Santiago, Chile, the hub city of a great Chilean vacation
by Paul H. Green
Santiago is the capital and biggest city of Chile with more than 5 million people.
You can find almost everything you need in this city. It has all star hotels, economical bed and breakfasts, restaurants of every ethnic background, discos, clubs, a museum, universities, international and national airports, high rise office buildings, theaters, malls, fun parks, a modern subway system which makes finding your way around Santiago a lot easier, and a whole lot more.
Travelers flying to Chile to join a ship may see little or nothing of Santiago, traveling as it were from the airport to Valparaiso to join a ship (1 ½ hours). The airport at Santiago is very much like any airport in Mexico, and may be even a step below. If you do not opt for a day or so in Santiago, you will feel that this city is not worth seeing. In fact, traveling by bus from Santiago directly to your ship in Valparaiso, you will see the worst of both Santiago and Valparaiso. We think Santiago is worth seeing, so opt for the extra day, if you can spare the time and money.
While just three years ago, it was a 1 ½ hour trip from the airport to the center of Santiago, the new underground makes this a 16 minute drive by cab in 2007. While the new freeway and tunnel project makes quick work of getting into town, it has also cleaned up the 40 mile area and has provided funds for many to move back into town. The result of the recent changes in Santiago is to make the city an even nicer place.
Visitors to Santiago looking to visit the many Museums and Art Galleries should not come in February, as many are closed, as February is the month many from Santiago leave the city for vacations of their own. The Pre-Columbian museum in downtown is one of the nicest we have visited in the world, and has both museum displays which rotate during the year and an actual dig on-going on the property. In addition to the Pre-Columbian, two other museums, the Spanish History and the National are all in walking distance from one another, and are open year round.
Whether you are here on business, or pleasure you'll like Santiago, Chile. With even more time, within an hour or so from Santiago you can also find outdoor opportunities like hiking, nature, hot springs, and skiing. If you want to venture out to other parts of Chile you can get there by bus, airline, and rental car from Santiago.
Chile is the world's longest and most narrow country. It is also home to the Atacama Desert—the driest desert on the planet. Even the geography challenged knows that Chile is that long narrow strip of a country down the west side of the South American continent. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia and Argentina to the east and of course, the Pacific Ocean to the west. Chile even claims part of the Antarctic region as its own and famously owns Easter Island although it lies two thousand miles away. From the peculiar salt formations of the Valley of the Moon to the ghost towns scattered throughout the north, there are many memorable sites to explore.
But Chile is a land of contrasts from its coastal areas to its mountainous regions, its tropical climes to its sub-Antarctic isles. Visiting Chile means preparing for extremes—climactic and weather-related extremes, as well as extremely different regions of land.
As you might expect, the core of the country is in the Central Valley and the four largest cities of Chile are located here: Santiago, Valparaiso, Vina del Mar and Concepcion. The country's agriculture is also centered here and crops are fed by many waterways flowing down from the Andes Mountains. Many tourists now visit the famous Chilean wineries and vineyards located in this region. The southern section of the Central Valley is known as the Lakes Region and it features gorgeous misty blue waterfalls and deep blue-green lakes as well as mountains and volcanic cones.
Chile is part of the world's dangerous volcanic and earthquake zone known as the Ring of Fire. Several devastating earthquakes have struck Chile including cities like Concepcion and Valparaiso. About half of the volcanoes in Chile are active, but besides the disasters they cause, they provide Chile with steam and thermal pools frequented by many tourists.
Chilean cities are a unique mixture of native and Colonial Spanish architecture. Valparaiso, in particular, was an important port city during the nineteenth century and it retains many of its old-world features. Most Chileans reside in the big cities where universities, shops and churches abound.
The southernmost tip of Chile is Cape Horn and it is one of the most intensely stormy and wettest places on earth. Some of the glaciers of this region are roughly one million years old. The setting has great historical interest due to the number of mariners who have successfully and some not-too-successfully tried to navigate its seas. Many travelers visit each year although only some twenty percent of the Chilean population resides in this area.
Chile is a culturally wonderful land to visit. Although it has had a turbulent past, it enjoys a stable present and it continues to welcome many travelers today. Most Chileans are a combination of Spanish and Native American ancestry. Most people are Roman Catholic. Native Mapuches live on reservations in the Central Valley. There are also settlements of European immigrants who live in Chile today and add to the cultural mix, although Chilean culture is essential and homogenous affair throughout the nation. When visiting Chile, bring both warm and cold-weather clothing and be prepared for an unforgettable trip.
Recommendations:
- While most of today's travelers see Cape Horn from the deck of a large cruise ship, you might be looking for something different. If you are, check out www.victory-cruises.com/?gclid=CK7t3f3W3okCFRlBgQodNxEsFg' for a more hands on feel.
- For a great lunch meal in the park try Divertimento Chileno, Av. El Cerro s/n equine Pedro de Valivia Norte, Pargue Metropolitano, Santiago. This is a beautiful park setting, wonderful food of all kinds and they speak six languages. Located at the drive entrance to Cable Car hill, and three blocks from the Sheraton, it is a place you will find again and again.
- For night life, you need to find Como Agua Para Chocolate, “Like Water to Chocolate”. This restaurant, named for the Mexican movie, servers Mexican food and the best Pisco Sour drinks on the planet.
- If you need a driver contact Sergio Dotte Castro on his cell phone 09-699-39-07. Sergio is English speaking and is a well educated man with a great personality. He has a large clean car and will drive you daily anywhere in Chile.
- Finally, if you plan to stay at the Sheraton Hotel in Santiago, ask for the San Cristobal Tower, the basic “Sheraton Property” is below par, however the tower is five star and more. San Cristobal Tower, Josefina Edwards De Ferari 0100, Santiago, Chile.