City Walks

City Walks

La Alameda

Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, more frequently called La Alameda, is the city's principal thoroughfare. Along with the Avenida Norte Sur and the Río Mapocho, it forms the wedge that defines the city's historic district. Many of Santiago's most important buildings, including landmarks such as the Iglesia San Francisco, stand along the avenue. Others, like Teatro Municipal, are just steps away.

A Good Walk

Unthinkable only a few years ago, today you can walk unescorted into the courtyard of the Palacio de la Moneda, the nerve center of the Chilean government. Across Calle Moneda you'll find Plaza de la Constitución, a formal square where you can watch the changing of the guard. Walk a block east along Calle Moneda to the cobblestoned Calle La Bolsa. On this narrow diagonal street stands the ornate Bolsa de Comercio, the country's stock exchange. A block down, at a dainty fountain, the street turns into Calle Nueva York, where you'll find the Club de la Unión. Across the street is the main building, or casa central, of the Universidad de Chile. Reach it by crossing under the Universidad de Chile Metro stop, which contains monumental murals depicting Chilean history painted by Mario Toral, part of the fine MetroArte series in all subway stops. Two blocks east are the Museo Colonial de San Francisco and the Iglesia San Francisco. Turn left after exiting Iglesia San Francisco onto Calle Londres and into the Barrio París-Londres. Enjoy a pleasant stroll through this charming area otherwise known as Little Europe. On returning to the Alameda, avoid the crazy drivers by crossing back to the other (north) side via the Santa Lucia Metro station. Directly ahead of you is the Biblioteca Nacional. After leaving the library make a left and then another left. Cross Calle Maciver and then turn right down pedestrian-only German Tenderini to the Teatro Municipal. Head east through Plaza Vicuña Mackenna to survey the entire city from Cerro Santa Lucía.

Timing & Precautions

The walk itself is fairly short, but it's full of beautiful old buildings where you'll likely want to linger. You could spend an hour alone at the Palacio de la Moneda -- try to time your visit with the changing of the guard, which takes place every other day at 10 AM. Across the Alameda, take at least an hour and a half to explore Iglesia San Francisco, the adjacent museum, and the Barrio París-Londres. You could easily spend a bookish half hour perusing the stacks at the Biblioteca Nacional. Plan for an hour or more at Cerro Santa Lucía -- don't get here too late, as the hilltop park isn't safe after dark.

Santiago Centro

Shiny new skyscrapers may be sprouting up in neighborhoods to the east, but Santiago Centro is the place to start if you really want to take the pulse of the city. After all, this is the historic heart of Santiago. All the major traffic arteries cross here -- creating the usual traffic headaches -- and all the subway lines converge here before whisking riders out to the suburbs. In Santiago Centro you'll find interesting museums, imposing government buildings, and bustling commercial streets. But don't think you'll be lost in a sprawling area -- it takes only about 10 minutes to walk from one edge of the neighborhood to the other.

A Good Walk

To really know Santiago, get acquainted with the Plaza de Armas. Across Calle Catedral is a block-long threesome of historic buildings, centered by the Palacio de la Real Audiencia, at one time the country's highest court and currently home to the Museo Histórico Nacional. To the west of the museum is the whitewashed Correo Central; to the east is the Municipalidad de Santiago. The Catedral, twice destroyed by earthquakes and once by fire before the current neoclassical structure was completed in the 18th century, looms over the western end of the plaza. A motley assortment of commercial arcades completes the fringes of the square, adding a touch of modernity to one of the city's most traditional neighborhoods.

East of the Plaza de Armas along Calle Merced is a beautifully restored colonial mansion called the Casa Colorada. The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is two blocks west of Casa Colorada on the corner of Calle Compañía and Calle Bandera. Across the street stands Chile's lordly Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia. Encompassing an entire city block to the north is the Ex Congreso Nacional and its gated gardens, providing refuge from the hustle and bustle of Santiago Centro.

Timing

The walk itself should take less than an hour. If you explore a few museums, wander around the squares, and rest here and there, this itinerary could take a full morning or afternoon. Each of the small museums on this route should take about 45 minutes to see thoroughly.

Parque Forestal

After building a canal in 1891 to tame the unpredictable Río Mapocho, Santiago found itself with a thin strip of land that it didn't quite know what to do with. The area quickly filled with the city's refuse. A decade later, under the watchful eye of Enrique Cousiño, it was transformed into the leafy Forest Park. It was and still is enormously popular with Santiaguinos. Parque Forestal is the perfect antidote to the spirited Plaza de Armas. The eastern tip, near Plaza Baquedano, is distinguished by the Wagnerian-scale Fuente Alemana (German Fountain), donated by the Germanic community of Santiago. The bronze-and-stone monolith commemorates the centennial of Chilean Independence.

A Good Walk

Near the park's western edge you'll find the former train terminal, the Estación Mapocho. It now serves as the city's most prestigious cultural center. A block east along Ismael Valdés Vergara is the wrought-iron Mercado Central, the city's fish market. Cross over the Río Mapocho at San Antonio and take the second left, which is Antonia López de Bello. A block or so west is the bright blue entrance to the gritty Vega Chica and Vega Central (Vega Central is a full block to the north of Vega Chica). Follow your nose another block west to the flower market Pérgola de las Flores.

Strolling east through the Parque Forestal will bring you to the jewel-like Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the adjacent Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Just south of the park, near where Calle Merced and Calle José Victorino Lastarria meet, is the Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, a pleasant little nook with bookshops and cafés, as well as the Museo Arqueológico de Santiago and the Museo de Artes Visuales.

Timing & Precautions

You can have a pleasant, relaxing day strolling through the city's most popular park, losing yourself in the art museums, and exploring the Mercado Central. In Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, allot at least 30 minutes for the Museo Arqueológico and the Museo de Artes Visuales. You can easily spend a few hours in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Vega Chica and Vega Central are usually crowded, so keep an eye on your personal belongings. When the markets are closing around sunset, it's best to return to safer neighborhoods south of the river.

Parque Quinta Normal Area

Just west of downtown is shady Parque Quinta Normal, a 75-acre park with three museums within its borders and another just across the street. This is an especially good place to take the kids, as all the museums were designed to stimulate eager young minds. The park was created in 1841 as a place to experiment with new agricultural techniques. On weekdays it is great for quiet strolls; on weekends you'll have to maneuver around noisy families. Pack a picnic or a soccer ball and you'll fit right in.

A Good Walk

Take a cab or the subway to the Estación Central stop. Outside the Metro is the Estación Central, a graceful colossus that is the city's only functioning train station. Across the street is the Planetario, on the southeast corner of the Universidad de Santiago. Walk five blocks north on Avenida Matucana to Avenida Portales. Half a block west is the colorful Museo Artequín. Across the street is the main entrance to Parque Quinta Normal, where you'll find the Museo Ferroviario. Avenida Las Palmas, a wide pedestrian path, leads through the park to the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural and the Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología.

Timing

You can visit the museums in and around the park, stroll along a wooded path, and even row a boat on a lake, all within a few hours. The hour-long presentation at the planetarium is shown only on weekends.

Bellavista & Parque Metropolitano

If you happen to be in Santiago on one of the rare days when the smog dissipates, head straight for Parque Metropolitano. In the center is Cerro San Cristóbal, a hill reached via cable car or funicular. A journey to the top of the hill rewards you with spectacular views in all directions. In the shadow of Cerro San Cristóbal is Bellavista. The neighborhood has but one sight -- the poet Pablo Neruda's hillside home of La Chascona -- but it's perhaps the city's best place to wander. You're sure to discover interesting antiques shops, bustling outdoor markets, and adventurous and colorful eateries.

A Good Walk

Starting from Plaza Baquedano, cross the bridge over the Río Mapocho to Bellavista. Acacia trees line the streets here, which are filled with boisterous cafés, trendy restaurants, and one-story homes painted in pinks, aquamarines, and blues. Walk three blocks north on Calle Pío Nono and turn right onto Calle Antonia López de Bello. Make a left onto Constitución and head north -- you'll soon enter Santiago's most lively restaurant district. On Fernando Márquez de la Plata sits the house Pablo Neruda designed, La Chascona.

At the northern end of Calle Pío Nono is Plaza Caupolicán, the entrance to Parque Metropolitano. The funicular, housed in an old castlelike terminus, climbs up Santiago's highest hill, Cerro San Cristóbal. A quarter of the way up the hill, the funicular stops at the Jardín Zoológico, which you can also reach on foot by following the road. After reaching the summit, take in the expansive views, then follow the signs to the teleférico (cable car) and get out halfway at Plaza Tupahue. A short walk away is Jardín Botánico Mapulemu, an expansive botanical garden. A 15-minute walk east and slightly downhill will bring you to the authentic and well-kept Jardín Japonés.

Timing & Precautions

Plan on devoting an entire day to seeing Parque Metropolitano's major attractions. During the week the park is almost empty, and you can enjoy the views in relative solitude. Avoid walking down if you decide to watch the sunset from the lofty perch -- the area is not well patrolled. Give yourself at least an hour to wander through Bellavista, and another hour for a tour of La Chascona.