Top destinations in santiago
The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is Santiago 's finest museum,
with a beautifully presented collection of pre-Hispanic art drawn
from the whole South American continent. Highlights include elaborate
Meso-American incense burners, Andean textiles dating back as far
as 3,000 years, and Maya carvings - not to be missed on any account.
Cerro San Cristobal Cable Car
For a gut-churning ride and matchless views of the city, take the
cable car over Cerro San Cristóbal - rounded off with a plunge
in the magnificent hilltop pool, Piscina Tupahue.
Mercado Central
Try a fresh-as-it-comes seafood lunch at the stately Mercado Central,
surrounded by stalls packed with glistening sea bass and salmon,
and buckets of salt-crusted oysters, mussels and clams.
Changing of the Guard
Don't miss the changing of the guard at the government palace -
the splendid Palacio de la Moneda - when hundreds of green-uniformed
soldiers in high black boots goose-step around the square to the
Chilean national anthem.
La
Chascona
The former house of Pablo Neruda - Chile 's Nobel Prize-winning
poet - is packed to the rafters with bizarre and beautiful objects,
from Victorian dolls and African carvings to music boxes and paperweights.
Preserved as a museum, it makes for a fascinating wander.
Cerro
Santa Lucia
Climbing up the exuberantly landscaped Santa Lucía hill -
via a maze of swirling stairways, turrets and fountains - is an
essential part of the Santiago experience. Your reward is sweeping
views over the city, impressive even when the smog is out in force.
Los
Dominicos Market
The best place to hunt for souvenirs is without doubt the lively
Los Dominicos market, where you'll find a huge range of beautiful
handicrafts as well as antiques, books, fossils, a restaurant, and
live music and dancing at weekends.
Dinner at Camino Real
Santiago's most memorable venue for dinner is Camino Real
up on Cerro San Cristóbal - especially magical at night,
when the city lights spread out below like a blanket of diamonds.
Palacio Cousiño
For a glimpse of how Santiago 's other half lived in the nineteenth
century, visit the sumptuous Palacio Cousiño, a splendid
1870s mansion complete with all original furnishings.
Bellavista
The narrow streets and village-like atmosphere of Bellavista, the
capital's arty, bohemian quarter, make for a great wander. Check
it out by night when the main street, Pío Nono, becomes a
colourful crafts market - and wrap up your evening with a candlelit
dinner in one of the area's intimate restaurants.
