5 months in... valpo, santiago, or buenos aires?
 

i'm trying to decide where to study abroad spring 2010. does anyone have any insight into what city would be the best home base? having outdoor activities nearby is important and it seems like chile has more to offer, but EVERYONE has so many great things to say about ba. help please!

Buenos Aires is certainly a vibrant city but outdoor activities are more limited than Santiago or Valparaiso. It is just easier to get out of town. You could certainly take advantage of long weekends to go to Buenos Aires and have the best of both worlds.

Buenos Aires without a doubt! Valparaiso is not very nice and smaller, and Santiago was just ok. BA is so vibrant, exciting, and less expensive!!

Definitely BA. During weekends you can go to the delta in Tigre, to an estancia in San Antonio de Areco and do horseback riding, you can explore the city by bike, go to the coast: Mar del Plata, Pinamar, Mar de las Pampas

For 5 months BA will provide much wider options for getting out and about and easier living logistics. I did however love Valparaiso, a fascinating town with great restaurants and better access to outdoor activities but IMO would be a bit limiting for a 5 month stay.

Having lived in all three places for a number of years (and still in Santiago) there is just no comparison for access to outdoor activities, either Santiago or Valparaiso are easier. If it is big city life and more buzz, then BA wins. It really comes down to your preferences.

thanks so much for all the help!

huentetu, i think i can safely say i'll be in chile in the spring. i'm not really a "buzz" person- i grew up in a city of 5 million and got my fair share. now the question is santiago or valpo? i know there are tons of students in valpo, but probably better quality universities in santiago with more access to the requisite museums, theaters, etc. what do you think? does one place have better weather than the other between feb and july? i'd probably improve my spanish more in the city as well...

Santiago is a city of 5 million...Valpo is smaller and on the coast. They are located about 60-90 min apart by bus.

I spent 2 months studying in Santiago and really enjoyed my time there. Having only classes a few days a week, I was able to do some traveling on the weekends. I spent a weekend in Valpo/Vina del Mar and thought that was enough, but Im sure living there, it'll be different. I was also able to travel to Buenos Aires for a long weekend, Atacama, and Torres del Paine. All these trips can be done in about 5 days+ from Santiago.

The weather will be about the same for both places, warm in Feb and getting cooler as you get to July.

Look into what university you'd want to be at, as there will be students nearby in either city if you're at one.

I would say that the universities in Santiago are generally better. Most universities have different campuses depending on the subject. Sciences might be in one section of the city and law somewhere completely different. Although they all have a "Casa matriz", a main locale which used to encompass the whole university when numbers were smaller. Universidad Católica in Santiago has a Casa matriz but also a large campus in San Joaquin (on the metro) where different subjects are taught. In terms of quality and in order (sticking my neck out here), Universidad Católica, Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Santiago. There are a number of private universities, some very good, but I would stick with the three mentioned.

Although Santiago can be smoggy in winter, Valparaíso can be covered in sea mist.

Santiago has more to offer as far as cultural activities. Valparaíso is so close (1.5 hrs on a bus) that it has not developed so much in that area. You can get out to a national park from both in an hour or less. Bus connections to anywhere else are good in both.