Plaza de ArmasCity/Region: Santiago
The
Plaza de Armas is both the heart of
Santiago and the historical center, a square hemmed in by impressive Spanish colonial public buildings, including the 18th-century Cathedral and elaborate main post office that was once the Spanish governors' residence. The square became the hub of administrative, commercial and social life when the city was founded in 1541 and today it remains the center of life in the city. Never a dull place to be by day with its constant activity and throngs of people entertained by buskers and local artists,
the evenings are just as lively when passers-by can become embroiled in chess games on temporary tables set up under the trees.
Transport: Metro to Plaza de Armas
Chilean Museum of Pre-Colombian ArtCity/Region: Santiago
Spanning 4,500 years and about 80 pre-Colombian civilizations of
South America the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (
Chilean Museum of Pre-Colombian Art) is a fascinating place to spend a few hours. Located in the old Royal Customs House, the exhibit displays are well lit and beautifully arranged throughout four rooms set around a central courtyard. The collection provides an informative insight into the cultures of the Incas, Mayans, Aztecs and other once proud civilizations of the continent, illustrating their artistic diversity.
Address: Calle Bandera 361
Phone Number: (0)2 688 7348
Website: www.precolombino.cl
Transport: Metro to Plaza de Armas
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. Free guided tours are offered Tuesday to Friday at 1pm and 5pm, and Saturday 10am to 2pm (advance registration required)
Admission: Ch$3,000
Mercado CentralCity/Region: Santiago
Santiago's colorful Mercado Central, housed in an 1872 wrought iron structure, has a fruit and vegetable market as well as a buzzing fish market where an assortment of glistening fish is packed onto the tables. Mussels, oysters and clams sit in buckets among an unidentifiable variety of crustaceans and tentacled creatures. The fishmongers demonstrate their skill at gutting and filleting amid a cacophony of frenzied buying. The best time to visit is at lunchtime when a delicious sampling of the wares can be enjoyed in the happily chaotic atmosphere of the central hall.
Address: Corner of
Calle Puente and Calle San Pablo
Transport: Metro to Puente Cal y Canto
Hours: Daily from 6am to 4pm
Cerro San CristóbalCity/Region: Santiago
Cerro
San Cristóbal is a 2,752-foot (860m) hill jutting out of the city and on a clear day affords magnificent views of the surrounds and across to the Andes. The easiest way to the top is by funicular, but there is also a teleférico (cable car), bus or a path leading up from the bottom through the forested slopes. There are many walkways and at the summit is the 70-foot (22m) high statue of the
Virgin Mary to mark where the Pope held a mass in 1987. There is also a small zoo, picnic sites and an outdoor swimming pool. The cerro is situated within the Santiago's biggest open space, Parque Metropolitano, and is a peaceful place, an escape from the never-ending noise of traffic in the city below.
Address: Calle Pedro de Valdivia or Calle Pio Nono
Phone Number: (0)2 730 1300
Transport: Metro to
Pedro de Valdivia or Baquedano
Hours: Park: Sunday to Thursday 8am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 12am.
Funicular: Monday 1pm to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 8pm
Admission: Ch$1,500 return for a funicular ride
Reserva Nacional Los FlamencosCity/Region: San Pedro de Atacama
Within the reserve is the
Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), a surreal landscape of salt peaks formed by uplifted lake sediments that have been shaped into dramatic formations by wind erosion. With a surreal blend of pastel colors the valley is even more enchanting at sunset. A striking feature of northern
Chile's geography is the shimmering and apparently endless salt lakes that are home to many bird species. The Salar de
Atacama in the reserve has a lagoon, Laguna Chaxa, which supports three species of flamingos as well as other bird life. The salt lake also affords good views of the volcanoes in the Andean chain of mountains on the near distant altiplano.
El Tatio GeysersCity/Region: San Pedro de Atacama
At an altitude of 13,760 feet (4,300m), this is one of the world's highest geyser fields. Best viewed at sunrise when there are changes in atmospheric pressure, the steaming fumaroles are spectacular, shooting up clouds of steam 35 feet (112m) into the air. Mineral deposits left behind after the evaporation of the boiling water have formed other interesting structures on the thin crust of the geyser field.
Transport: 4WD tours leave from San Pedro de Atacama
Hours: Tours depart at 4am to ensure arrival by sunrise
Parque Nacional ChiloéCity/Region: Isla Grande de Chiloé
Following in the footsteps of Darwin after 150 years, the visitor will find an isolated but wildly beautiful assortment of rolling hills, native forests and pristine coastline. It is home to the Chilote fox, the rare pudú (miniature deer) and over 100 species of birds, including the Magellanic penguin. The park offers a variety of walking trails, through forests and under twisted tepú trees, along miles of unspoilt coastline or along nature trails that lead up onto the hills for superb views of the surrounds. The park is also home to several Huilliche Indian communities. The information center at the entrance has good displays on the flora, fauna and the traditions and folklore of the Huilliche people.
Admission: Ch$1,000; free for children under 12
Parque Nacional Torres del PaineCity/Region: Chilean Patagonia
UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve, the 180,000-hectare (442-acre) park is the pride and joy of southern Chile. The park takes its name after the towering granite pillars that rise over 6,560 feet (2,000m) above the Patagonian plains. It is a hiker's paradise with many excellent, well-developed trails through astounding changes in scenery. Turquoise lakes and roaring waterfalls, forests and magnificent rambling glaciers, icy rivers, daisy-filled meadows, harsh mountain passes and plenty of wildlife, including the protected guanaco (wild relative of the llama), are some of its attractions.
Phone Number: (0)61 247 845 (CONAF)
Website: www.torresdelpaine.com
Hours: Open year round 8.30am to 8.30pm
Admission: Ch$15,000 (high season), Ch$5,000 (low season)
Parque Nacional Laguna San RafaelCity/Region: Chilean Patagonia
Created in 1959, the park covers an area of 6,726 square miles (17,420 sq km) and includes the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. It was named for the
San Rafael Lagoon that was created by the retreat of the San Rafael Glacier, and has been designated a
World Biosphere Reserve by
UNESCO. A fjord more than 10 miles (16km) long is one of the park's principle attractions, along with some of the highest peaks in Patagonia, several glaciers, lakes and a rich variety of bird and sea life.
Admission: Ch$3,000 (adults), Ch$1,000 (children)
CastroCity/Region: Isla Grande de Chiloé
The main town of Castro is famous for its colorful rows of stilted houses (palafitos) lining the estuaries, excellent seafood and traditional handicrafts. It is a popular summer destination for Chilean and Argentinean tourists and has a laid back holiday feel to it. The town's most incongruous feature is the Iglesia
San Francisco, the dazzling exterior of remarkable colors having assaulted the eyes since 1906. The town also provides access to the nearby islands of the Chiloé archipelago and the
Parque Nacional Chiloé.
Puerto MonttCity/Region: The Lake District
Capital of the Lake District,
Puerto Montt is the embarkation point for stunning cruises to the fjords of the glacial Chilean coastline and is the gateway to the island of Chiloé and Chilean Patagonia. Its architecture is Middle European with unique wooden designs and predominantly high-pitched roofs and ornate balconies. Many of the older, traditional houses can be spotted with their distinct patchwork of weather resistant shingles, made from the Alcerce Tree. Puerto Montt has a marvelous craft market, a good place to buy Chiloén handicrafts, and the outstanding seafood is not to be missed. Well worth a visit, too, is the local cathedral, with its large rosary made from fishnet floats above the confessional.
