4 Best Sights in Santiago, Chile

At the Central Market you'll find a matchless selection of edible products from the sea. Depending on the season, you might see the delicate beaks of picorocos, the world's only edible barnacles; erizos, the prickly-shelled sea urchins; or heaps of giant mussels. If the seafood doesn't capture your interest, the architecture may: the lofty wrought-iron ceiling of the structure, reminiscent of a Victorian train station, was prefabricated in England and erected in Santiago between 1868 and 1872. Diners are regaled by minstrels in the middle of the market, where a few larger restaurants compete for customers. You can also find a cheap meal at the smaller restaurants around the edge of the market. 

Santiaguinos come to the Pérgola de las Flores (literally: "gazebo of flowers") markets to buy wreaths and flower arrangements for decoration or to bring to the city's two nearby cemeteries. La Pérgola de las Flores, a famous Chilean musical and movie, is based on the conflict that arose in the 1930s when the mayor of Santiago wanted to shut down the market, which at that time was located near the Iglesia San Francisco on the Alameda; find a chatty florist at one of the two open-air markets—Pérgola San Francisco and Pérgola Santa María, each with about 40 vendors—and you may learn all about it.

A meatpacking district that’s slowing undergoing gentrification, Barrio Franklin hands its streets over to pedestrians and turns into a vast flea market on weekends. Take the metro to Estación Franklin, then start walking down Calle Placer. Here, you can pick up anything from wine to vinyls, vintage clothes, and household supplies from hawkers who have lovingly laid out their wares on a mat on the sidewalk to 300 established storefronts such as antiques dealers located within old warehouses. Check out Factoria Franklin, home to handcraft gin distillery Quintal and AFA Galería art gallery at Franklin 741. There’s also plenty of street food to be enjoyed, from lomito completo sandwiches to small bowls of ceviche. The vibe is relaxed and live bands often perform a set. With plenty to feast your eyes on, as with any busy space, keep an eye on personal belongings.

From fruit to furniture, meat to machinery, these lively markets stock just about anything you can name. Alongside ordinary items you can find delicacies like piñones, giant pine nuts found on monkey-puzzle trees. If you're undaunted by crowds, try a typical Chilean meal in a closet-size eatery, or picada in the Vega Central, chowing down on brothy cazuela (a typical meat and vegetable soup) or a plate of fried fish. For greater selection and a little more space, go to the second floor of the Vega Chica (now called Tirso de Molina) where Chilean, Colombian, Thai, Mexican, and Peruvian food is dished out in large portions at fair prices. As in any other crowded market, be extra careful with your belongings.