16 Best Shopping in Santiago, Chile

This world-class store has an international wine selection, in-store tastings, classes, and books for oenophiles. In addition to this shop in the W Hotel, there are also branches in the Alto Las Condes, Parque Arauco, and Costanera Center shopping malls.

Take your most finicky wine-loving friends to this small storefront in Barrio Lastarria to try its highly rated, indie, terroir, and signatures wines, many of which are fairly hard to find elsewhere. The knowledgeable owners usually have a bottle or two on the go to sample.

Yards and yards of cashmere fill the window of Casimires Ingleses Matilde Medina. The owner imports her beautiful scarves and sweaters from England and sells fine dress shirts, which are also imported.

This souvenir market just across the Alameda from the base of Cerro Santa Lucía has some indigenous and locally made crafts, including some (not the finest quality) lapis lazuli items. Get your ears or navel pierced as well. It's open daily 11–7. As you should in all crowded and touristy areas, keep an eye on valuables.

Some nice antiques shops are found in the basement of the Centro Comercial Lo Castillo, which is quite small and, apart from a cinema and the antique shops, sells mostly women's wear and jewelry. It's one block up from the corner of Avenida Alonso de Córdova. The indoor shopping arcade dates back to the '80s and is caracol-, or snail-like, in its spiral layout. Le Fournil restaurant, just across Avenida Vitacura in Paseo Mañío on the fifth floor, is a good place for a coffee or light meal.

For truly original jewelry using local materials, visit Chantal Bernsau's shop on the first floor of the W Hotel. She sells mainly chunky pendants with large beads made mostly of local stones (though she does not specialize in lapis lazuli). The items are pricey, but the work is top-quality.

In the countryside, men often wear texanos (cowboy hats), paños (formal hats), and chupallas (flat-brimmed hats). If you've ever wondered where to buy these proper toppers, head to Donde Golpea El Monito. At this downtown shop, in business for a century, the store's friendly staff shows customers the differences between each hat and how to wear them. Also for sale are spurs, ponchos, and other huaso (Chilean cowboy) essentials.

Bellavista's colorful Feria Artesanal Pío Nono, held in the park at the start of Avenida Pío Nono, comes alive every night of the week. The area, particularly the south end of Pío Nono, is even busier on weekends, when vendors gather in Parque Domingo Gómez, in the shadow of the Universidad de San Sebastián Building to display handicrafts. It can be hit or miss for quality, but you can't beat it for convenience.

See works by local artists at Galería Animal, a spacious, luminous gallery in Vitacura. The large-scale pieces include sculpture and other types of installations.

Javiera García-Huidobro and Isabel Aninat curate works of both established and emerging Chilean artists at this Vitacura gallery, which has three rooms to browse.

West of Estación Mapocho and at the end of Avenida Brasil, this complex is filled with antiques dealers. They are used to foreigners coming and poking around, some of whom have been known to fill entire containers with jewelry, chandeliers, ceramics, and crystalware to bring back home.

Take a quick peek across the street to the skate park at Parque de Los Reyes, where some of the best skateboarders in Chile practice on weekends.

Looking a bit like a fortress, Hermès occupies some prime real estate on Alonso de Córdova, Santiago's main upscale international brand shopping drag.

This shop sells a wide variety of wool carpets and other weavings designed and produced in Chile.

For independent books from local authors, including kids' books and locally designed toys, head here. There are also postcards and posters with historical Chilean motifs, indie rock and folk bands from the ’70s, and today's music, films, and documentaries for sale.

Proudly proclaiming itself Santiago's first fine wine shop, La Vinoteca stocks vintages from all over Chile and abroad, as well as beer and liquor. There is an outlet at the airport for last-minute purchases and another shop 14 blocks down Manuel Montt from Providencia.

Santiago's downtown mall includes sporting goods stores, a food court with fast food restaurants, and public bathrooms. It's close to the Mercado Central and has free Wi-Fi in the rest areas and food court.