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The majestic Andean Mountain Range can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. Due to its geographic location, Santiago is one of the few capital cities in the world which has easy access both to ski slopes -just 50 kms. away-, and beaches, 100 kms. away. It is in fact possible to visit the modern ski resorts as well as the famous beach resort of Viña del Mar or picturesque Valparaiso, Chile's main port, in just one day. Numerous villages located in the countryside around Santiago invite the visitor to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility of country life. Tourists may also visit the vineyards and try the delicious Chilean wines.
The Santa Lucia Hill in the city center is an important historic landmark. It was here, at the foot of this hill formerly known as the "Huelen", that the Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago on February 12th, 1541. He planned the city according to the traditional Spanish checkerboard layout which is still evident in the downtown area today. Today, the Plaza de Armas with its colorful gardens is very different to what it was many years ago but the buildings that surround it bring back many memories. The Metropolitan Cathedral, on the western side of the plaza, stands on the same spot where the first church in Santiago was once built; to the north are three important buildings: the Post Office, the National Museum of History and the Townhall of Santiago. In the days of the Republic, new central neighborhoods -now traditional ones- were added on to the colonial Santiago of the 16th century. By the 1930s, modern Santiago, with its green areas and architecture had come into being. The growth and development which have taken place during the past years are evident in the facilities which the city offers the visitor.
New and comfortable hotels Located both in the center and on the eastern side of the city, have significantly increased Santiago's capacity to accommodate visitors as well as providing special facilities for congresses and conventions. Together with the development of tourist infrastructure, gastronomy in Chile has also taken on a new lease of life, both as regards the quality and the quantity of restaurants.
Santiago is on Atlantic Time, one hour ahead of New York, two hours ahead of Chicago. The exact date of the changeover varies from year to year, especially in drought years when there may be hydroelectric shortages. Check the "Time Ticker" for current time in Santiago.
220 volts AC, 60 Hz. High end hotels carry 120 volt plugs for your hair blower and electric razor.
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) The airport is located 17 km from downtown Santiago. There is a bus (approx. US1.30) and taxi service 9500 Ch$ (approx.: US 12), which takes you to and from the airport. The subway currently ends at San Pablo. There are plans for an extension to the airport.
A passport is required to enter Chile. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for a stay of up to three months. US, Canadians, Mexicans and Australians pay a Visa fee of US$65. Even though it is a one time fee for the life of your passport, they only take US dollars and exact fee is needed (they will not give any change back). No credit cards are accepted, so carry some US dollars with you. The receipt is valid for multiple entries during the validity of the traveler's passport. In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. For further information concerning entry, exit, and customs requirements, travelers may contact the Chilean Embassy at 1732 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, tel. (202) 785-1746. Travelers may also contact the Chilean consulates in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Clara, Miami, Honolulu, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan, Charleston, Dallas, Houston, and Salt Lake City.
Money exchange can be done in banks, money exchange houses and main hotels Most major credit cards are accepted in shops, hotels and travel agencies. Banks are open Mondays to Fridays, from 9 am to 2pm. Money Exchange Houses Money Exchange Houses have the same opening hours as shops. The official currency is the Peso. At printing you could get 525 pesos to the USD. Your best bet is to use ATM machines to exchange and charge all you can. You can not use your leftover currency towards your hotel bill (to avoid paying the 18% VAT) so change your pesos back into dollars after you get your boarding pass at the airport.
Warm with annual average temperature of 14.5oC (21oC in January, summer and 8.4oC in July. Winter), with annual average rainfall of 346 mm.
The official language is Spanish. In tourism related companies and organizations and the higher echelons speak English and/or French. We found that a survival knowledge of Spanish is required.
10% is expected and is usually not included in your restaurant bill.
VAT is 18% but is waved if you pay in US dollars either cash or credit card.
There is a subway that runs from east to west and north to south in the city as well as buses and taxis. The Metro has 3 functioning lines and 2 in the planning stages. If you're staying four days or more buy a "Valor" pass to save 40%. Remember, the Andes are always to the east while you're in Chile. That only helps when you can see them, however.
The city is connected to the rest of the country by means of
Two Chilean airlines, Ladeco and LAN Chile run regular daily flights There are also companies that run air taxi services.
Buses run to any part of the country with on board services such as food, bar, video and telephone, etc. Bus terminals are located in: Buses Norte: Amunategui 920 (Tel. 6712141): Los Heroes: Roberto Pretot 21 (Tel 6969250); Santiago: Av. L. Bernardo O'Higgins 3800 (Tel. 7791385); Alameda: Av L Bernardo O'Higgins 3794 (Tel 7761 023).
Trains run from Santiago to the south of the country with final destination Puento Montt The Main Railway Station is located in Av. L. Bernardo O'Higgins 3322 (Tel. 68951 99).
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Santiago has the best gay and lesbian life in the country. Most is concentrated in the bohemian neighborhood Bellavista, home to a thriving restaurant and club scene. Reminiscent of a time maybe twenty years ago in America, many venues do not have names on their doors. Still, once you enter these special enclaves, you'll find a diverse scene ranging from drag restaurants to chic clubs most of which undiscovered by north American tourists.
Santiago has a developing gay scene. As always, things change, bars close. Call before you go to make sure they still exist (or, horrors of horrors, haven't gone straight!). Due to its Catholic, Latin influence, most gays live at home until married. Hourly hotels are used for sex, unless you can bring them to your room. New to the internet world is Gayfotolog. Brush up on your Spanish, though. There are some cute boys posted on this site!
"Lambda", the only gay publication that we found, is scarce and, some say, no longer being printed (the only one we saw was a year old). According to the people we talked with, there is a need for a printed publication to replace the word of mouth which is currently the only way for news to get around the gay community. We use Santiago Gay to obtain the latest on the scene, information, and free Internet access to ourselves and the Chilean GLBT community.
Organizations & Publications
Chilean culture is very European. There is a siesta in the afternoon. Many business close from 1pm to 4pm and then stay open until 9pm. Dinner reservations are unheard of before 9pm, most of them are around 11pm and the kitchen usually stays open until 1am.
Generally, Chilean food, like so many other cultures, focuses on meat as the main dish, especially beef, (fish second with chicken a distant third). Typical seasonings include salt, oregano, cumin, fresh coriander, and special spices. Parrilladas are local grill houses that specialize in grilling the whole cow. Portions are large enough to make any vegetarian cringe. Most foods are accompanied by potatoes in every fashion.
Salads are the common accompaniment to entrees. However, they are usually made with only one or two ingredients, in contrast to the American salad that includes virtually every vegetable under the sun. A standard version is the ensalada with sliced tomatoes, thrice-washed, sliced onions, a vinaigrette and a little coriander for a nice, fresh taste.
Desserts reflect the strong influence of German immigrants brought their exceptional bread- and pastry-making skills with them to Chile. You can also fill up on these inexpensive delicacies for breakfast.
You will also find that Chile possesses an unparalleled choice of seafood and fish. Freshwater favorites like trout and salmon come sweet, firm and delicious, because they're farmed throughout Chile, particularly in the Lakes Region and in Patagonia.
Chefs prepare shellfish, including ostras (oysters) and machacas (razor clams) in a variety ways (including raw!) and in a variety of recipes, with soups being among the most common. Chilenos also hold an affinity for king crab (centolla), just as Americans do. Squid is another wonderful delicacy, often put into seafood soups and stews.
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Shops are open Mondays to Fridays, from 10 am to 8 pm and from 10 am to 2 PM on Saturdays. Shopping Centers open Mondays to Sundays. From l0am to 9pm.
Santiago is the heart of Chile in so many ways - politics, culture, industry, etc. That includes shopping. Santiago is the shopping capital of the country, serving as the conduit for all kinds of goods coming from across the nation
Santiago is a city that has raised shopping to an art form. It is riddled with pedestrian malls where one can stroll about taking in the sights, sounds and smells of elegant boutiques and gourmet restaurants in the Providencia District or downtown at Ahumada and Huerfanos, or the aura of quaint artisan markets and street vendors in the Bellavista District.
Others prefer to treat themselves to exquisite antiques in the Los Graneros del Alba shopping area. Art buffs haunt the Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro's colonial-style buildings, filled with art galleries where they can even stop in at a cafe for an espresso and kuchen and eavesdrop on the artists and writers who gather here. Museum gift shops draw another kind of collector; one is lured by culture and fame of modern Chilean art and ancient Easter Island artifacts. And still others find themselves mesmerized by the kaleidoscopic colors, textures and scents of the Mercado Central where hundreds of stalls proffer the freshest of tropical fruits, vegetables and uniquely Chilean snacks to be found there.
National and imported goods at reasonable prices are available in Santiago in some of the following areas:
An excellent highway about a hundred kilometers long leads to the coast through the valleys of Curacavi and Casablanca. The countryside is beautiful and there are several typical Chilean restaurants serving good local food along the way.
Viá del Mar, also known as the Garden City, has 300 thousand inhabitants and is the country's main beach resort. Located next to the Port of Valparaiso it has a good selection of hotels and a wide variety of restaurants, a Casino, cafes, discotheques and good shops. Visitors can go for a ride in a traditional horse-drawn "Victoria" and see the town with its well-kept gardens by the sea. The past and the present intermingle in this bustling tourist center.
Valparaiso, linked to ViÁ del Mar, is Chile's main port and also the site of the Chilean Congress.
The magnificent view from the numerous hills surrounding the bay of Valparaiso has long been a source of inspiration for both Chilean and foreign artists. It is undoubtedly worth going for a stroll around the picturesque fishing coves or taking one of the old-fashioned elevators up to the hills of Valparaiso with their multicolored houses and mansions dating from last century. "La Sebastiana", Pablo Neruda's museum-cum-house, recently opened to the public, is located on one of these hills. His most important house museum, which is filled with his collections, is in Isla Negra, Just an hour from Valparaiso, or an hour and a half from Santiago. As one of the most important ports in the Pacific Ocean, Valparaiso receives ships from all over the world. Here, they unload their cargos and load up again with Chilean goods destined for international markets.
In the Maipo Valley, near the city of Santiago, lies one of the country's most important wine growing areas. This region combines the three ideal conditions know internationally as the "trilogy" necessary to produce good wine: climate-soil- vine stock.
Several vineyards are located in this area: The Concha y Toro vineyard in Pirque offers guided tours of the winery and the nearby village of Pirque with its beautiful countryside and mountain air and old haciendas with their stately manor houses. Other vineyards in the area open to the public are: Santa Rita, Santa Carolina and Cousin o Macul.
The ski resorts, which can be reached by bus or car, are located less that an hour's drive from Santiago. Farellones-EI Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado are all situated on the slopes of the Andean mountains. From June to October both foreign and Chilean ski fanatics, because of the excellent slopes, good snow, nice weather and modern infrastructure, visit these resorts, as well as others in Chile.
Also near Santiago, but 145 kilometers northeast is Portillo with its traditional hotel of international fame, overlooking the beautiful Del Inca Lagoon.
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