat of the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile.
It is one of the largest and most impressive churches in Chile with its magnificent naves and splendid ceilings.
Basilica de la Merced
Basilica de la Merced is a great religious site in Santiago originally built in 1566 by Mercedarians which was destroyed by an earthquake and later rebuilt in 1736.
The basilica is said to house a sliver of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, which was reportedly donated to Chilean mercenaries by King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Although this factor has made it a major attraction, the simplicity of the church along with its splendid neo-Renaissance architecture draws you to it. It is located between Plaza de Armas and Santa Lucia hill on Merced Street.
La Moneda
Palacio de La Moneda is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. Originally built in 1805 as the colonial mint (hence the name La Moneda – moneda means coin or currency) and was used to produce coins until 1929.
It was later used as the seat of the government. During the military coup d’état in 1973, the Chilean Air Force bombarded the palace at the request of the army. Reconstruction and restoration projects were completed in 1981, although some bullet marks have been preserved and can still be seen today. Free guided tours are available at the La Moneda website and are given in several languages. They must be requested at least seven days in advance, however we couldn’t find any available dates during our 2 weeks stay so we were unable to tour the Palace.
Cerro San Cristóbal
Cerro San Cristóbal is a hill in the northern part of Santiago at the edge of Barrio Bellavista. The main attraction with Cerro San Cristóbal is that you can get a 360 degree view of the entire city of Santiago along with the snow capped Andes surrounding it. The peak is 300m above the rest of Santiago and is the second highest point in the city. The summit can be reached by foot (about a 45-minute walk), by car via the road joining the Santiago Metropolitan Park, or by the Funicular (tram) of Santiago (the base of which sits next to the Zoo at the North end of Pio Nono in Barrio Bellavista). Although the Funicular was not functioning the day we went there, there was a bus service that would take you to and back. On its summit, there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, with a 22-meter statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an amphitheater and a chapel. The statue of the Immaculate Conception measures 14 meters tall, and the pedestal on which it rests is 8.3 meters in height. Within the pedestal there is a small chapel in which Pope John Paul II prayed and blessed the city of Santiago on April 1, 1987.
At the foothills of Cerro San Cristóbal are the Chilean National Zoo and a Japanese-style garden, and up there are also two municipal pools, Tupahue and Antilén. Cerro San Cristóbal houses Santiago’s largest public park: the Santiago Metropolitan Park (Parque Metropolitano).
Cerro Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia is a small hill located in the center of Santiago, Chile (our airbnb apartment was just ½ block from Santa Lucia).
The hill comprises a 65,300 square metre park adorned with ornate facades, stairways and fountains. At the highest point there is a viewpoint popular with tourists visiting the city.
Although not as expansive a view as the one you get from Cerro San Cristobal, the view from the top of Santa Lucia is spectacular. You get to see the city of Santiago, albeit the downtown and its immediate vicinity. It is in a very peaceful park-like setting with gardens and trees and has two forts or castles one north and another south of the hill.
Museums of Santiago
- The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Pre-columbian art Museum) is an art museum dedicated to the study and display of pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from Central and South America. It houses collections of artifacts ranging from over 10,000 years. The museum is located on the western end of Plaza de Armas. Entrance fee is 3500 Chilean Pesos (Approx $6 USD)
- Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights) Opened in 2010, this museum isn’t for the faint of heart: the exhibits expose the terrifying human rights violations and large-scale ‘disappearances’ that took place during the Chilean civil-military regime led by Augusto Pinochet between the years of 1973 and 1990. It is located at Matucana 501, Santiago. You can take the metro to Quinta Normal station to get there.
- Museo Histórico Nacional (National History Museum) This museum displays Colonial furniture, weapons, paintings, historical objects and models charting Chile’s colonial and republican history. Located at the north side of Plaza de Armas, the building itself has a rich history. Following its inauguration in 1808, at the beginning of independence, it has been the seat of the Royal Audience and became the epicenter of political events of that time: it was the seat of the First National Congress in 1811, and the house of government during the Old Homeland between 1812 to 1814. In the period of the Spanish Reconquista it was again the seat of the Royal Audience. In 1818, the Palacio de la Real Audiencia was officially designated as a government house by Bernardo O’Higgins, calling it “Palace of Independence”. This building was used as the house of the president and headquarters of the ministries of State and other public offices until the end of the first government of Manuel Bulnes. After that, the property continued to house various institutions and public bodies. In 1969 it was declared a National Monument and was taken over by the National Historical Museum, which restored it between 1978 and 1982 and refurbished it to house its collections. Entrance to the museum is free although you could rent an English audio guide.
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) This fine art museum is housed in the stately neoclassical Palacio de Bellas Artes, built as part of Chile’s centenary celebrations in 1910. The museum features an excellent permanent collection of Chilean art. Entrance is free.
Barrio Lastarria
Lastarria neighborhood is a historical neighborhood in central Santiago, one block east of Santa Lucia hill. It is a popular tourist hub with a bohemian and intellectual flavor, consisting of numerous cafés, bars and cultural centers.
Activities such as festivals and live performances are commonly held throughout the streets of Lastarria given its strong cultural flavor and you can also pick up some souvenirs sold on the street here during evenings and weekends.
Barrio Bellavista
Barrio Bellavista (Bellavista Neighborhood) is an area that lies between the Mapocho River and San Cristóbal Hill in Santiago, Chile. It is known as Santiago’s bohemian quarter, with numerous restaurants, boutiques, avant-garde galleries, bars and clubs.
Many of the city’s intellectuals and artists live in Bellavista, and Pablo Neruda’s house in Santiago, La Chascona, is in the district. The area is served by the Baquedano Metro subway station, located across the river to the south.
Get around
Santiago’s metro system is extensive and very good. It is the second largest and the most modern underground metro system in South America. It has 6 lines and over 100 stations and it is the best way to get to any place in the city of Santiago. You can get a Bip card (for 1500 pesos/$2.40 USD) which can be refilled at any station and kiosks all over town and can be used on buses too. The fare per ride depends on the time of day which generally ranges from 650-720 pesos (approx. $1-1.15). However, we never got to use the buses here due to the metro’s excellent connectivity.
Shop : Santiago, like all metropolitan cities has its share of shopping centers and shops lined streets. Since we were staying in the downtown area, I can only talk about shopping in this vicinity. I found the best place for souvenirs is the Centro Artesanal Santa Lucia located behind Santa Lucia Hill. Here you find Alpaca sweaters, shawls, and accessories along with other handmade items such as colorful shoes from Peru, silver jewelry and other articles.
The other place you can find similar souvenirs is in the corner of Bellavista and Pio Nono streets where the stalls open every evening from 6pm onwards.
Eat :
- Empanadas in Chile are different from the ones you find in Argentina. They are bigger and deep fried and very good. And the best empanadas are the shrimp or camarones.
- When you talk about seafood, you have to try the fish market at Mercado Central located 4 blocks from Plaza de Armas. And the dish to try is the Paila Marina, a soup containing various fish, clams, shrimp, and other seafood.
- While Hamburgers are the go-to fast food item in Argentina, the most common fast food in Chile is Hot dogs. The food courts are filled with many hot dog places and you can find Chileans standing and eating their hot dogs at the counter in all of these joints.
- Pisco Sour is another alcoholic speciality of Chile that you cannot leave without trying. Originally a Peruvian drink, Chile has its own version of this popular drink made with Pisco, lime juice and ice. The Pisco Sour found here contains 14% alcohol and is generally served as a welcome drink in small shot glasses. You can also order a glass of Pisco Sour at any restaurant.
- Mote con huesillo is a traditional Chilean summer-time non-alcoholic drink made from wheat and peaches and often sold in street stands or vendor carts.
Day Tour of Valparaiso
Located 120 kms from Santiago, Valparaiso is a major seaport and the second largest city in Chile. It has been the headquarters of the Chilean National Congress since 1990 when the Congress was moved here from Santiago.
Buses depart Santiago from Terminal Alameda every 15 minutes which takes approximately 80 minutes to reach Valparaiso. When we went on the walking tour in Santiago, the guide had advised us that they also have a similar walking tour of Valparaiso. The schedule for this was at 10am and 3pm daily. Since we were going there as a day trip, the 10am tour made more sense. So we got ready early and took the metro to the bus station for the 8.30 bus from Santiago bus terminal and reached Valparaiso station at 9.45. Since the tour was to start at 10am, we didn’t have much time so we quickly asked people how to get to Plaza Anibal Pinto which was the meeting point for our tour. It was a few blocks away so we took a bus which dropped us closer to the plaza.
It was a 3 hour tour and they took us around all the main points of interest. Built on several hills, the city of Valparaiso reminded me a lot of San Francisco in the way the streets are all inclined and quite steep with narrow cobblestone alleyways. The city was once a major seaport and a gateway to trade and commerce and it flourished until the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. The earthquake of 1906 was another disaster to reshape the landscape of this city. Rebuilding the city post earthquake and with the slump in trade due to the popularity of the Panama Canal opened this city to graffiti and street art. The government welcomed locals and foreigners to express their artwork and as a result, Valparaiso came to be known as the graffiti capital of Chile. Requests can be made along with a sketch to the government and/or the homeowner to paint any available wall. Property values are said to increase for houses with good graffiti art.
As the city is built on several hills, in order to reach higher ground, the city built several funiculars (Cable cars or Elevators as they call them). The earliest of them (Ascensor Concepción, also known as Ascensor Turri) opened in 1883, operated by steam, and is still in service. As many as 28 different funicular railways have served Valparaíso at one time or another, and it has currently fifteen lifts declared Historical Monuments by the National Monuments Council. The first stop on our walking tour was one such funicular called Ascensor Reina Victoria, one of the earliest built in 1902. As we made our way up the lift, we got to see a panoramic view of the city along with an aerial view of the Cemetery of the rich and famous Valparaiso residents built in the same mausoleum style as in the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires. From here we walked along several alleyways, up and down stairs, and several bylanes and found several beautiful murals, such as the piano stairs, the famous slogan of Valparaiso “We are not Hippies, we are Happies”, and various other street art.
After about 3 hours, we ended our tour at Plaza Sotomayor which is the main square in Valparaiso. In the center of the square is the Monumento a Los Héroes de Iquique (monument that honors the Chilean sailors who fell during the battle of Iquique). At the northeastern side of the square are two similar towers, which create a sort of gate entrance to the port from the city. On the opposite side, is the building that housed the Intendencia de Valparaíso, which currently is home to the headquarters of the Chilean Navy. We then went up Ascensor Artilleria for a beautiful view of the port of Valparaiso. From here you could see the entire seaport, the shipyard and even a faraway view of the neighboring Vina Del Mar. We spent around 10 minutes here admiring the view and taking pictures and headed back down the same funicular, had lunch at a food court in the mall located in the Plaza and took the bus back to the station for our ride back to Santiago.
ANTOFAGASTA – A gateway to the Atacama desert
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile around 1100 kms from Santiago. It is the capital of the Antofagasta province which is usually a stopover point between Santiago and the Atacama desert. The best way to get to Antofagasta from Santiago is by air. Shop around and look at budget airlines like Sky airlines and book ahead to get the best fares.
Antofagasta is a beautiful seaside town located between the mountains and the ocean. As a result, the temperature is fairly mild here in spite of it being a desert. Antofagasta is known for its mining activities, especially copper which is in abundance here. It is a fairly big city but the tourism infrastructure is not so great. There are only a few things to see around here and the only way to reach them is by car. Although the city does have public buses, there is no service to the tourist spots. The only means of transport from the Airport to the city is via taxi.
Our Airbnb apartment was in the newer part of the city in walking distance to the ocean. So the first evening we arrived in Antofagasta, we just took a walk towards the beach and got to see a beautiful sunset by the beach. The next day we spent going to the city center and collecting information at the tourism center about places to see and how to get there. Based on the information we gathered, we decided to rent a car for one day and visit the main 2 tourist spots, the La Portada and the Mano del Desierto. We did some research online and booked a rental car. So the next morning, we had to take the local bus to reach the car rental place which was quite far. While we were waiting for the bus, we were approached by a collectivo which is like a shared taxi. We reached the car rental place and it took us a good half hour to get the rental because of the language barrier. Once we got the car, we headed off towards Mano del Desierto (the hand in the desert) which was a 75 kms drive south of the city. After about an hour’s drive on a pretty desolate road, we spotted the small turnout from the highway and the Hand a few meters away. It is a large sculpture of a hand located in the Atacama desert. The sculpture was constructed by the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal at an altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level. Its exaggerated size is said to emphasize human vulnerability and helplessness. It has a base of iron and concrete, and stands 11 metres (36 ft) tall. When we got there, we were surprised to find no one and nothing around, not even a tourist sign or plaque suggesting the significance of the sculpture. All there was was the hand emerging from the ground. We got down from our car and went around the sculpture taking pictures and after maybe 10 minutes or so, there were another couple that came to see the sculpture, and then another. Clearly not many tourists throng to Antofagasta.
From here, we headed back towards the city and just before we approached the city limits you can see the Ruins of Huanchaca. This is an old vestige of a silver smelter constructed in 1892. It ceased operation in 1902 and in 1974 was declared a Historical monument. We just looked at the structure from the outside but weren’t able to tour the inside because of an upcoming event. From here we drove up north of the city towards the airport for around 20 kms and came upon La Portada (The Gateway).
This is a natural arch on the coast of Chile formed by marine erosion. There is a nice viewing deck from where you can get a very nice view of La Portada along with the beautiful coast but the steps leading down to the beach were closed due to renovation. The contrast of the whitish rock against the blue water is really breathtaking. In my opinion La Portada is the first of two reasons to visit Antofagasta as a tourist, Mano del Desierto being the second.
As I have mentioned earlier, if you happen to use Antofagasta as a stopover point between Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama like most travellers, one day should be more than enough to see the 2 sights, although they are in opposite directions from the city. And make sure you have made prior transport arrangements like renting a car or taxi to visit them due to the lack of public transport.
In contrast, the next stop on our journey San Pedro de Atacama has so much to offer in terms of sights that we were really looking forward to going. A 5 hour bus ride from Antofagasta the following day brought us to the center of the driest desert at 9000+ feet above sea level known as San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro de Atacama
There is so much to see around this small desert oasis that a trip to the Atacama desert must be on every traveler’s bucket list. Mother Earth or ‘Pachamama’ as the Atacameños call her, has deposited so many treasures here that it is sure to leave you breathless (and I’m not just saying that because of the altitude!) Its dramatic landscape incorporates desert, salt flats, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, such as Valle de la Luna; the Altiplanic Lagoons Miscanti and Miñiques at an altitude of 13,500 ft; home of “ALMA” (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) – the large radio-telescope; Piedra Rojas and Aguas Caliente, El Tatio geyser field with over 80 active geysers; Chaxa Lagoon – home to the pink Flamingos; Licancabur volcano; Laguna Cejar which is saltier than the Dead Sea; Puritama Hot Springs, and not to mention the colorful and dramatic landscape and mountains any which way you turn, makes San Pedro de Atacama a virtual treasure trove for tourism. Click here to read all about our unforgettable tour of this mystical land.
