Santiago
You land, the mountains stare back at you, and the city finds its way into your shoes. Someone once told me you can hear the city before you see it, maybe because of the honking taxis or the singers squeezing a living on the metro. Popular things to do or visit in Santiago include dodging pigeons at Plaza de Armas, eating a sandwich so big it laughs at your plans, or climbing up a hill only to realise the elevator is on strike that day. Locals sometimes argue about which empanada is the right one—nobody wins, but everyone eats. The best hotel in Santiago? The one with a window that opens, so you can listen to the city’s heartbeat at 3 a.m. when jetlag has you wide awake and counting streetlights instead of sheep.
Local weather in Chile
SPRING
mild & temperate
SUMMER
warm & sunny
AUTUMN
mild & temperate
WINTER
cool
Accommodations in Santiago
Discover the best accommodations for Santiago and start planning your holiday.
Best hotel in Santiago and popular things to do
At sunrise, the city’s rooftops play hopscotch with the sun. Some say the best hotel in Santiago is the one where breakfast lingers and the coffee is strong enough to wake a llama. In my experience, if the staff remembers your name by the second day, you’ve made it. If not, just pretend your name is Pablo for the rest of the trip. Popular things to do or visit include wandering through Bellavista, where murals sneak up on you like lost socks in a laundry basket. I once saw a dog wearing sunglasses there. Nobody blinked.
Take the cable car up Cerro San Cristóbal—unless you’re afraid of heights, in which case, take it anyway and just don’t look down. The view from the top is a patchwork of city dreams and smog, and sometimes, if the weather is in a good mood, you’ll spot the Andes peeking over the clouds. A friend once got stuck at the top because he lost track of time watching a stray cat sunbathe. They almost charged him rent. The best part about Santiago? Every corner has its own way of reminding you that travel, like socks, rarely goes as planned but always finds a way back to you (unless you lose both in a hostel laundry, which also happened to me).
Other cities around Chile
These popular destinations have a lot to offer for you next holiday or city break.
